To enjoy Tsume-Shogi, you must learn a few basic rules of Shogi.
But that is all you have to know.
No knowledge of openings, middle games and endgames is required here.

Shogi uses a 9x9 uncheckered board.
Traditionally, two players are regarded as "Black and White" as in Go (another wonderful game).

In a diagram, Shogi pieces are indicated in "Kanji" characters. Black pieces are rotated 180 degrees.

In Chess, only pawns can be promoted. In Shogi, all pieces except the king and the gold can be promoted.
The three rows at the other end of the board form a promotion zone. When you move a piece (except the king and the gold) into or out of that zone, you may promote it or leave it as it is.

The most distinctive feature of Shogi is that captured pieces can be returned to play. Captured pieces change to the captor's color, and kept in a storage area, "in hand."

Pieces in hand can be "dropped" in their unpromoted state on any vacant square any time. Drop is counted as a move.

Pawns, lances, and knights cannot be dropped on the 9th row because these pieces cannot move at all. Knights cannot be dropped on the 8th row for the same reason.

You cannot drop a pawn on a file where there is already one of your unpromoted pawns.(No double pawn)

You cannot give checkmate by dropping a pawn.(No dropping pawn mate)

Now, would you try some "Tanagra" Tsume-Shogi's?
Please click the leftside's links and you can enjoy solving Tsume-Shogi Promlems. They are light, smart and confortable.

I used 'Tsume-Shogi Board' by S.Sato(http://www.geocities.co.jp/Playtown-Bishop/2518/), which is an aplet after Java1.1 to prepare Tsume-Shogi problem.Thanks for his quick correspondence.


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