JJ本将棋

两大“神规则”，颠覆你的棋类认知

规则一：“打入”——吃了你的子，就是我的兵

这是将棋最独一无二的设计。你吃掉的对方棋子不会永远离开棋盘，而是成为你的“俘虏”（持驹）。轮到你时，可以随时把这枚棋子“打入”棋盘空位，变成己方力量。

这意味着——局势随时可能被一颗“复活”的棋子彻底逆转。即使你只剩一个步兵，也可能在关键时刻打入敌阵、完成致命一击。正如有人所说，这体现了“不战而屈人之兵”的思想。

规则二：“升变”——小兵也能成大将

将棋中除了王将和金将，几乎所有棋子都能“升变”。当棋子进入或离开敌阵（靠近对手的三行）时，可以翻面变成更强的形态。最典型的是步兵——这个最弱小的棋子，升变成“と金”后，走法变得和金将一样强大。

这暗含了日本文化中“即使是一个小小的步兵，只要努力也能成为耀眼的金将”的精神。

将棋棋盘是9列×9行共81格。双方各20枚棋子，共8个兵种。棋子呈五角形，尖端朝向对方的就是你的棋子。

简单记法：王将（国王）→金将（像国王但少两个退路）→银将（斜着走+直进）→桂马（跳“日”字，但不被挡）→香车（直冲到底）→飞车（横冲直撞）→角行（斜线大师）→步兵（小兵向前冲）。上手很快，半小时就能下一盘。

Have you ever seen a board game where all the pieces are the same color, and the only way to tell sides apart is by which way their pointed tips are facing? That is Japanese shogi—a highly popular chess‑like game in Japan, ranked among the country’s three major board games alongside Go and Renju. Experience a different kind of board game and feel its unique charm!

Two “Divine Rules” That Overturn Your Understanding of Board Games

Rule 1: “Drop” – Your captured piece becomes my soldier

This is shogi’s most distinctive feature. When you capture an opponent’s piece, it does not leave the board forever. Instead, it becomes your “prisoner” (held in hand). On your turn, you may “drop” that piece onto any empty square, turning it into your own force.

What this means is that the course of a game can be completely reversed at any moment by a single “resurrected” piece. Even if you have only one pawn left, you might drop it deep into enemy territory at a critical moment and deliver a fatal blow. As some players put it, this embodies the idea of “winning without fighting.”

Rule 2: “Promotion” – Even a little pawn can become a general

In shogi, almost all pieces except the King and Gold General can “promote.” When a piece moves into or out of the enemy’s camp (the three rows closest to the opponent), it can be flipped over to become a stronger form. The most typical example is the Pawn—the weakest piece—which, after promotion to tokin, gains movement identical to that of the Gold General.

This subtly reflects the spirit in Japanese culture that “even a humble pawn can shine like a gold general if it works hard enough.”

The board and pieces at a glance

The shogi board has 9 columns by 9 rows, totalling 81 squares. Each player has 20 pieces, divided into 8 different types. The pieces are pentagonal in shape, and those with their points facing your opponent are yours.

A quick memory guide: King (Ōshō) → Gold General (like the King but with two fewer retreat options) → Silver General (moves diagonally plus straight forward) → Knight (jumps like an “L,” but unobstructed) → Lance (runs straight to the end) → Rook (charges sideways and forward) → Bishop (a master of diagonals) → Pawn (moves straight forward). It is easy to pick up, and you can play a full game in half an hour.

全ての駒が同じ色で、「尖った先端」の向きで敵味方を区別するボードゲームをご存じですか？
それが日本将棋（Shogi）です――日本で非常に人気のあるボードゲームで、囲碁・連珠と並んで「日本三大棋」の一つに数えられます。ぜひ、一味違うボードゲームの世界を体験し、その魅力を感じてみてください！

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二大「神ルール」――将棋の常識をくつがえす