Play shogi online free — Japanese chess in your browser, no signup
Shogi · Play vs AI — Japanese chess in your browser, free with no sign-up or download
Open your browser on phone or desktop—PWA support means you can play offline too. No account, no install: jump straight into a game against the AI, whether you are new or returning.
Why play shogi here?
No barrier, no sign-up
No email, no password—load the page and play. No sign-up funnel and no marketing mail.
Nothing to download
Everything runs in the browser—no app, plugin, or sketchy installer. Works on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.
Built-in AI levels
From gentle Easy play to deeper Hard search—switch anytime to match your level.
Add to home screen, play offline
Install as a PWA from your mobile browser (“Add to Home Screen”) and you can start games offline with an app-like fullscreen feel.
Upright pieces, color-coded sides
Pieces stay upright; red and blue (plus a stripe) show sides so beginners are not decoding flipped characters.
Free forever, no in-app purchases
No energy bars, no VIP-only AI, no paywalled features—everything is free.
What is shogi? How is it different from xiangqi?
Shogi (Japanese chess) is Japan’s national board game. It shares roots with xiangqi and Western chess via ancient chaturanga and has evolved in Japan for roughly a thousand years. On a 9×9 board with 20 pieces per side, each player tries to checkmate the opponent’s king (gyoku).
If you know xiangqi, shogi adds a few fresh twists:
- Drops (komadai):Captured pieces are not removed—they join your hand and can be dropped back on later turns as your own troops. That single rule reshapes endgame strategy.
- Promotion (nari):Entering the enemy camp (the farthest three ranks) lets you flip and promote for stronger movement—rook to dragon, bishop to horse, and so on.
- Piece orientation:Physical pieces are two-sided: yours point toward the enemy, theirs point at you. Orientation tells ownership; here color does that job.
- No “river” boundary:There is no river like in xiangqi; pieces roam the whole board, so attacks and counterattacks flip quickly.
Typical shogi positions branch more heavily than chess (often cited around 80 vs ~35). Even a modest AI can still apply real pressure.
Complete shogi piece reference
Tapping a piece highlights legal moves, but knowing the shapes upfront helps you see the whole board faster.
Moves one square in any of eight directions—the king is vital and slow. Checkmate ends the game.
Promotion: none
Any number of squares horizontally or vertically—same as a xiangqi chariot/rook.
Promoted: Dragon King—rook plus one-step diagonals
Any number of diagonal squares—like a bishop, without color-bound limits.
Promoted: Dragon Horse—bishop plus one-step orthogonal moves
Six squares: forward, backward, left, right, and both forward diagonals.
Promotion: none—this is the promoted form of other pieces
Five squares: four diagonals plus straight forward—no backward or sideways steps.
Promoted: moves as gold
Jumps two forward and one left or right (like the “knight” leap), and may jump over blockers.
Promoted: moves as gold; mandatory on the last two ranks
Any number of squares forward only—no retreat or sideways, like a forward-only rook.
Promoted: moves as gold; mandatory on the last rank
One square forward—you have nine of them, the most numerous piece.
When promoted: moves as gold. Two unpromoted pawns on the same file (nifu) is illegal.
Beginner tutorial: first move to drops
Know the board orientation
The board is 9×9. You start from the bottom, the AI from the top. Blue marks your pieces, red the opponent’s—no need to read reversed kanji.
Select piece → see destinations → move
Tap a piece to see green dots on every legal destination, then tap your target. Tap the piece again or tap empty space to deselect.
Captures and your hand (komadai)
Moving onto an occupied square captures that piece into your hand. Captured pieces sit beside the board with counts; you can drop them any time.
When and how to drop—restrictions
Tap a piece in your hand, then tap an empty square to drop it. Restrictions: you cannot drop a pawn on a file that already has your unpromoted pawn (nifu); pawns and lances cannot drop on the last rank; knights cannot drop on the last two ranks; a drop may not deliver immediate checkmate (uchitsuzumi).
Choosing promotion
When a piece enters the promotion zone (the farthest three ranks), the game asks whether to promote. Promoting is usually correct; beginners can safely promote whenever prompted.
Check and checkmate
When your move threatens the enemy king, that is check. They must escape; if they cannot, it is checkmate and the game ends.
Sample strategies: ideas worth knowing as a beginner
Opening theory is huge; here are a few ideas that help beginners most.
Static rook (fourth-file rook intro)
SteadyKeep the rook on its starting file, advance pawns, and develop gold/silver for a steady frontal fight. Forgiving and good for learning “castle first, attack later.”
Ranging rook (third/fourth-file swing)
CounterattackSlide the rook left for a wing attack. Fortify the king, then counter with drops and rook pressure—“defend first, strike when they overextend.”
Yagura castle
Classic defenseShelter the king in the corner with golds and silvers—the classic static-rook castle (Yagura). Solid but takes more moves to finish.
Mino castle
Best valueThe go-to castle in ranging-rook openings: built in three or four moves and very efficient. Learn Mino before Yagura.
Bōgin attack
Beginner attack patternPush a silver up one file with lance or pawn support—a simple, direct attack good for learning timing.
Drop counterattack
Core shogi funWith several pawns or golds in hand, drop multiple pieces into a weak line—a “gold/silver bomb.” Especially punishing when the AI leaves holes.
Play shogi offline: PWA install guide
After installing to your home screen you can start games offline—near-native feel without an app store download.
📱 iOS（Safari）
- Open this page in Safari
- Tap the Share icon in the middle of the bottom toolbar (square with arrow)
- Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen
- Confirm the name, tap Add, and the icon appears on your home screen
🤖 Android（Chrome）
- Open this page in Chrome
- Tap the ⋮ menu in the top-right corner
- Choose Add to Home Screen or Install app
- Tap Install, then launch from the home screen for fullscreen play