Resources
Where to go from here
Reading about shogi only gets you so far. The fastest way to actually improve is to start playing — here's where.
Play online
81Dojo
An online shogi server built specifically for international players, with English throughout and ranked play against opponents worldwide.
Lishogi
A free, open-source online shogi server in the style of lichess — play, analyze, and study games with no account required to start.
Shogi Wars
A fast-paced mobile app popular in Japan, built around short, timed games. A good way to get reps in once the rules feel comfortable.
Read further
Japanese Chess: The Game of Shogi — Trevor Leggett
The classic English-language introduction, and still one of the clearest explanations of the rules and basic thinking in print.
Shogi for Beginners — John Fairbairn
A compact, practical starting point aimed squarely at players with no prior exposure to the game.
The Art of Shogi — Tony Hosking
A more complete reference once you're past the basics — openings, castles, and tactics in more depth.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a real shogi set to start?
No. Every board on this site is playable in your head or on any online server — a physical set is a nice-to-have, not a requirement. If you do want one, plain, unmarked pieces are traditional, though sets with piece names in both kanji and English are made specifically for learners outside Japan.
Is shogi harder to learn than chess?
The core rules take about the same time to learn. What takes longer is the instinct around dropped pieces, since it changes how danger appears on the board — a square that looks safe rarely stays safe for long. Give it a few games before judging the difficulty.
How do I tell the pieces apart if they're all the same color?
By two things: the kanji written on the piece, and which way it's pointing. With practice, both become instantly readable — most players stop consciously reading the character at all and just recognize the shape and orientation.
Can I play shogi with a chess clock?
Yes, and most serious games use one. Byoyomi — a set number of seconds allowed per move once your main time runs out — is the traditional time control format and is standard on most online servers.
That's the full guide, start to finish. If you want to revisit anything, every page is one tap away from the menu — and the fastest way to make it all stick is still to go play a game.