Shogi terms A–Z

A

• Anaguma穴熊
• Attack by numbers数の攻め
• Attack on the king's head玉頭攻め

B

• Bishop角行
• Bishop Exchange角換わり
• Bishop's diagonal角道
• Black先手
• Boat castle舟囲い
• Brinkmate必至

C

• Capture駒を取る
• Castle囲い
• Central Rook中飛車
• Check王手
• Check and rook fork王手飛車
• Checkmate詰み
• Climbing Silver棒銀
• Closing in寄せ

D

• Dangling pawn垂れ歩
• Decline promotion不成
• Defense受け
• Double Wing Attack相掛かり
• Dragon竜王
• Drop打つ

E

• Early escape早逃げ
• Edge attack端攻め
• Entering king入玉
• Exchange駒交換

F

• Fork両取り
• Fourth-file Rook四間飛車

G

• Gokigen Central Rookゴキゲン中飛車
• Gold general金将
• Gold on the head頭金

H

• High Mino高美濃
• Horse竜馬

I

• Interpose合駒

J

• Joining pawn継ぎ歩

K

• King玉将
• King in the center居玉
• Knight桂馬
• Knight forkふんどしの桂

L

• Lance香車

M

• Mate problem詰将棋
• Mate threat詰めろ
• Material advantage駒得
• Mino castle美濃囲い

O

• Opening line定跡
• Opposing Rook向かい飛車

P

• Pawn歩兵
• Pawn exchange歩交換
• Pawn-drop mate打ち歩詰め
• Piece value駒の価値
• Piece with no moves行き所のない駒
• Pieces in hand持ち駒
• Pinピン
• Promote成る
• Promoted knight成桂
• Promoted lance成香
• Promoted silver成銀
• Promotion zone敵陣

R

• Ranging Rook振り飛車
• Rapid attack急戦
• Repetition draw千日手
• Resign投了
• Right Fourth-file Rook右四間飛車
• Rook飛車

S

• Sacrifice捨て駒
• Side Pawn Capture横歩取り
• Silver general銀将
• Skewer田楽刺し
• Slow game持久戦
• Split silver割り打ちの銀
• Static Rook居飛車

T

• Tapping pawn叩きの歩
• Tempo手番
• Third-file Rook三間飛車
• Tokinと金
• Two pawns二歩

W

• White後手

Y

• Yagura castle矢倉囲い

Quick definitions

King 玉将・王将

The piece you must protect; it moves one square in any direction. Losing it loses the game.

Rook 飛車

Moves any distance forward, backward or sideways.

Bishop 角行

Moves any distance diagonally.

Gold general 金将

Moves one square forward, diagonally forward, sideways or straight back. Never promotes.

Silver general 銀将

Moves one square forward or diagonally in any direction.

Knight 桂馬

Jumps two squares forward and one to the side; the only piece that jumps.

Lance 香車

Moves any distance straight forward.

Pawn 歩兵

Moves and captures one square straight forward.

Dragon 竜王(竜)

A promoted rook: moves like a rook plus one square diagonally.

Horse 竜馬(馬)

A promoted bishop: moves like a bishop plus one square straight.

Tokin と金

A promoted pawn; moves like a gold but returns to the opponent as a mere pawn.

Promoted silver 成銀

A promoted silver; moves like a gold.

Promoted knight 成桂

A promoted knight; moves like a gold.

Promoted lance 成香

A promoted lance; moves like a gold.

Promotion zone 敵陣

The three ranks farthest from you, where pieces may promote.

Promote 成る

To turn a piece over when it enters, moves within, or leaves the promotion zone.

Decline promotion 不成

Choosing to keep a piece unpromoted when promotion is allowed.

Drop 打つ

Placing a piece from your hand onto an empty square as your move.

Pieces in hand 持ち駒

Captured pieces you hold and may drop later.

Capture 駒を取る

Moving onto an enemy piece's square; the piece goes to your hand.

Check 王手

A move that attacks the enemy king.

Checkmate 詰み

The king is in check and has no legal answer; the game ends.

Two pawns (nifu) 二歩

Illegal: two of your unpromoted pawns on the same file.

Pawn-drop mate 打ち歩詰め

Illegal: dropping a pawn to give immediate checkmate.

Piece with no moves 行き所のない駒

A pawn or lance on the last rank or a knight on the last two ranks; such placements are illegal.

Repetition draw (sennichite) 千日手

The same position four times is a draw, unless one side checked every move; that side loses.

Entering king (nyugyoku) 入玉

A king that has reached the enemy camp; games can then be decided by counting points.

Black (sente) 先手

The player who moves first.

White (gote) 後手

The player who moves second.

Resign 投了

To concede the game; the usual way games end.

Fork 両取り

One move that attacks two pieces at once.

Skewer 田楽刺し

Attacking a piece so that when it moves, the piece behind it on the same line is captured.

Pin ピン(釘付け)

A piece that cannot move because it would expose the king or a bigger piece behind it.

Check and rook fork 王手飛車

A fork that gives check and attacks the rook at the same time.

Exchange (trade) 駒交換

Capturing and being recaptured, swapping pieces.

Material advantage 駒得

Having gained more piece value than the opponent.

Sacrifice 捨て駒

Giving up a piece on purpose to gain something bigger.

Piece value 駒の価値

A rough score for each piece used to judge trades.

Pawn exchange 歩交換

Trading pawns on a file to open it for the rook and gain a pawn in hand.

Dangling pawn (tarefu) 垂れ歩

A pawn dropped one square short of its target, ready to advance or promote next move.

Joining pawn (tsugifu) 継ぎ歩

Dropping pawns again and again in front of the enemy pawn to pull it forward.

Tapping pawn (tataki) 叩きの歩

A pawn dropped right in front of an enemy piece to force it to capture or move.

Split silver (wariuchi) 割り打ちの銀

A silver dropped between two enemy pieces, attacking both with its backward diagonals.

Knight fork (fundoshi no kei) ふんどしの桂

A knight attacking two pieces at once, one on each side of the square two ahead of it.

Attack by numbers 数の攻め

Bringing more attackers to a square than the opponent has defenders.

Castle 囲い

A formation of golds and silvers protecting the king.

Mino castle 美濃囲い

Ranging Rook castle: king 2h, silver 3h, golds 4i and 5h.

High Mino 高美濃

A Mino with the gold raised to 4g after pushing the 4th-file pawn.

Yagura castle 矢倉囲い

Static Rook castle: king 8h, golds 7h and 6g, silver 7g.

Anaguma (bear-in-the-hole) 穴熊

A castle with the king in the corner behind the lance, surrounded by golds and silvers.

Boat castle (funagakoi) 舟囲い

A quick Static Rook castle against Ranging Rook: king 7h, golds 6i and 5h.

Static Rook (ibisha) 居飛車

Keeping the rook on its starting file and attacking there.

Ranging Rook (furibisha) 振り飛車

Moving the rook to the other side of the board early in the game.

Fourth-file Rook 四間飛車

Ranging Rook with the rook on 6h (4th file counted from the left).

Third-file Rook 三間飛車

Ranging Rook with the rook on 7h.

Central Rook 中飛車

Ranging Rook with the rook on the 5th file.

Gokigen Central Rook ゴキゲン中飛車

A Central Rook for White that keeps the bishop line open.

Opposing Rook 向かい飛車

Ranging Rook with the rook on 8h, facing the opponent's rook.

Climbing Silver (bogin) 棒銀

An attack sending the silver straight up the rook's file.

Right Fourth-file Rook 右四間飛車

Static Rook attack with the rook moved to the 4th file on the right (4h).

Bishop Exchange 角換わり

An opening where both bishops are traded early.

Double Wing Attack 相掛かり

Both players push their rook pawns and trade them early.

Side Pawn Capture 横歩取り

An opening where Black's rook captures the pawn on 3d.

Rapid attack (kyusen) 急戦

Attacking before the castles are finished.

Slow game (jikyusen) 持久戦

A game where both sides build strong castles before fighting.

Mate threat (tsumero) 詰めろ

A move threatening checkmate next turn.

Brinkmate (hisshi) 必至

A mate threat that cannot be stopped by any defense.

Mate problem (tsume shogi) 詰将棋

A puzzle where every attacking move is check until mate; moves of both sides are counted.

Edge attack 端攻め

Attacking on the 1st or 9th file, often against a castle's corner.

Attack on the king's head 玉頭攻め

Attacking the square directly in front of the king, usually with pawns.

Gold on the head 頭金

The basic mate: a protected gold dropped right in front of the king.

Interpose (aigoma) 合駒

Blocking a long-range check by placing or dropping a piece in between.

Early escape (hayanige) 早逃げ

Moving the king to safety before the attack arrives.

Closing in (yose) 寄せ

The endgame phase of attacking the enemy king toward mate.

Defense (uke) 受け

Moves that stop the opponent's attack.

Opening line (joseki) 定跡

An established sequence of opening moves.

Tempo 手番・手得

A move's worth of time; gaining a tempo means you are one move ahead.

Bishop's diagonal 角道

The diagonal the bishop controls; opened or closed by the 7th-file pawn (3rd for White).

King in the center 居玉

A king left on its starting square; dangerous once fighting starts.