Shogi glossary
White (gote)
Japanese: 後手
In shogi, gote is the player who moves second, called White in English and drawn at the top of diagrams. Applied to a single move, gote means a move that does not force a reply, so the initiative passes to the opponent.
The player who moves second.
White's side of the board
White's pieces start on ranks a to c and point down the board: king on 5a, rook on 8b, bishop on 2b. Everything is mirrored, so White opens the bishop's diagonal with pawn to 3d and advances the rook pawn on the 8th file. White's promotion zone is ranks g to i, which is Black's home ground.
Some well-known strategies belong to White, such as Gokigen Central Rook, which swings the rook to 5b while keeping the bishop line open.
Gote moves and handicap games
A gote move is one the opponent can afford to ignore. Defensive moves are often gote: you repair a weakness, and the other player is free to start the next attack. Strong players try to finish a sequence with the move still in hand, spending a gote move only when the defense is truly needed.
In handicap games the stronger player removes some pieces and moves first, playing from the top as White. The rule that Black starts applies only to even games.
FAQ
Is playing gote a disadvantage in shogi?
Only a slight one. Moving second costs a tempo, but many White strategies are fully playable, and the result depends far more on the moves played than on who started.
I don't do defense. Hope you brought a castle!
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