Shogi glossary
Horse
Japanese: 竜馬(馬)
In shogi, the horse (ryūma, 竜馬, usually uma) is a promoted bishop. It keeps the bishop's long diagonal moves and adds one step straight forward, backward or sideways. Despite the name, it has nothing to do with the knight.
A promoted bishop: moves like a bishop plus one square straight.
How it moves
The straight steps let the horse change diagonals by itself. A plain bishop can only ever visit half the squares of the board; a single straight step puts the horse on the other half. It is also far harder to trap than a bishop, because those short steps give it extra escape squares.
How it is used
The horse is famous as a defender. Pulled back near its own king, it guards several squares of the castle at once and is hard to chase away. A Japanese proverb says that a horse defending the king is worth three golds and silvers, and strong players often retreat a horse from the enemy camp for exactly this reason.
It still works well in attack, hitting the king from long range along the diagonals and stepping in for close checks.
Dragon or horse?
The dragon is usually rated a little higher, especially in attack, while the horse is often considered the better defender. A captured horse returns to the captor's hand as a bishop.
FAQ
Is the horse the same as the knight in shogi?
No. The horse is a promoted bishop. The knight (keima) is a separate piece that jumps forward, and when it promotes it moves like a gold, not like a horse.
I don't do defense. Hope you brought a castle!
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