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This page is written by the game's inventor, Gary Gifford.

Shogi-of-Chesstonia

Shogi of Chesstonia evolved from Shogi and from SHORANJI Maximus. It is also closely related to Shatranjian Shogi; However that game has a smaller board, different setup, and uses Western Pawns instead of Shogi Pawns. In regard to this larger game, Joe Joyce had mentioned drops during a SHORANJI Maximus discussion... they [the drops]are not in that game, but are in this one which has much more of a Shogi look, but uses the same playing field as found in SHORANJI Maximus. The board is relatively large (9 x 12). So the Short Range pieces have a long hall; Of course captured pieces change color and can be dropped, making them much more effective and dangerous than their slow moving, on-board relatives. The preset can be found with a cut and paste of this URL: http://play.chessvariants.org/pbm/play.php?game%3DShogi+of+Chesstonia%26settings%3Ddefault-ji3

Setup

See above Diagram or the preset.

Pieces

Shogi Pawns – 9   Move and capture straight ahead only, as do Shogi pawns; except these pawns have a special 2-step move option if on [or below] a player's third rank.  Thus a pawn on A1 or A2 or A3 could move 1 or 2 spaces.  A pawn on A1 could move 2 spaces to A3, then, on the next turn,  move 2 spaces to A5.  Of course, the only way for a player's own pawn to get to A1 or A2 is via a drop. 

The Pawns promote to initial first Row pieces only, that is, to Modern Elephant, Modern War Machine, Wazir, Ferz, or Knight, but not King. The pawns can promote to any square within the applicable promotion zone, which consists of 4 rows.  Pawns must move to promote - you cannot promote them on a drop.

White pawns cannot be dropped on row 12.  
Black Pawns cannot be dropped on Row 1.

Shogi Promoted Rook (Dragon King) – Qty. of 1   Moves as a Rook in Chess, or as a King.

Knights – Qty. of 2  As in Chess

Modern Elephant – Qty. of 2: Can leap over one space diagonally, or can move 1 or 2 spaces diagonally. Capture by displacement.

Modern War Machine –  Qty. of 2: Can leap over one space orthogonally, or can move 1 or 2 spaces orthoganally. Capture by displacement

Shogi Promoted Bishop - Qty. of 1: Moves as Bishop in Chess, or as a King.

Wazir - Qty. of 2:  Orthoganally, 1 Step.  

Ferz - Qty. of 2: Diagonally, 1 step.

Queen - Qty. of 1: Moves as a Queen in Chess.

King - Qty. of 1:  Moves as a King in Chess.

Rules

See pieces section for movements.

Rules are very similar to those found for Shogi, with theses exceptions, and obvious board and piece aspects.

ONLY PAWNS CAN PROMOTE.  They can promote to any initial 1st rank piece (but not to a King).  A player's Pawns, as in Shogi, cannot be doubled.  
Checkmate cannot be given by dropping a Pawn "on the move."

Pawns never promote on the turn they are dropped.  They must move, then promote on that turn.  Of course, they can keep their pawn status until they reach the last row.

Captured Promoted Pieces retain their promotion status [they do not revert back to pawns].

Notes

The dashes are not supposed to be in the title; but I got locked out of my rules page so had to add them or change the game name to get back in.

Other notes to be added as needed.

This 'user submitted' page is a collaboration between the posting user and the Chess Variant Pages. Registered contributors to the Chess Variant Pages have the ability to post their own works, subject to review and editing by the Chess Variant Pages Editorial Staff.

By Gary K. Gifford.
Web page created: 2007-01-09. Web page last updated: 2007-01-09