Sho Shogi

Sho Shogi is a historical 9x9 shogi variant. It is very close to standard shogi, but with one key piece difference and no drops.

Main Differences From Standard Shogi

• No drops and no pockets. Captured pieces are not returned to play.
• Each side has one extra piece: the drunken elephant.
• The drunken elephant promotes to the prince, which moves like a king.
• After promotion, a side can effectively have two king-like royal pieces (king + prince).

Starting Position

The starting position is:

lnsgkgsnl/1r2e2b1/ppppppppp/9/9/9/PPPPPPPPP/1B2E2R1/LNSGKGSNL w 0 1

Here, e/E is the drunken elephant.

Notes

• Movement and promotion for the standard shogi pieces follow normal shogi rules.
• The promoted elephant (prince) is rendered with king artwork in current piece sets.