Shōgi
Sōogi [1], or shōgi, the Game of Generals, [2] was the Rokugani term for chess. [3]
Popularity[]
Shōgi was a complex game with the theme of generals commanding their troops in battle, popular in many military encampments and among samurai who fancied themselves tacticians, whether or not they had seen a battlefield in the last decade. [4] Generals said that shōgi reflected the truth of war. Diplomats said the game echoed the complexity and maneuvering of the court. Both saw the game as a metaphor for the conflicts of their chosen paths. [5]
Board[]
Shōgi boards used to be rectangular, with carved squares. For play two groups of pieces were arrayed at each player's end of the board, facing the opponent. A platform for captured pieces used to be set to the right of each player's seat. [5]
Playing Pieces[]
The pieces in shōgi had no identifying color, their allegiance determined only by the direction they faced—toward their opponent. When a player captured an opposing piece, it was removed from the board, but could be brought back into play, now used by that player among their own original pieces. Each piece had its own unique set of moves, as well—moves which changed and grew more complicated if the piece could be “promoted” by moving it into the opposition's territory. The piece was turned over, revealing a different symbol, signifying its changed status. [5]
This is a list of known named pieces: [5]
- Cassia Horse: meant to represent a mounted samurai.
- Flying Chariot: was able to move the full range of the board forward, backward, or side to side. A particular strategy was known as "Flying Chariot, Standing", which kept chariots back, and began to move more valuable pieces to the spaces behind them. It used the opponent's knowledge of the strengths of the chariot against him, making them worry about why his opponent were not deploying the chariots to their strengths, and the opponent would defeat himself.
- Angle Mover: one of the most powerful pieces on the board, was able to move the full range of the board in diagonal direction.
- Foot Soldier (fuhyō) [2]
- Jeweled General (gyokushō): the King of the lower ranked player [2]
- King General (ōshō): the King of the higher ranked player [2]
Strategies[]
- Flying Chariot, Standing: this strategy relied upon the piece known as the Flying Chariot, which had a wide range of movement, but on purpose the player kept his chariots back, and began to move his more valuable pieces to the spaces behind them. The player used the chariots as a bulwark, but the primary purpose was to use the opponent's knowledge of the strengths of the chariot against him. To make them worry about why he was not deploying the chariots to their strength, and this was designed to draw an opponent in, to make the opponent defeat himself. [5]
References
- ↑ Shadowlands: The Essential Guide to the Dominion of Fu Leng, p. 51
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 A Game of Promises, by Annie VanderMeer Mitsoda
- ↑ Legend of the Five Rings: Roleplaying Game (Beta), p. 79
- ↑ Legend of the Five Rings: Roleplaying Game (Beta), p. 89
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Flying Chariot, Standing, by Gareth-Michael Skarka
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