The Princess Game
王棋 is a variant of shōgi offering shorter and more dynamic games.
It is also known as 姫遊び (The Princess Game
),
a name reflecting the unique characteristic where the princess, alongside the king, plays a central role in strategy.
Starting Position
Differences from Traditional Shōgi
Ōgi differs exclusively from traditional shōgi in the following key aspects, with all other aspects of the game remaining consistent:
- Board Size
- The game is played on an 8x8 grid, totaling 64 squares, unlike shōgi's 9x9 board.
- Drop Rule
- Ōgi allows checkmate by dropping a pawn, a move that is not permitted in traditional shōgi.
- Pieces
-
The modifications to piece composition for ōgi are as follows:
- The Gold General piece is omitted.
- A new piece, called the Princess, is introduced. This piece combines the movement capabilities of a Bishop and a Knight, including the Knight's lateral movement—forward, backward, or sideways, similar to the western chess Knight.
- Promotion
- In ōgi, when promotion is optional in traditional shōgi, this promotion becomes mandatory. This rule ensures that when a piece moves into, out of, or within the promotion zone under conditions that would allow optional promotion in shōgi, it must be promoted in ōgi.
