The Princess Game
Ōgi (王棋, rōmaji: ōgi) is a variant of shōgi offering shorter and more dynamic games.
The term ōgi literally means the king's game
,
but it is also known as Hime Asobi (姫遊び, "The Princess Game"),
referring to the protagonist of the story Genesis of the Enchantress.
This dual naming reflects the game's uniqueness where the princess, alongside the king, plays a central role in strategy.
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.
