Tori shogi
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Tori shogi (or "Bird Shogi") is a Shogi variant attributed to Ohasi Soei in the late 1700s. It is played on a 7x7 board, with each side having six (or seven, if one distinguishes the left quail from the right quail) different types of pieces, two of which can promote. In line with the bird theme, each piece is named after a different kind of bird. This Shogi variant is played with drops, with the following restrictions in how pieces may be droped:
- A single file can not have more than two swallows on it.
- A swallow can not be dropped to deliver checkmate.
Promotable pieces are promoted when they begin or end their move in the last two rows; promotion is mandatory.
The pieces
- The swallow is Tori Shogi's equavalent of a pawn. This piece can move precisely one square forward; like Shogi's pawn, it captures as it moves. It promotes to a Goose.
- The quail is Tori Shogi's equivalent of a lance. In addition to having the move of the lance, these pieces can also move one square diagonally backwards. There are actually two kinds of quails that are mirror images of each other: The left quail can move any number of spaces diagonally backwards to the right (and one square diagonally backwards to the left), and the right quail can move any number of spaces diagonally backwards to the left (and one square diagonally backwards to the right).
- The pheasant has a unique move: It can leap forward two squares, or move one square backwards diagonally.
- The crane also has a unique move: It can move like a non-royal king in six directions: All directions a king can move except sideways (it can move straight or diagonally forwards and backwards one space). This piece does not promote.
- The phoenix moves like a king in Shogi (and Chess). Like Shogi and Chess, the object of the game is to checkmate the opponent's phoenix.
- The falcon moves like a non-royal king all directions except straight (horizontally) backwards. In other words, it can move one space in seven directions: Straight forward, diagonally forward, sideways, and diagonally backwards. This piece promotes to an Eagle.
- The goose (promoted swallow/pawn) can jump two squares in three directions: Diagonally forwards and straight backwards.
- The eagle (promoted falcon) can move one square in any direction, any number of squares diagonally forwards or straight backwards, and can make a non-jumping move two squares diagonally backwards.
Setup
The opening setup is as follows; black pieces are in bold face and move first:
| Right quail | Pheasant | Crane | Phoenix | Crane | Pheasant | Left Quail |
| Falcon | ||||||
| Swallow | Swallow | Swallow | Swallow | Swallow | Swallow | Swallow |
| Swallow | Swallow | |||||
| Swallow | Swallow | Swallow | Swallow | Swallow | Swallow | Swallow |
| Falcon | ||||||
| Left quail | Pheasant | Crane | Phoenix | Crane | Pheasant | Right Quail |
The opening setup, in Japanese:
Missing image
Torishogi_opening.png
Torishogi_opening.png
Japanese-language diagram of the opening setup