Yonin shogi
Four-player shogi variant with triangular setups and team options.
Yonin shōgi (四人将棋, 'four-person chess') is a four-player variant of shogi played on a standard 9×9 board. It may be played with a dedicated set or with two standard shogi sets, and is notable for its fast matches and availability as an inexpensive plastic set.
Quick Facts
- Year devised
- 1993
- Devised by
- Ota Mitsuyasu
- Board size
- 9×9
- Pieces per player
- 9
- Piece types per player
- king
- rook
- 2 gold generals
- 2 silver generals
- 3 pawns
- Approximate set price
- ¥300 (≈US$2.50)
Facts from the source article.
Rules of the game
The objective is to capture all opponents' kings, either individually or by teaming up with one or two fellow players. Four players use a standard 9×9 board, often colored black in dedicated sets. Each player has nine pieces: one king, one rook, two gold generals, two silver generals, and three pawns. Pieces are arranged in a triangular formation: on the nearest rank, the king sits in the center file, flanked by gold generals, then silver generals, leaving the four outside files empty. On the second rank, the rook is placed in the king's file, with a pawn on either side in front of the gold generals. On the third rank, a pawn is placed in the king's file. Turns proceed clockwise after the first player is determined. Movement and capture follow standard shogi, with a three-rank promotion zone. Repetition, perpetual check, and illegal moves are handled as in standard shogi. Check and checkmate differ: checkmate ends a player's game immediately, rather than forcing resignation, to prevent a third player from capturing the mating piece. In team play, check and checkmate do not affect the other team member. A player may inadvertently put another in check due to a third player's move (discovered check). If a third player's move results in checkmate for a second player, the player making that move gets credit for the checkmate.
History
Ota Mitsuyasu, who once served as mayor of Hirata (now part of Izumo) in Shimane Prefecture, created this version of yonin shogi in 1993. It is an officially recognized variant, and plastic sets have been available for around ¥300 (about US$2.50) at shogi hall stands. Some elementary schools even hold tournaments. Four-player shogi likely existed informally for many decades before that. The first complete, playable rules appeared in a children's weekly magazine in February 1991. Those earlier rules differed mainly in using nearly a full standard shogi set per player and a starting setup closer to standard shogi.
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