EuroShogi

EuroShogi
abcdefgh
8
b8 black knight
c8 black bishop
d8 black queen
e8 black king
f8 black queen
g8 black knight
b7 black rook
g7 black bishop
a6 black pawn
b6 black pawn
c6 black pawn
d6 black pawn
e6 black pawn
f6 black pawn
g6 black pawn
h6 black pawn
a3 white pawn
b3 white pawn
c3 white pawn
d3 white pawn
e3 white pawn
f3 white pawn
g3 white pawn
h3 white pawn
b2 white bishop
g2 white rook
b1 white knight
c1 white queen
d1 white king
e1 white queen
f1 white bishop
g1 white knight
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
EuroShogi starting position. For this diagram, generals are represented by queens.
Designer(s) Vladimír Pribylinec
Genre(s) Abstract strategy game
Shogi variant
Players 2
Setup time ~1 min.
Playing time Casual games usually 10–60 mins.
Random chance None
Skill(s) required Strategy, tactics

EuroShogi is a shogi variant invented by Vladimír Pribylinec starting in 2000.[1] The game developed from an early version of chess variant Echos in 1977, leading to Cubic Chess, then later to Cubic Shogi, and finally to EuroShogi. Instead of classical units are used cubes that have a symbol on one side and on the opposite side have the same symbol by opposite colors, on the other side is a symbol of the promoted unit and on the opposite side the same symbol of opposite color, the last sides have no symbol - one is white and the other black.

A major tenet of EuroShogi is simplification without radical changes, while maintaining good gameplay. The variant Heian shogi with playing board 8×8 or 9×8 is the only shogi variant somewhat similar to EuroShogi; other variants are larger or smaller, have new units, or lack drops.

Game rules

The current uppermost symbol determines a piece's type. Pieces are placed on the board so that they are oriented to the players areas without symbols. The game is played on an 8×8 board, where the furthest three ranks from each player is their promotion zone. The starting setup is as shown. Pieces capture the same as they move.

Composition of pieces per player: 1 king, 1 tower, 2 shooters, 2 generals, 2 knights, 8 pawns.

Movement

King

The king steps one square in any direction, orthogonal or diagonal. The king does not promote.

a5b5c5d5e5
a4b4 black circlec4 black circled4 black circlee4
a3b3 black circlec3 black kingd3 black circlee3
a2b2 black circlec2 black circled2 black circlee2
a1b1c1d1e1

Rook

The rook moves any number of unoccupied squares along any of the four orthogonal directions. Promoted rook is marked by the circle, it moves as king too.

a5b5c5 up arrowd5e5
a4b4c4 up arrowd4e4
a3 left arrowb3 left arrowc3 black rookd3 right arrowe3 right arrow
a2b2c2 down arrowd2e2
a1b1c1 down arrowd1e1
Before promotion
a5b5c5 up arrowd5e5
a4b4 black circlec4 up arrowd4 black circlee4
a3 left arrowb3 left arrowc3 black rookd3 right arrowe3 right arrow
a2b2 black circlec2 down arrowd2 black circlee2
a1b1c1 down arrowd1e1
After promotion

Bishop

The bishop moves any number of unoccupied squares along any of the four diagonal directions. Promoted bishop is marked by the circle, it moves as king too.

a5 up-left arrowb5c5d5e5 up-right arrow
a4b4 up-left arrowc4d4 up-right arrowe4
a3b3c3 black bishopd3e3
a2b2 down-left arrowc2d2 down-right arrowe2
a1 down-left arrowb1c1d1e1 down-right arrow
Before promotion
a5 up-left arrowb5c5d5e5 up-right arrow
a4b4 up-left arrowc4 black circled4 up-right arrowe4
a3b3 black circlec3 black bishopd3 black circlee3
a2b2 down-left arrowc2 black circled2 down-right arrowe2
a1 down-left arrowb1c1d1e1 down-right arrow
After promotion

General

The general steps one square in one of the four orthogonal directions, or one square diagonally forward. (Six possibilities.) The general does not promote.

a5b5c5d5e5
a4b4 white circlec4 white circled4 white circlee4
a3b3 white circlec3 white queend3 white circlee3
a2b2c2 white circled2e2
a1b1c1d1e1
Light
a5b5c5d5e5
a4b4c4 black circled4e4
a3b3 black circlec3 black queend3 black circlee3
a2b2 black circlec2 black circled2 black circlee2
a1b1c1d1e1
Dark

Knight

The knight jumps at an angle intermediate to orthogonal and diagonal, equivalent to: one square frontal forward, then one square diagonally forward, in a single move. The knight leaps over any intervening men. The EuroShogi knight has an additional extension: it can also move one square horizontally to the side. Promoted knight is marked by the circle, it moves as general.

a5b5 white circlec5d5 white circlee5
a4b4c4d4e4
a3b3 white circlec3 white knightd3 white circlee3
a2b2c2d2e2
a1b1c1d1e1
Light
a5b5c5d5e5
a4b4c4d4e4
a3b3 black circlec3 black knightd3 black circlee3
a2b2c2d2e2
a1b1 black circlec1d1 black circlee1
Dark
a5b5c5d5e5
a4b4 white circlec4 white circled4 white circlee4
a3b3 white circlec3 white knightd3 white circlee3
a2b2c2 white circled2e2
a1b1c1d1e1
Light
a5b5c5d5e5
a4b4c4 black circled4e4
a3b3 black circlec3 black knightd3 black circlee3
a2b2 black circlec2 black circled2 black circlee2
a1b1c1d1e1
Dark

Pawn

The pawn steps one square forward. Promoted pawn is marked by the circle, it moves as gold.

a5b5c5d5e5
a4b4c4 white circled4e4
a3b3c3 white pawnd3e3
a2b2c2d2e2
a1b1c1d1e1
Unpromoted pawn
a5b5c5d5e5
a4b4 white circlec4 white circled4 white circlee4
a3b3 white circlec3 white pawnd3 white circlee3
a2b2c2 white circled2e2
a1b1c1d1e1
Promoted pawn

Starting position

White: Kd1 GC1 GE1 RG2 Bb2 BF1 KtB1 KtG1, pawns in the whole 3rd row
Black: Ke8 GD8 Gf8 Rb7 BC8 BG7 Ktb8 Ktg8, pawns in the whole 6th row

Promotion

A player's promotion zone consists of the three farthest ranks. If a player's man crosses into its promotion zone, the player immediately promotes the man at the end of the turn. The king and general cannot promote. A pawn and the knight, after entering into the promotion zone instantly obtain a general movement by rotating its cube. After drop from the stack are they not promoted instantly, but even if they does move. A rook becomes to promoted rook, the bishop becomes to promoted bishop. A rook and a bishop dropped from the reservoir into the promotion zone are not promoted instantly, but even if they does move (out of, or wholly within the zone).

Drops

Each player owns a stack for staging captured men, which are always stored not to promote. This is achieved by rotating a cube: captured unit changes a colour and loses a promotion. A player whose turn it is to move may either move a man on the chessboard, or drop any man from his stack on any vacant square, but a pawn may not be dropped on a file already containing a pawn of the same color. or on the last rank (there it can not move).

Check and checkmate

Check, checkmate, and draws follow the same conditions as in classical chess. However, it is not permitted to give perpetual check in EuroShogi. A game can end in two additional (although uncommon) ways – by repetition or impasse .

  1. Repetition: If the same position occurs three times with the same player to move, then the game is a draw. (Recall, however, the prohibition against giving perpetual check.)
  2. Impasse: The game might reach an impasse if kings are advanced into their respective promotion zones and neither player has any hope of mating the other; or, if there is no chance of gaining any further material.

See also

References

Bibliography

  • Pritchard, D. B. (2007). Beasley, John, ed. The Classified Encyclopedia of Chess Variants. John Beasley. p. 260. ISBN 978-0-9555168-0-1. 
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