JustBeginning
Beginner's guide

So you're getting into shogi

Welcome to Japanese chess, the game where captured pieces switch sides and rain back down on the board as your own. Shogi is harder than Western chess and more interesting. The rules take one afternoon to learn. The strategy will outlast you. Here is exactly what you need to start.

By Colin B. · Published June 6, 2026 · Last reviewed June 6, 2026
two men playing board game

Photo by C Dustin on Unsplash

The 60-second version

If you only buy 3 things to start:

  1. Yellow Mountain Imports Shogi Set — A traditional wooden starter set from a reliable US importer, the easiest way in for a Western beginner.
  2. Shogi for Beginners by John Fairbairn — The best English-language intro to shogi. Reads in an evening, stays relevant for months.
  3. DGT 3000 Digital Chess Clock — A digital clock with byoyomi support, the time control format used in every serious shogi club.
Budget total
$30
Typical total
$65
A starter set and a good beginner book is all you need. Online play at Lishogi is free and excellent.

We earn commission on qualifying Amazon purchases — see our affiliate disclosure. Price tiers and budget totals shown above are editorial estimates; actual Amazon prices vary.

At a glance

Our top pick in each category

The fastest path through this guide — each best-starter pick by category. Scroll for the budget and upgrade alternatives.

CategoryTop pickPriceWhere to buy
Shogi SetsYellow Mountain ImportsYellow Mountain Imports Shogi Set$$ See on Amazon →
Books & GuidesIshi PressShogi for Beginners by John Fairbairn$ See on Amazon →
Chess ClocksDGTDGT 3000 Digital Chess Clock$$ See on Amazon →
Before you buy anything

A few things worth knowing first

Play on Lishogi.org before buying anything. It is free, runs in your browser, and has a practice mode that teaches you each piece's movements interactively. After two hours there you will know whether shogi is going to stick.

Do not buy a premium wooden set first. Tournament-grade koma and boards cost $100 to $400 and require climate-aware storage. Start with a $25 plastic set. If you are still playing in three months, you will know exactly what you want to upgrade to.

The drop rule is the thing. Shogi is not just chess with more pieces. When you capture an opponent's piece, you hold it in hand and can drop it anywhere on the board as your own piece on a future turn. This one rule changes everything about how the game is played, and it takes more than a few games to fully feel.

The gear

What you actually need

white and black chess board

Photo by Mahmoud Adel on Unsplash

Shogi Sets

A shogi set is a 9x9 board plus 40 pieces (20 per side). Beginner sets typically use wooden or pressed-plastic koma with a paper or folding board. Traditional boards are thick wooden slabs; practical beginner sets use folding or paper formats that store flat. For your first set, a basic import in the $20 to $35 range is the right call: adequate for learning and good enough for years of casual play. Tournament-quality boards add cost and care requirements you do not need yet.

Shogi Sets — what's the difference?

A few common shapes, each making a different trade.

Standard 9x9

Full shogi on the regulation board. The real game, played competitively worldwide.

Board
9x9 squares
Pieces
40 total, 20 per side
Piece types
8 distinct types

Best for Anyone learning real shogi, the only format that counts toward ranking

Tradeoff More to learn upfront than mini variants

↓ See our pick
Mini Shogi (5x5)

A 5x5 variant with 12 pieces per side. Faster and simpler, but a different game.

Board
5x5 squares
Pieces
24 total, 12 per side
Piece types
5 types

Best for Introducing kids or very time-constrained new players

Tradeoff Does not prepare you for full shogi strategy or online rankings

↓ See our pick
Magnetic Travel

Compact magnetic version for play anywhere. Pieces snap in place.

Size
Compact, fits in a bag
Pieces
Magnetized plastic
Portability
Pocket or daypack

Best for Commuters, travelers, anyone short on table space

Tradeoff Small pieces harder to see and handle for extended sessions

Best starter
Yellow Mountain Imports

Yellow Mountain Imports Shogi Set

$$

Yellow Mountain Imports has been supplying traditional Japanese games to Western buyers for years. This set comes with traditional wooden koma pieces, a paper shogiban game board, and koma-dai stands. Nothing premium, all functional, and YMI's US-based customer service handles damaged-arrival issues reliably.

What we like

  • Traditional wooden koma pieces feel more authentic than plastic
  • Paper board folds flat and stores easily in a drawer
  • Koma-dai stands for captured pieces included in the set

What to know

  • Paper board develops crease lines faster than vinyl or wood
  • Piece kanji takes 2-3 sessions to learn; no English labels
See on Amazon →
Budget pick
NUOBESTY

NUOBESTY Magnetic Folding Shogi Set

$

A folding magnetic shogi board with snap-in pieces, compact enough to take anywhere. Pieces lock in place so nothing scatters mid-game or mid-commute. Fine for learning at a kitchen table or introducing someone new to the game.

What we like

  • Magnetic pieces won't scatter mid-game on any surface
  • Pocket-sized for learning anywhere, commutes included

What to know

  • Small piece size makes extended sessions tiring on the eyes
  • No koma-dai tray; you hold captured pieces in your hand
See on Amazon →
Upgrade pick
Shin-Katsura

Shin-Katsura Folding Shogi Board Set

$$$

A genuine Japanese-market import: shin-katsura folding wood board, quality pressed pieces with inked kanji, and koma-dai stands all included. The resistance and feel of a real Japanese board is noticeable after a paper set. Buy this once you know shogi will stick.

What we like

  • Genuine Japanese-market set at a reasonable import price
  • Folding board, pressed pieces, and koma-dai stands all included

What to know

  • Japanese-language listing; use product photos to assess condition
  • Shin-katsura is mid-grade wood, not premium hon-katsura
See on Amazon →

Books & Guides

Shogi has a small but excellent English-language bibliography. Two books cover 90% of what a new Western player needs: an introductory text that teaches piece movements and the drop rule, and a deeper strategy book for once you are playing regularly. YouTube and Lishogi's built-in lessons fill the gaps for free. Don't buy more than two books at the start. The game is learned at the board, not the page.

Best starter
Ishi Press

Shogi for Beginners by John Fairbairn

$

The standard English introduction to shogi. Fairbairn covers all the piece movements, the drop rule, promotion, and basic opening and endgame concepts in clear language. Reads in an evening and stays relevant for your first several months of play. The right book to read before or alongside your first online games.

What we like

  • The standard English introduction, trusted by Western clubs for decades
  • Covers piece movements, drop rule, promotion, and basic strategy
  • Short enough to read in one sitting before your first real game

What to know

  • Older printing; notation style differs slightly from modern online tools
  • Goes light on opening theory; you will want a second book within months
See on Amazon →
Upgrade pick
The Shogi Foundation

The Art of Shogi by Tony Hosking

$$

The deepest English-language shogi book available. Hosking covers openings, middle-game principles, and endgame theory at a level that will keep intermediate players busy for a year. Read Fairbairn first. Come to Hosking once you have played 20 or more games online.

What we like

  • The most comprehensive English shogi strategy book in print
  • Opening, middle game, and endgame theory all in one volume

What to know

  • Not a beginner book; assumes you already know all the pieces
  • Harder to find in stock than Fairbairn; prices fluctuate on Amazon
See on Amazon →

Chess Clocks

Most beginner shogi is played without a clock, but the moment you join a club or enter a tournament you will need one. Shogi uses byoyomi time controls, where each player gets a main time budget plus a fixed allotment per move they can fall back on indefinitely. This is very different from Western chess time controls, so make sure your clock supports it. Any modern digital clock handles byoyomi; analogue clocks do not. There is no rush to buy one; get it when you join a club.

Best starter
DGT

DGT 3000 Digital Chess Clock

$$

DGT is the brand trusted by the World Chess Federation, and the DGT 3000 supports byoyomi natively, which most Western chess clocks do not. You can set up a standard club shogi time control in about 30 seconds once you know the menu. It also works for Western chess, so it doubles if your game interests expand.

What we like

  • Byoyomi time control supported natively, essential for shogi clubs
  • DGT is the trusted standard at competitive chess and shogi events
  • Works for Western chess too, so it serves double duty

What to know

  • Menu takes one read-through of the manual to navigate
  • Overkill until you are playing timed games regularly
See on Amazon →
Budget pick
Chronos

Chronos GX Digital Chess Clock

$$

A highly programmable digital clock popular in Western chess clubs. Supports byoyomi-style time controls via delay mode programming. Less intuitive than the DGT 3000 for shogi-specific setups, but lower priced and widely available used.

What we like

  • Widely available, popular in Western chess and shogi clubs
  • Durable construction that survives years of club use

What to know

  • Byoyomi requires a delay-mode workaround; not as clean as DGT 3000
  • Button layout can feel stiff compared to newer digital models
See on Amazon →
Going deeper

Your first month of shogi

One afternoon to learn the pieces. A lifetime to master the drops. Here is a practical plan for your first four weeks of Japanese chess.

Read the guide →
Save your money

What you don't need yet

Beginners get pressured to buy a lot of stuff that doesn't help them play better. Here's what we'd skip on day one.

  • A tournament-grade wooden board — Board quality affects atmosphere, not gameplay. Learn on paper or basic wood and upgrade only once you are playing in clubs or hosting regularly.
  • Shogi piece flashcard decks — Playing five games online teaches the pieces faster than any flashcard set. Your brain learns kanji from context, not drills.
  • A chess clock before joining a club — Most beginners play untimed for months. A clock is useful eventually but there is genuinely no rush. Buy it when you need it.
  • Advanced strategy books — Joseki and endgame theory books assume patterns you haven't seen yet. Play games online rather than reading theory you can't apply.
  • Shogi apps or paid software — Lishogi is free, excellent, and runs in any browser. It has puzzles, analysis, online play, and a piece tutorial. Nothing you pay for does it better.
First week

Your first seven days

A short, real plan to get from gear-on-doorstep to actually playing.

  1. Create a free account on Lishogi and complete the piece-movement tutorial. · Action
    • Lishogi · Free browser-based shogi with tutorials, AI, and analysis
  2. Play 5 games against the weakest Lishogi AI. Focus on seeing all 8 piece types and where pieces promote, not on winning. · Action
  3. Order a starter shogi set so you have a physical board to study and replay positions at the table. · Buy
  4. Read Shogi for Beginners once through. It reads in an evening and will save you weeks of confusion about the drop and promotion rules. · Learn
  5. Watch two or three YouTube games with English commentary. Seeing the drop rule in use by strong players is worth more than reading about it. · Action
  6. Play your first human game on Lishogi. The lobby has players at every level. Losing fast and often is the right way to learn. · Action
FAQ

Common questions

How is shogi different from chess?

The biggest difference is the drop rule: when you capture an opponent's piece, you hold it and can drop it onto any empty square on a future turn as your own piece. This means the game rarely simplifies toward an endgame and threats appear from anywhere on the board at any time. Shogi also has 8 piece types versus 6 in chess, pieces promote when they enter the opponent's territory, and draws are nearly impossible. Most chess players find shogi harder but also more interesting.

Do I need to read Japanese to play?

No. Beginner sets include piece guides, and Lishogi lets you toggle icons that look like Western chess pieces. Once you play a few dozen games the kanji become familiar from context. Most Western players recognize all 40 pieces by shape within a few weeks.

Is shogi hard to learn?

The rules take one afternoon. The strategy takes years. Shogi is widely considered harder than chess, primarily because the drop rule creates exponential move possibilities. The practical advice: learn the rules, play against AI for a few hours, then find human opponents online. Don't study theory before you've played 20 games.

Where do I find opponents online?

Lishogi.org is the best starting point for Western players: free, browser-based, large international player pool, puzzles, and analysis. 81Dojo.com is the other major English-friendly platform, with a larger Japanese player base and a formal ranking system worth joining once you're playing regularly.

How much does it cost to start?

About $25 to $35 for a decent starter set and $12 to $18 for Shogi for Beginners. Everything else (online play, analysis, AI practice) is free. You can play serious shogi for years on that initial investment.

Are there shogi clubs in the West?

Yes, though smaller than chess clubs. The US Shogi Federation and British Shogi Federation both maintain club directories. Major cities in the US, UK, Germany, and France have active clubs. Online communities through Lishogi and Discord are more accessible if you are not near one.

Going further

Where to next

Related hobbies

Browse by category

Authoritative sources

  • Lishogi — The Lichess equivalent for shogi. Free, browser-based, with piece tutorials, AI practice, online play, puzzles, and game analysis. The first thing every new Western player should use.
  • 81Dojo — The other major English-friendly shogi platform. Larger Japanese player base and a formal ELO-style ranking system. Create an account here once you are playing regularly.
  • US Shogi Federation — Official US governing body. Maintains a club directory and tournament calendar. Worth checking once you have played online for a month and want local opponents.
  • British Shogi Federation — UK equivalent. Club directory, a beginners' guide, and news about UK and European tournaments.
  • International Shogi Network (YouTube) — English commentary on high-level games. The best way to see the drop rule and advanced patterns in action before you face them yourself.
  • World Shogi Forum — Long-running English-language discussion forum. Good for tournament news, book recommendations, and connecting with Western players.

As an Amazon Associate, JustBeginning earns from qualifying purchases. We may also earn commission from other affiliate programs linked on this page. Editorial recommendations are independent — we don't choose products based on commission rates.