Minishogi (五将棋)

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icositetrachoron

Minishogi (五将棋) is essentially shogi on a 5x5 board. The objective of the game is to checkmate the other player or to stalemate them. Here is the initial setup:

The initial setup of minishogi | Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The initial setup of minishogi | Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Minishogi was invented (or rediscovered) in 1970 by Shigenobu Kusumoto of Osaka, Japan. 

Each player has 6 pieces; 1 pawn/soldier (步兵), 1 rook (飛車), 1 bishop (角行), and the silver, gold, and king (银将,金将, and 王/玉将). The pawn moves and captures 1 point forward. The rook moves the same as the rook in western chess. The bishop also moves the same as in western chess. The king moves the same as its western counterpart. The gold general moves like the king but without the back diagonals. The silver general moves the same as the king but without the side and back orthogonal points. The same promotion and piece drop rules apply as in regular shogi, except that the promotion rank is on the rank farthest from the player, and that the generals do not promote. The rook promotes to the dragon king, which has the moves of a king and rook. The pawn/soldier promotes to the tokin (と金), which moves the same as a gold general. The bishop promotes to a "dragon horse", which moves as a bishop and king. 

 

icositetrachoron

 

HGMuller

For non-Shogi players: captured pieces change color, and can be dropped back onto the board, as in Crazyhouse. Also here, capture of a promoted piece makes it revert to its unpromoted form. You are not allowed to drop a Pawn on a file that already has one.

Like in regular Shogi, perpetual checking is forbidden (i.e. the checker loses on the 3rd repetition). Unlike in regular Shogi, other repetitions mean a loss for the player that made the first move in the game. Withoutthat rule the game would be very drawish.

RioM2

Drawish ? No draw between best players on LG. For example final group of 28th championship in MiniShogi: https://www.littlegolem.net/jsp/tournament/tournament.jsp?trnid=shogi.cv.MINISHOGI.27.1.1

HGMuller

Don't they apply the repetition rule then? Note that with that rule 'draw' is not a possible outcome of a game. Like in Shogi, stalemate is also a win. There is no 50-move rule.