Wa Shogi - Rules of The Game - Individual Pieces

Individual Pieces

Below are diagrams indicating each piece's movement. Pieces are paired with their promotion. Pieces with a grey heading start out in the game; those with a blue heading only appear on the board after promotion. Pieces with an asterisk ("*") only appear as promoted pieces. Betza's funny notation has been included in brackets for easier reference.

Notation
○	Steps a limited number of squares
☆	Jumps to a non-adjacent square, bypassing any intervening piece
│	Ranges along a straight line, crossing any number of empty squares
─
＼
／

Crane King 靏玉 kakugyoku

Cloud Eagle 雲鷲 unjū

Step: The crane king can step one square in any direction, orthogonal or diagonal. (K)


○	○	○
○	靏	○
○	○	○

Ranging: The cloud eagle can move any number of free squares directly forward or backward.

Limited range: It can move one, two or three squares diagonally forward.

Step: It can step one square orthogonally sideways or diagonally backward. (fbRfB3K)

○			│			○
	○		│		○
		○	│	○
		○	鷲	○
		○	│	○
			│

Treacherous Fox 隠狐 inko, onko

Step: The treacherous fox can move one square in the four diagonal directions; or, it can move one square orthogonally forward or backward. (fbWFfbDA)

Jump: It can jump to the second square in those directions.

☆		☆		☆
	○	○	○
		狐
	○	○	○
☆		☆		☆

The treacherous fox does not promote.

Flying Falcon 飛鷹 hiyō

*Tenacious Falcon 鶏鷹 keiyō

Range: The flying falcon can move any number of free squares along any of the four diagonal directions.

Step: It can step one square forward. (fWB)

＼				／
	＼	○	／
		鷹
	／		＼
／				＼

Range: The tenacious falcon can move any number of free squares in the two forward diagonal directions; or, it can move any number of free squares directly forward or backward.

Step: It can move one square orthogonally sideways. (fbRBW)

＼		│		／
	＼	│	／
	○	鶏鷹	○
	／	│	＼
／		│		＼

Running Rabbit 走兎 sōto

Treacherous fox 隠狐 inko, onko

Range: The running rabbit can move any number of free squares straight forward.

Step: It can step one square in one of the four diagonal directions; or, one square straight backward. (fRFbW)

	│
○	│	○
	兎
○	○	○

Step: The treacherous fox can move one square in the four diagonal directions; or, it can move one square orthogonally forward or backward.

Jump: It can jump to the second square in those directions. (fbWFfbDA)

☆		☆		☆
	○	○	○
		狐
	○	○	○
☆		☆		☆

Violent Wolf 猛狼 mōrō

*Bear's Eyes 熊眼 yūgan

Step: The violent wolf can step one square in one of the four orthogonal directions; or, one square diagonally forward, giving it six possibilities. (WfF)


○	○	○
○	狼	○
	○

Step: The bear’s eyes can step one square in any direction, orthogonal or diagonal. (K)


○	○	○
○	熊	○
○	○	○

Violent Stag 猛鹿 mōroku

*Roaming Boar 行猪 gyōcho

Step: The violent stag can step one square in one of the four diagonal directions; or, one square straight forward, giving it five possibilities. (FfW)


○	○	○
	鹿
○		○

Step: The roaming boar can step one square in any direction, orthogonal or diagonal, except directly backward. (FfrlW)


○	○	○
○	猪	○
○		○

Blind Dog 盲犬 mōken

Violent Wolf 猛狼 mōrō

Step: The blind dog can step one square orthogonally sideways, directly backward, or diagonally forward. (fFrlbW)


○		○
○	犬	○
	○

Step: The violent wolf can step one square in one of the four orthogonal directions; or, one square diagonally forward, giving it six possibilities. (WfF)


○	○	○
○	狼	○
	○

Climbing Monkey 登猿 tōen

Violent Stag 猛鹿 mōroku

Step: The climbing monkey can step one square directly forward or backward, or one square diagonally forward, giving it four possibilities. (fFfbW)


○	○	○
	猿
	○

Step: The violent stag can step one square in one of the four diagonal directions; or, one square straight forward, giving it five possibilities. (FfW)


○	○	○
	鹿
○		○

Flying Goose 鳫飛 ganhi

Swallow's Wings 燕羽 en’u

Step: The flying goose can step one square directly forward or backward, or one square diagonally forward, giving it four possibilities. (fFfbW)


○	○	○
	鳫
	○

Range: The swallow's wings can move any number of free squares orthogonally sideways.

Step: It can move one square orthogonally forward or backward. (WrlR)


		○
─	─	燕	─	─
		○

Flying Cock 鶏飛 keihi

*Raiding Falcon 延鷹 en’yō

Step: The flying cock can step one square orthogonally sideways or diagonally forward. (fFrlW)


○		○
○	鶏	○

Range: The raiding falcon can move any number of free squares orthogonally forward, backward or diagonally forward.

Step: It can step one square orthogonally sideways. (fbRWfF)

	│
○	│	○
○	延	○
	│
	│

Swallow's Wings 燕羽 en’u

*Gliding Swallow 燕行 engyō

Range: The swallow's wings can move any number of free squares orthogonally sideways.

Step: It can move one square orthogonally forward or backward. (WrlR)


		○
─	─	燕	─	─
		○

Range: The gliding swallow can move any number of free squares along any of the four orthogonal directions. (R)

		│
		│
─	─	行	─	─
		│
		│

Strutting Crow 烏行 ukō

Flying Falcon 飛鷹 hiyō

Step: The strutting crow can step one square directly forward or diagonally backward, giving it three possibilities. (fWbF)


	○
	烏
○		○

Range: The flying falcon can move any number of free squares along any of the four diagonal directions.

Step: It can step one square forward. (fWB)

＼				／
	＼	○	／
		鷹
	／		＼
／				＼

Swooping Owl 鴟行 shigyō

Cloud Eagle 雲鷲 unjū

Step: The swooping owl can step one square directly forward or diagonally backward, giving it three possibilities. (fWbF)


	○
	鴟
○		○

Ranging: The cloud eagle can move any number of free squares directly forward or backward.

Limited range: It can move one, two or three squares diagonally forward. (fbRfB3K)

Step: It can step one square orthogonally sideways or diagonally backward.

○			│			○
	○		│		○
		○	│	○
		○	鷲	○
		○	│	○
			│

Liberated Horse 風馬 fūma

*Heavenly Horse 天馬 temma

Range: The liberated horse can move any number of free squares along the forward orthogonal.

Limited range: It can step one or two squares directly backward. (fRbR2)

		│
		│
		風
		○
		○

Jump: The heavenly horse jumps at an angle intermediate between orthogonal and diagonal, amounting to one square forward plus one square diagonally forward; or, one square backward plus one square diagonally backward in a single motion, ignoring any intervening piece. (fbN)

☆		☆

	天

☆		☆

Oxcart 牛車 gissha

*Plodding Ox 歬牛 sengyū

Range: The oxcart can move any number of free squares straight forward.

An oxcart that reaches the furthest rank must promote. (fR)

		│
		│
		車

Step: The plodding ox can step one square in any direction, orthogonal or diagonal. (K)


○	○	○
○	牛	○
○	○	○

Sparrow Pawn 萑歩 jakufu

*Golden Bird 金鳥 kinchō

Step: The sparrow pawn can step one square forward. (fW)

A sparrow pawn that reaches the furthest rank must promote.


		○
		歩

Step: The golden bird can step one square in one of the four orthogonal directions; or, one square diagonally forward, giving it six possibilities. (WfF)


○	○	○
○	金	○
	○

Read more about this topic: Wa Shogi, Rules of The Game

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