Blog

Shogi columns, tips, and thoughts to help you enjoy and improve at the game.

Opening 2026-04-05

Why Does Shogi Always Start by Building a Castle?

Why can't you just attack from the very first move? There is actually a solid reason. We explain, around the key idea that "the opening is an investment in the future," why building a castle first is the right approach.

Improvement 2026-02-02

[Shogi] Is 3-Minute Blitz the Cause of Your Plateau? 4 Disadvantages of Short-Time Games for Improvemen

If you want to improve at Shogi, ultra-fast games can work against you. This post explains four practical drawbacks of short-time formats and why 10-minute games plus post-game analysis are more effective.

Column 2026-01-26

Why I Wrote a Shogi (Japanese Chess) Guide for Global Beginners

I share why I wrote beginner-focused English Shogi books, what gap I saw after "learning the rules," and how practical thinking can help players start winning and enjoying real games.