"I learned the rules of Shogi, but when it comes to actual games, I don't know what to think."

If that sounds familiar, this post is for you.

Shogi is a traditional Japanese board game with more than 400 years of history. Like chess, it is a strategy game, but it has one defining mechanic: captured pieces can return to the board as your own pieces. That single rule creates a depth that feels very different from other board games.

I love this game, and I wanted more people around the world to enjoy it.

Shogi Becomes More Fun When You Actually Play

More people now learn the rules of Shogi, but many still feel that the game is intimidating or too hard to memorize.

My view is simple: for most amateur players, practical thinking during real games matters more than memorizing long opening lines. You can improve a lot by learning how to judge positions and make decisions move by move.

With modern apps, it is easier than ever to play opponents at your level. Shogi can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of age or background.

The Missing Step After "I Know the Rules"

There are English resources that teach rules and piece movement. But there is much less English content for the next stage:

I know the rules, but I still cannot win. What should I think about during a game?

I wanted a book for people at that exact point. I am not a professional player, but as an amateur 3-dan who kept learning through many losses, I decided to write that kind of guide myself and publish it as a Kindle e-book.

What I Published and Why

I have published three beginner-friendly books:

  • Two books focused on practical Shogi thinking for winning games
  • One book focused on simple checkmate drills

These books were first published in Japanese and were well received by Japanese readers. Then I translated them into English so international readers could use the same ideas.

All three are available on Kindle Unlimited.

What This Book Tries to Do

This book avoids difficult technical notation as much as possible and uses many diagrams. The focus is practical decision-making you can apply immediately in your own games:

  • How to think in the opening, middlegame, and endgame
  • How to balance attack and defense
  • How to spot common losing patterns before they happen
  • How to improve with awareness, not just memorization

If no one has ever taught you how to "think" in Shogi, this approach can quickly change your results.

My Hope

If even one reader feels:

  • "Shogi is actually fun to play."
  • "I am winning more than before."

then writing this book was worth it.

If you are curious about Shogi or currently stuck in your progress, I hope you will give it a try.

For book details, see Shogi Beyond the Rules.

Thank you for reading.