Shogi for Beginners

For my journey into shogi, starting 2-1/2 years ago, this book proved invaluable. I've now read it through carefully twice, the second time to cement the illustrated castle formations, and browsed several sections repeatedly. This and the Hidetchi shogi lessons on YouTube made a big difference in my play. I study other shogi books now, especially tsume shogi puzzlebooks from Japan, which can be understood without commentary, and a couple other prizes with English translation, but this Shogi for Beginners stays up with the others for all its information and historic game records that are fun to play through. We started a Portland Shogi Club, and keep Shogi for Beginners on hand as the first book for a beginner to see; like it says.

Shogi is almost unknown in America, but is one of the great games of the world. Unlike Go, the foremost board game ever invented, Shogi can be played much more quickly, but has as much depth as chess. This book will teach you the rudiments, but goes far beyond them to teach the various strategies that have been worked out over the years (much as books on chess openings do). It has a number of problems so you can try out your skills on them. If you like board games, I heartily recommend this excellent little volume. It is one of the first books in English about this elegant and challenging game.

I enjoy the privillage of having been tought Shogi by a japanese gentelman who is attempting to expand Shogi to Iceland. Having learned the basics from him I was desperatly looking for a book that leads you through basic tactics such as castling and climbing silver and found all that I wanted in this book. The first chapters also include simple and straight forward explanations on the game so this book is an excellent entry into the world of Shogi.

Compared with Go (and of course Chess) there are regrettably few books available in English on the beautiful game of Shogi (which I rate as the second greatest game in the history of civilisation - after Go, and just ahead of western Chess, followed by Chinese Chess and Contract Bridge). If you are looking at this book wondering whether you should take the plunge and learn this game, with the weird kanji characters - do it! The initial game is slower than chess, since most pieces are less powerful than a Chess king. The most powerful piece is the rook (and you only get one), followed by the bishop (only one of those, too). Unlike chess, however, pieces never go out of the game, because once captured they can be reintroduced by the capturing side as one of their own men - on any legal square. Rather like chess with paratroops. This means that as the game goes on it gets faster and more exciting, rather than slower like the end game in chess. There is much less need to learn lots of opening variations than in chess, which removes a bit of a drudgery.OK, what about this book? I think this is a great introduction to the game, it really gave me a good feel for what it was about, introduced a number of principles for the opening (and several specific openings), middle and end game. It ends with a number of professional games. The other main introductory text is Hosking's "The art of shogi". I would suggest that as a second book, as although it also has introductory material, there is a lot of more advanced material too, and I think this is a better first book (but Hosking would be considered the better book once you have been playing for a while). It is hard to find opponents unless you live in London, but fortunately, like Go, you can play online for free. Just go to 81dojo.com and create a free account. Youtube producer Hidetchi has a sequence of videos introducing the game too, and a japanese company (run by a lady professional) called Nekomado produces high quality sets. They are expensive though, so initial cheaper sets are better bought here on Amazon.

Haven't had the time I would have liked to really study it but as a Chess player I can tell that this book will really help anyone who has the will to learn to play Shogi. I plan to settle down in the new year and get into it one thing I can say is that this book will help a beginner to play the game and have an idea as to what he is doing.

Excellent start to the game.

Expensive for 167 page book.. although if you can get it .. do. It is easy to understand and apply

Good book. Excellent service.