What Is Tsume Shogi? Complete Guide from Basic Rules to Checkmate and Endgame Strategy
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Tsume Shogi is a practice puzzle in Shogi where you continuously check the opponent's king to deliver checkmate. To win in real play, you must master checkmate patterns that leave the king with no escape. For beginners who just learned the rules, it is the ideal way to efficiently learn how to win in the endgame.
The skill of trapping the opposing king is called endgame strength. Honing it greatly increases your won games. This article explains the basic setup and rules of tsume Shogi, as well as practical endgame approaches.
What Is Tsume Shogi? The Appeal of Puzzles That Build Endgame Strength
Figure 1 as text
Gote: 5a king
Gote in hand: none
Sente: 5c pawn
Sente in hand: gold
To move: Sente
Highlighted squares: 4a 6a 4b 6b
Arrows: gold drop 5b
SFEN: 4k4/9/4P4/9/9/9/9/9/9 b G 1
In the diagram, White's king is on 5a, Black's pawn is on 5c, and Black has 1 gold general in hand. Dropping a gold general from hand to 5b gives check. The king's flanks and front diagonals are covered by the gold general's influence. Capturing the dropped gold general is impossible because the pawn on 5c has influence over 5b. Dropping a gold general right in front of the king is called head gold; the king on 5a has no escape and is in checkmate. This state where a checked king cannot escape is checkmate. Tsume Shogi is a puzzle where you find the shortest checkmate sequence from a given board.
In standard Shogi, no matter how advantageous your opening or middlegame is, you cannot win without checkmating the king. Solving tsume Shogi naturally teaches you piece placement and check patterns to corner the king. It also trains you to visualize moves, directly boosting your win rate against humans and computers.
Basic Rules of Tsume Shogi and Steps to Solve It
Tsume Shogi has puzzle-specific rules distinct from regular play. First, keep these basic points in mind.
- The attacker (Black) must check on every move. A move without check is incorrect.
- The defender (the king side) uses board pieces and pieces in hand to escape so that the solution takes the longest number of moves.
- At final checkmate, the attacker must have no pieces in hand left over (all must be used).
- Directly dropping a pawn from pieces in hand to checkmate the king is drop pawn mate, which is an illegal move.
Pay special attention to drop pawn mate. Dropping a pawn from hand to deliver checkmate is an illegal move, but advancing a pawn already on the board 1 square to checkmate is completely legal. Knowing this difference prevents confusion in the endgame.
You can also develop your sense for spotting checkmate by playing against the AI in the mobile app Shogi: The Grand Court.
Play in the app
The quickest path is testing the concepts you read about in real play. You can play to the very end against an AI that thinks on the device, even without mobile signal.
Endgame Thinking: Keeping the Difference Between Checkmate and the Closing Attack in Mind
Figure 2 as text
Gote: 1a king, 1b pawn
Gote in hand: none
Sente: 3c knight
Sente in hand: gold
To move: Sente
Highlighted squares: 2b 1b
Arrows: gold drop 2a
SFEN: 8k/8p/6N2/9/9/9/9/9/9 b G 1
In the diagram, White's king is on 1a, White's pawn is below it on 1b, Black's knight is on 3c, and Black has 1 gold general in hand. Dropping a gold general to 2a delivers checkmate using the influence of the knight on 3c. Because the knight on 3c controls 2a, the king on 1a cannot take the gold general. 2b is covered by the gold general's influence, and 1b is blocked by White's pawn, leaving nowhere to flee. Completely trapping the king like this is checkmate, but closing in on the king is the essential preparatory phase beforehand.
Closing in refers to moves that block escape routes or strip defenders to corner the king into a tight space. When done well, it leads naturally to checkmate.
| Item | Closing Attack (Yose) | Checkmate (Tsumi) |
|---|---|---|
| Objective | Narrow the opponent's king's escape routes and encircle it | Deliver continuous check to completely eliminate escape squares |
| Requirement of Check | Includes attacking moves other than check (forming a net) | Check must be continuously delivered on every single move |
| Role in a Game | The preparatory stage to lead into checkmate | The final stage that secures victory in the game |
3 Tips for Beginners to Improve with Tsume Shogi
When starting out, solidifying the basics is more important than attempting hard problems. Keep these 3 tips in mind to improve steadily.
- Start with 1-move mates: Begin with 1-move checkmate problems. You will intuitively absorb basic check patterns.
- Count escape squares: Before giving check, see where the king can flee, then find moves that block those squares.
- Check defending influence: Always check whether your checking piece can be captured and how nearby pieces exert influence.
Once you solve 1-move problems smoothly, step up to 3-move problems. Practicing a little each day builds confidence to play decisively in the Shogi endgame.
Frequently asked questions
Must check be given continuously in tsume Shogi?
Yes, the attacker must check on every move. Any move without check is wrong. The rule is to corner the opponent's king without rest.
What is the difference between drop pawn mate and advancing pawn mate?
Dropping a pawn from hand to checkmate is drop pawn mate, while pushing a pawn on the board to checkmate is an advancing pawn mate. Drop pawn mate is a loss by illegal move, but an advancing pawn mate is fully allowed.
How many moves should a beginner's puzzle have?
Start with 1-move checkmate problems. Solving them repeatedly lets you intuitively learn key checkmate shapes like head gold and understand piece influence.
What is the difference between the closing attack and checkmate?
Closing in prepares to corner the king, while checkmate is the final stage that removes all escape squares with check. Closing in uses non-check moves like blocking paths, while checkmate demands continuous check.
Play in the app
Become a mechanical daimyo and fight through 50 Sengoku tournament battles in the Shogi app Shogi: The Grand Court. Free to start, with in-app purchases.