Dōbutsu shōgi
[Image:Dōbutsu Shōgi Set-01.jpg | thumb | Dōbutsu shōgi]
Dōbutsu shōgi is a small shogi variant for young children. It was invented by women's professional shogi player Madoka Kitao, partially to attract young girls to the game. The pieces were designed by fellow women's professional shogi player. It is played on a 3×4 board and generally follows the rules of standard shogi, including drops, except that pieces can only move one square at a time, and the king reaching the enemy camp as an additional way to win the game.
The pieces are square, like children's blocks, have cartoon figures of the relevant animal rather than kanji to identify them, and often have dots on the sides and corners of the directions the pieces can move. The game has been marketed overseas as "Let's Catch the Lion!"
Play
Each player starts the game with four pieces:- A Lion in the center of the home row
- A Giraffe to the right of the king
- An Elephant to the left of the king
- A Chick in front of the king
As in shogi, if a Hen is captured, it may only be dropped back into play as a Chick. However, standard restrictions on where one may drop a Chick, such as not being allowed to give immediate checkmate, have two Chicks on a file, or drop the Chick on the final rank, do not apply. A chick dropped on the final rank, however, does not promote.
If the players play the same position three turns in a row, the game is a draw. Unlike in shogi, perpetual check is also a draw. There are two ways to win the game: capturing the opponent's Lion, and advancing one's own Lion into the promotion zone, as long as doing so does not place one's Lion in check.
Theoretical result
Dōbutsu shōgi has been strongly solved, meaning that the theoretical best move from each reachable position of the game is known. The second player to move has a winning strategy from the starting position, although the theoretical win may take up to 78 plies. Thus, the game begins in a zugzwang position, in which the first player to move is at a disadvantage. By symmetry, the game also begins in a Trébuchet position, a full-point zugzwang position, in which the side to begin movement eventually loses.All opening moves for the first player except capturing the second player's chick delay loss by 78 plies with perfect play; capturing the chick delays loss by only 76 plies.
In general, as with their long-ranged counterparts, the giraffe is stronger than the elephant. Like most small variants of shogi, particularly micro shogi and minishogi, having pieces in hand ready to drop is highly advantageous. The game does not lend itself well to handicap play, because a handicap of an elephant or a giraffe results in the handicap taker having a relatively easy forced mate.
The variant of nana shogi shows that it is feasible to have a limited number of long-ranged pieces on such small-sized boards.
Variation
[Image:Shogi-Set-02.JPG | thumb | Goro goro shogi variant]| Cat | Dog | Lion | Dog | Cat |
| Chick | Chick | Chick | ||
| Chick | Chick | Chick | ||
| Cat | Dog | Lion | Dog | Cat |
A 5×6 version with 16 pieces is known as goro goro dōbutsu shōgi, which is the same as goro goro shogi. On each player's side, it uses 3 chicks, 2 cats, 2 dogs, and 1 lion. Chick and cat promote to hen and empowered cat respectively which then move just like the dog. Promotion zones are the first and last 2 ranks. It has the same restrictions on dropped pieces in shogi including two pawns and pawn drop with immediate checkmate. Perpetual check is also a draw as in dōbutsu shōgi.
A 9×9 version of this game known as "Dobutsu shogi in the Greenwood", which is identical to shogi, has been launched. The game features new pieces and since the board is large, the movements of the Elephant and Giraffe are unlimited. The new pieces are 2 boars and 2 rabbits. Just like in standard shogi, the boar and rabbit can promote to empowered boar and empowered rabbit respectively which can move like the dog. While the elephant and giraffe can promote to empowered elephant and empowered giraffe respectively.