Minishogi 5x5
Shogi on a compact 5x5 board with piece drops. Learn in a seven-step tutorial, climb seven opponents, solve a daily mate puzzle or play a friend. Pieces show their moves with arrows, so no kanji is needed.
Minishogi 5x5 is a compact version of Japanese chess in which you checkmate the enemy king on a five by five board. Each side has a king, gold, silver, bishop, rook and a single pawn, and every captured piece joins your hand so you can drop it back anywhere on the board. That drop rule makes games short, sharp and full of tactics. Every piece is drawn with arrows showing exactly how it moves, so you never need to read kanji, and promoted pieces turn red.
A seven-lesson tutorial teaches the pawn, gold, silver, rook, bishop, promotion and drops, each with a marked target to capture or a mate to deliver. Then climb the ladder of seven opponents, from Tanuki, who plays at random, to Master Sen, who searches deep forcing lines. The rules follow real shogi: promote on the far row, no two unpromoted pawns on one file, and no pawn drop that gives checkmate. Every day brings a mate puzzle built from the date, where only checking moves can win, with up to three stars for few wrong tries. Earn XP, coins and daily goals, spend coins on hints, use undo, and unlock five piece sets.
It suits chess players curious about shogi, puzzle fans, and two people sharing one screen. Tip: keep a rook or bishop in your hand late in the game, because a well-timed drop often delivers the final checkmate.
How to play
Checkmate the enemy king. Move pieces the way their arrows show. Reach the far row to promote a pawn, silver, bishop or rook. Captured pieces go to your hand: tap one, then an empty square, to drop it instead of moving. You may not drop a second pawn on a file or give checkmate with a pawn drop. Beat each opponent to unlock the next, and solve the daily mate puzzle for stars.
Controls
- Mouse / tap: Tap a piece, then a green square; tap a piece in your hand to drop it
- Arrow keys + Enter / Space: Move the cursor and select
- 1 - 5: Pick a piece in hand: pawn, silver, gold, bishop, rook
- U / Backspace: Undo your last move
- H: Hint (costs 15 coins)
- P / Esc: Pause
- M: Mute
Category: Board games
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