Your turn
Medium
Gote (AI) hand
No captures
Sente (You) hand
No captures

Shogi FAQ

This Shogi FAQ answers the questions that come up before a first game: Do I need an account? Is this Shogi Wars? Can I play strangers? What happens to a captured piece? Is there anything to download?

ShogiGridBase is a browser shogi site with a live board and built-in local AI. It is not a social lobby, an anime directory, or a copy of every shogi platform on the internet. Where a feature is absent, the answer below says so plainly.

Skim the question that brought you here, follow a relevant link if needed, or return to the board and make a move. The point is to settle practical questions, not to stand in for learning the game.

When to use this page

Use this page when you want product boundaries settled quickly, when a search mixed this site with apps or lobbies, or when you need a single place for the common “is this X?” questions.

When not to

Skip this page if you need deep rules, piece movement drills, or opening study. Use rules, pieces, how to play, or openings for those jobs.

Assumptions

Answers describe this site’s current product boundaries and standard shogi rules. Other platforms mentioned below are named only for contrast, not as features hosted here.

How

  1. Skim the questions that match the reason you arrived.
  2. Follow any pointer to how to play, rules, vs computer, or 2 player.
  3. If the boundary is clear enough, return to the live board and start a game.

Examples

  • A visitor wondering whether this is Shogi Wars, 81Dojo, or Lishogi → It is not those platforms; this site is a browser board with local AI
  • Someone asking whether an account or APK is required → No account and no download are required for the first move
  • A chess or xiangqi player checking whether they landed on the wrong family → This domain is shogi; the FAQ says so directly

Gotchas

  • FAQ text is not a substitute for the rules page when a drop or promotion question gets specific.
  • Names like Shogi Wars or 81Dojo appear here only so visitors can rule them out quickly.
  • “Unblocked” searches often want school-network workarounds. This site does not market itself as an unblocker; it is just a browser board.
  • If a feature is phase 2, the honest answer is that it is not shipped yet.

Boundaries

What this site is not

It is not Shogi Wars. It is not 81Dojo. It is not Lishogi. It is not an anime hub, not a matchmaking lobby, and not a western-chess, xiangqi, or go site wearing the wrong label.

Those clarifications are not insults to other products. They are signposts. People search broadly. A good FAQ tells them quickly whether they are in the right house.

How this page fits

This is the site-level question desk: names, drops, browser play, and boundaries. For a complete beginner path, use How to Play; for a specific rules dispute, use Shogi Rules.

FAQ

What is ShogiGridBase?
A browser shogi site with a live board and a local AI. One domain focused on Japanese chess, not a bundle of unrelated games.
Do I need an account?
No. Open a page and move a piece.
Is this Shogi Wars, 81Dojo, or Lishogi?
No. Those are other platforms. This site does not host their rooms, ratings, or accounts.
Can I play strangers online here?
Not through matchmaking. Most pages use a local AI. Same-screen pass and play is on the 2 player page.
What are drops in shogi?
After you capture an opponent’s piece, it goes into your hand and becomes your piece. On a later turn, you may place it on an empty square if that drop is legal. A pawn, for example, cannot be dropped onto a file where you already have an unpromoted pawn.
Is there an app download or APK?
No APK. Play in the browser. Supporting browsers may offer an optional home-screen install, but nothing is required first.
Is this site unblocked?
It is a normal browser website, not a tool for bypassing restrictions. Whether it opens depends on your device, browser, and network rules; use a network or device you are permitted to use.
Is shogi the same as western chess, xiangqi, or go?
No. Shogi is its own game. See shogi vs chess for the western-chess cut. Xiangqi and go are different board families entirely.
Why do people mention anime on shogi pages?
Popular media sends some visitors here, but this site is about the real board game, not an anime index.
Where should I start?
If the rules are new, open how to play. If you just want a game, use vs computer or the home board.