[1][2] The game is played on a modified shogi board whereby alternating ranks are indented to the right—resembling masonry brickwork.
The moves of pieces are adapted to the new geometry; in other respects the game is the same as shogi.
Masonic shogi was included in World Game Review No.
[3] Indentation of alternating ranks results in cants (oblique files) approximately 30 degrees from the vertical and diagonals approximately 30 degrees from the horizontal, the same as hexagon-based chessboards when cell vertices face the players.
All normal shogi rules apply, including initial setup (see diagram), drops, promotion, and so on.