Shogi, like western chess, can be divided into the opening, middle game and endgame, each requiring a different strategy.
For instance, Reijer Grimbergen uses the following relative values in a Move Merit Analysis formalization:[2] Grimbergen notes that, unlike western chess, shogi piece valuation is not standardized as different players disagree on the exact values.
There are many types of castles and variations which can be used, but it is essential to understand which ones are useful in the current situation and how to compensate for its weak points.
The result will place the king in the corner square where the lance started, defended by two gold generals and one silver.
[9] The Japanese noun sabaki (捌き; verb form: 捌く sabaku) is a term of art used in shogi.
In the opening, sabaki usually simply means good piece development in preparation for the middle game.
With respect to the major pieces, this is typically done by clearing off the bishop's diagonals and the rook's ranks and files.
In western chess, a similar concept is sometimes referred to as a freeing move or maneuver (such as a pawn break).
Note that the central pawns and silvers were simply traded off the board and put in hand, there was no material gain or loss from this exchange in this simple example.
The opening of shogi is generally slower than that of chess, due to the larger board and less mobile pieces.
But since a quick offense will leave a player's home territory open to drop attacks as soon as pieces are exchanged, the aim of the opening is to build up defenses for the king, typically by moving the king to the side in a castle with three generals.
Many common opening attacks involve advancing a silver and ideally pawns, protected by other pieces.
Because defense is so important, and because shogi pieces are relatively slow movers, the opening game tends to be much longer in shogi than in international chess,[7] commonly with a dozen or more moves to shore up defenses before the initial attack is made.
Over many decades, Japanese professional players have all invented various jōseki, which determine moves and sequences which are thought to be the best for a particular situation.
It also covers a branch of different variations within an intricate strategy, including alternative options and the certain consequences that some moves may bring.
Dropping a pawn behind enemy lines, promoting it to a tokin (gold general), and dropping a second pawn immediately behind the tokin so that they protect each other makes a strong attack; it threatens the opponent's entire defense, but provides little value to the opponent if the attack fails and the pieces are captured.
For this reason, rooks, which can retreat in only one direction, are commonly kept at a safe distance in the early parts of the game, and used to support attacks by weaker pieces.
A common last-ditch defensive tactic is to open the pawn line to allow the king to escape.
Kings are more difficult to checkmate in the open, especially if the opponent does not have many ranging pieces (rook, bishop, lance) in play.