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In my previous blog, I introduced the unique Shogi rule of "reusing captured pieces," the Japanese management philosophy behind it, and historical episodes like the post-war negotiations with General MacArthur of the GHQ. As a follow-up, today I would like to share the surprising common ground between Western Chess and Japanese Shogi.

Chess and Shogi: A Sibling Relationship Because Chess and Shogi share similar rules and piece movements, they are often compared. However, did you know that these two games actually share the exact same ancestor? That ancestor is "Chaturanga," a board game believed to have originated in ancient India around the 6th century.

The mystique of India, positioned exactly at the crossroads between Europe and Asia, has played a crucial role in the history of global trade. Interestingly, this exact geographic importance also applies to the history of board games.

Evolution West to "Chess" and East to "Shogi" From India, Chaturanga traveled through Persia and entered the European world. There, it absorbed the cultural and social backgrounds of Europe—elements like the aristocracy, kings, knights, and the church—evolving into what we now know as "Chess."

On the other hand, the game also traveled East. It crossed the Silk Road into China and eventually made its way across the ocean to the far eastern edge: Japan. Over time, it evolved into modern Japanese Hon-Shogi (standard Shogi).

The evolution into modern Shogi went through many transitions from the original Chaturanga. (It is even thought that there might be some conceptual connections to Mahjong.) Before modern Shogi, there was a variant called Chu Shogi (Middle Shogi), which was played on a much larger board with far more pieces. Among them was a unique piece called the Suizo (Drunken Elephant), which could promote to become a second King. Some of the elements and pieces used in these older variants of Shogi share similarities with Mahjong.

By absorbing the subtle cultural nuances across Asia and then carefully stripping away the unnecessary elements—a true process of subtraction—modern Shogi was born.

Same Roots, Completely Different Feel It is incredibly romantic to think that a single ancient game started in India, split at the Silk Road, and grew into two completely different mind sports reflecting the unique cultures and philosophies of the West and the East.

To all our foreign friends who have traveled from afar to Japan, if you play Chess, I highly encourage you to try Japanese Shogi. While you will find similarities, the completely different "feel" of the game is sure to fascinate you!