How Long Does a Shogi Game Last? Time Controls Explained

A casual shogi game usually takes 30 minutes to 2 hours. Online games follow the clock and can be over in a few minutes, while the longest professional title matches give each player 8 or 9 hours and spread one game across two days.

Why shogi games run long

Shogi games are longer than chess games in moves. A standard estimate puts the average shogi game at about 115 half-moves (single moves by one player), against about 70 for chess. The reason is the drop rule: captured pieces come back into play, so the board never empties out and the fight keeps going until one king falls.

How long that takes on the clock depends almost entirely on the time control, the rules for how much thinking time each player gets.

Casual games

Without a clock, a game between friends usually lands in that 30 minute to 2 hour range. Where it falls depends on the players. Some move on instinct, others stop to read every check and drop before committing.

A game against the computer on this site’s board has no clock at all. You can take as long as you like, close the tab, and come back later, because the game saves in your browser after every move.

Online time controls

Online servers use a clock so games finish in a predictable time. Three common examples:

• 81Dojo offers rated games at 15 minutes plus 60 seconds byoyomi, 10 minutes plus 30 seconds, 5 minutes plus 30 seconds, and 0 minutes plus 30 seconds. It writes these as 15-60, 10-30, and so on.
• Shogi Wars, a popular Japanese app, has four modes: 10 minutes per player, 3 minutes per player, 10 seconds per move, and Sprint. Sprint, added in February 2025, is a 3-minute game that starts from an even middle-game position picked by the app’s AI.
• Lishogi lets you pick a main time plus byoyomi, or a main time plus an increment (extra seconds added after each move).

To pick between them, compare these sites side by side.

With 10 minutes each and no extra time, a game cannot last more than 20 minutes of clock time. A 3-minute game is over in 6 minutes at most. Byoyomi games can run longer, since the per-move allowance never runs out as long as you keep moving in time.

What byoyomi means

Byoyomi (秒読み) literally means “counting the seconds.” It is the overtime system used in shogi. Each player has a main time. When it runs out, every move must be made within a fixed number of seconds, often 30 or 60. Move in time and the countdown resets for your next turn. Run over and you lose on time.

In professional games the byoyomi period is usually one minute or 30 seconds per move.

Some events add extra thinking periods on top. The NHK Cup, a televised professional tournament, gives each player 10 minutes, then 30 seconds per move, plus ten one-minute periods of extra thinking time to use when needed.

Professional games and title matches

Professional time controls vary a lot by event. The televised NHK Cup above is fast. Most title matches are much slower:

The Meijin match has the longest time allowance of any shogi title match. With 9 hours each, a game can include up to 18 hours of thinking time before byoyomi even starts, which is why it needs two days.

Sealed moves in two-day matches

A two-day game has a problem: if it stops overnight with one player to move, that player gets the whole night to think. The sealed move (封じ手, fujite) solves it. It works like this:

1. At a set time on the first day, the player whose turn it is decides their next move but does not play it.
2. They write it down in secret and seal it in an envelope. In shogi two copies are made: one is kept by the official observer and the other goes into a safe at the venue. Both players sign the envelope.
3. On day two, the position from day one is checked on the board.
4. The observer opens the envelope in front of both players and reads out the sealed move, and play resumes.

Only the player who sealed the move knows it overnight, and that player has already committed to it.

Sealed moves are used in the two-day title matches: the Meijin, Ryuo, Oi, and Osho.

How long your games will take

If you are just starting, expect most of your early games to be on the short side, and don’t worry about a clock yet. Learn the moves with the how to play shogi lesson, then play untimed games against the computer until the rules feel automatic. Once you move to online play, a 10 or 15 minute game with byoyomi is a comfortable place to start. Fast enough to fit in a break, slow enough that you still get to think.

FAQ

How long does a shogi match last?

A casual game usually takes 30 minutes to 2 hours. Online games depend on the clock; with 10 minutes per player and no extra time, a game cannot last more than 20 minutes. Professional title games are much longer, with 8 or 9 hours per player over two days in the Ryuo and Meijin matches.

What is a sealed move in shogi?

A sealed move is how two-day title games pause overnight. At a set time on day one, the player to move writes their next move in secret and seals it in an envelope. On day two, the official observer opens the envelope in front of both players, plays the move, and the game continues.

What is byoyomi in shogi?

Byoyomi means “counting the seconds.” When a player’s main time runs out, each move must be made within a fixed time, such as 30 or 60 seconds. Moving in time resets the countdown for the next move. Running over loses the game. Professional games usually allow one minute or 30 seconds per move.

How many moves are in a shogi game?

A commonly cited estimate puts the average shogi game at about 115 half-moves, counting each player’s move separately. That is longer than chess, at about 70. Captured pieces return to play through drops, so the game keeps its full material and the fighting continues longer.

Why do professional shogi games take two days?

The biggest title matches give each player 8 or 9 hours of thinking time. With up to 18 hours on the clocks in a single game, play is split over two days. The game pauses overnight with a sealed move so neither player gains a night of thinking about a known position.