Play Shogi Against the Computer

What the difficulty levels actually do

The engine behind this board was built for this site, and we would rather describe it honestly than oversell it.

• Easy searches a couple of moves ahead, then adds noise to its judgment so it makes plausible mistakes on purpose. It hangs pieces the way a fellow beginner would, which gives you tactics to find and games you can win while learning.
• Medium plays at about club-beginner level. It searches deeper, stops hanging pieces for free, and punishes obvious blunders, but it will still miss longer combinations. This is the right level once easy stops feeling like a fight.
• Hard calculates deeper still, with a think time of two to three seconds per move, and checks capture sequences to the end of each line. It finds short mates instantly and grinds down loose positions. Most improving amateurs will lose to it for a while.

What none of the levels are: a professional-strength engine. Hard is a training partner, not a truth machine. A stronger engine tier is planned for players who outgrow it.

Practice from any position

You do not have to start from the opening. Theboard editor on the homepage lets you set up any position, then press Play from here to hand it to the computer. Pages across this site deep-link positions into this board the same way, so a castle, an opening line, or atsume shogi mate can be played out rather than just looked at. Endgame practice is the best use: set up a won position and prove you can finish it.

Getting more out of training games

Losing to the computer teaches little by itself. Three habits make the games count. Use undo as a question, not an eraser: when you lose a piece, take the move back and find what you missed. Use the hint button when you have no plan at all, then ask why the engine's move works. And after a loss, play the same opening again immediately; the computer does not tilt, so you can drill the same position until you get it right. When you are past the basics, theopenings guide gives you plans worth drilling, and shogi puzzles sharpen the mating eye that decides most amateur games.

Frequently asked questions

• How strong is the computer opponent?

  Honestly: club level, not professional. Easy makes deliberate mistakes so beginners get winnable games. Medium plays at roughly club-beginner strength. Hard searches deeper and thinks for two to three seconds per move, enough to punish loose play. A stronger engine tier is planned for players who outgrow hard.

• Can I practice from a custom position?

  Yes, two ways. The board editor on the homepage lets you set up any position and press Play from here to start a game against the computer. Or open a position link: any page address ending in ?sfen= followed by a position loads that position straight onto this board.

• Can I play as White?

  Yes. Use the side select in the board controls to play White (gote), the player who moves second. The board flips so your pieces face up the screen and the computer, playing Black, moves first. Playing both sides is good practice, since each sees different openings.

• Why does hard mode take a few seconds to move?

  Hard runs a deeper search with a time budget of about two and a half seconds, looking further ahead than easy or medium and checking captures at the end of each line. It spends its full budget in complicated middlegames. Easy and medium usually reply in under a second.