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谷川浩司の将棋指南II (Tanigawa Kouji no Shougi Shinan II)
                      Tanigawa Kouji's Shogi Teaching II

FAQ
NES 1988
(also released on the FDS in two parts)

Version: 1.0


Introduction (this section is courtesy of Devin Morgan)
===============================================================================

Shogi (将棋) is a game very similar to what we call Chess. There are many
similarities, but there are some noticeable differences as well. While chess
is played on a 8x8 board, Shogi is played on a 9x9 board. In chess, there are
16 pieces for each player; Shogi gives you 20. Gameplay is on a turn by turn
basis; that is, after one player makes a move, the other one goes, and so on.
There are two colors, white and black, with black always going first.


Controls:
===============================================================================
Use the A button to select a piece, the D-pad to move it and then A again to
finalize your move. Pressing B cancels anything in mid-turn. B also brings up a
menu in the first mode. If you press SELECT resets the board. There is more
info on the controls in the individual mode description.


Display:
===============================================================================
When you play the game, the main feature to notice is the game board in the
middle. Getting used to that is another matter, read the board basics section
for that. What is more important for you to adapt to the game is the rest of
the layout.

Ignore the guy on the right, he is there for comments. He is suppose to teach
you and slap you on the wrist for making a bad move. At the top are two timers
which display the time used for thinking by each player, the top being the top
player and the bottom for the bottom player. The number on the left is the
current number of moves. The small tables in the top and bottom right corner
are for defeated pieces.


Modes:
===============================================================================
At the main menu you have three choices, cycle through them with the LEFT and
RIGHT keys. Use the START or A button to make your selection.

The left mode, 対局 is playing a game of Shogi. This is a practice mode where
you can play against the CPU. You may also continue a game from earlier, but
only if you have no powered off the console in-between. While playing, use the
A button make your moves. Click on the tile and then move it with the D-Pad,
setting it down with the A button again. Use the B button to cancel this
action. Else the B button will bring up a small menu with six buttons. The top
two will reverse or forward the game as it was played so far. The middle left
button will undo moves as you have set with the middle right button. The bottom
left returns to the game whereas the bottom right will revert the board so you
can play the other side. You can even play for sides at this point, only
returning the CPU into the game if you press B during your turn. If you press
START the game will reset the board and start over. To get out of this mode,
soft reset the machine (you can continue later).

The middle mode, 詰将棋 is a problem solving mode. You are given a situation,
an Endgame, where you need to find the solution to finish off the opponent.
Click on the tile and then move it with the D-Pad, setting it down with the A
button again. Use the B button to cancel this action. There are 40 problems
(問目) to solve, cycle through them with the SELECT and B button (be careful
not to press B by mistake when trying to cancel a move).

The right mode is 次のー手, or 'Next Move'. The game is already in progress and
all you need to do is find out which move is most appropriate in this
situation. The game gives you four possible moves to make this a little easier.
Cycle through the available situation with the SELECT button. The game does not
tell you whether a move is good or bad, just shows you what outcome of these
circumstances. You can also continue this mode later if you have soft reset the
console, as that is the only way to exit the mode.


Gameplay: (this section is courtesy of Devin Morgan)
===============================================================================

Board Setup
-----------

The typical Shogi board is set up as follows, with each side's pieces facing
towards the opponent to signify which pieces belong to which side:

 ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
| L | KN| SG| GG| K | GG| SG| KN| L |    K = King (王将)
|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|    R = Rook (飛車)
|   | R |   |   |   |   |   | B |   |    B = Bishop (角行)
|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|   GG = Gold General (金将)
| P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P |   SG = Silver General (銀将)
|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|   KN = Knight (桂馬)
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |    L = Lance (香車)
|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|    P = Pawn (歩兵)
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|
|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|
| P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P |
|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|
|   | B |   |   |   |   |   | R |   |
|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|
| L | KN| SG| GG| K | GG| SG| KN| L |
|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|___|


Game Pieces/Movement
--------------------

NOTE: The "@" symbol in the diagrams below is meant to signify where the
      piece in question can make a valid movement in a turn. It should also
      be noted that in the diagrams below, "up" means forward, down is "back"
      and so on.


King: This piece is the most important one in the game. You must protect it
      since if it gets trapped by enemy pieces, you lose. It can move one
      square in any direction per turn.
       ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
      |   |   |   |   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   | @ | @ | @ |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   | @ | K | @ |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   | @ | @ | @ |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   |   |   |   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|


Rook: You only get one of this piece, which is on the right side of the
      second row. It can move as far as it wants in the four directions (up,
      down, left, right).
       ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
      |   |   | @ |   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   |   | @ |   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      | @ | @ | R | @ | @ |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   |   | @ |   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   |   | @ |   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|


Bishop: Like the Rook, you only get one of these pieces as well, and it is on
        the left side of the second row. It can move as far as it wants in
        the four diagonal directions.
       ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
      | @ |   |   |   | @ |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   | @ |   | @ |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   |   | B |   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   | @ |   | @ |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      | @ |   |   |   | @ |
      |___|___|___|___|___|


Gold General: There are two of these pieces, starting on either side of the
              King. Its movement is interesting, in that it can move one
              square in each of the four directions, plus it can move in the
              two forward diagonal directions, but it can NOT move diagonally
              backwards.
       ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
      |   |   |   |   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   | @ | @ | @ |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   | @ | GG| @ |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   |   | @ |   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   |   |   |   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|


Silver General: Like the Gold General, you get two of these as well, and they
                start next to each Gold General. The Silver General has even
                more limited movement and a unique pattern, in that it can
                move one square diagonally in four directions or directly
                forward, but not directly to the sides or backwards.
       ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
      |   |   |   |   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   | @ | @ | @ |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   |   | SG|   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   | @ |   | @ |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   |   |   |   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|


Knight: This piece is just like the piece of the same name in regular chess.
        You have two of them, starting next to each Silver General. It is the
        only piece that can pass over other pieces without capturing them. As
        for its movement, it can go forward two squares, then one square to
        either the left or right. It cannot move to the sides or backwards.
       ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
      |   | @ |   | @ |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   |   |   |   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   |   | KN|   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   |   |   |   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   |   |   |   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|


Lance: These are the final two pieces, which occupy the corner positions in
       the back row. The Lances are very limited, in that they can only move
       directly forward and that's it.
       ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
      |   |   | @ |   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   |   | @ |   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   |   | L |   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   |   |   |   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   |   |   |   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|


Pawn: You will get nine of these bottom-rank pieces, which occupy the entire
      third row. Pawns can only move forward one square per turn, that's it.
      Unlike regular Chess, Pawns can capture enemy pieces by moving forward;
      diagonal movement by this piece is not allowed.
       ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
      |   |   |   |   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   |   | @ |   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   |   | P |   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   |   |   |   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|
      |   |   |   |   |   |
      |___|___|___|___|___|


Promoting Pieces
----------------

As in Chess, if you move any of your pieces to the opposite end of the board,
they can be promoted. In Shogi, this does not only apply to Pawns; it can
apply to every piece (except the King and Gold General). A piece is valid for
promotion if you move it into the back three rows of the board (the three
rows that the enemy pieces initially occupy). When you promote a piece, it
gains more movement options, depending on the piece. Also, when you get to
the opposing side's three rows and choose to promote the piece, you flip the
piece over to reveal its new "name". These names will be listed below. Keep
in mind though, that you don't have to promote a piece because you are in the
three back rows.

If the promoted piece is a Silver General, Knight, Lance, or Pawn, its
upgraded movement will be that of a Gold General. If the piece you are
promoting is a Rook or Bishop, it will retain its original range of movement,
but it will be able to move like a King would as well.

Original Name     Kanji     Promoted Name     Kanji
-------------     -----     -------------     -----
Rook              飛車      Dragon            龍王
Bishop            角行      Horse             龍馬
Silver General    銀将      Promoted Silver   成銀
Knight            桂馬      Promoted Knight   成桂
Lance             香車      Promoted Lance    成香
Pawn              歩兵      Tokin             と金


Capturing/Dropping Pieces
-------------------------

As in Chess, the objective in Shogi is ultimately to 'capture' the opposing
player's King. Along the way, as you move your own pieces across the board,
you can capture the opposing player's pieces by making a legal move onto the
same square that an enemy piece is currently occupying. When you capture the
enemy's piece, you put it on a side table known as a komadai (こまだい). You
can 'drop' a captured piece onto the board, putting it under your control and
thus increasing your active forces. This kind of gameplay can work in your
favor (or against you, if the enemy does it) if done at the right times.


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This guide is available for and to anyone who wishes to use the information on
their site or in their own guide. Remember this was posted on GameFAQs first if
you want to copy and credit anything.
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