shogi.plyyard.com is a browser shogi board maintained by Ply Yard. There is no signup barrier and no need to understand notation first: practise against AI, take turns with someone beside you, or send a room link to a distant friend. The board, rules, and practice methods live together so questions such as "Why could I not make that drop?" and "What else could I play here?" have an immediate answer.
Start with the mode that fits how you want to play
- Practise at your own pace: choose Play AI. Four levels, hints, undo, and replay let you compare candidate moves, while AI search runs locally in your browser.
- Teach a friend or play face to face: choose Two Players. Share one device and take turns without creating accounts or a room.
- Arrange a game with someone elsewhere: choose Play Online. Create a room and share its link; both players see the same board, and synced moves cannot be undone by one side.
New to shogi? Begin with the Rules Guide. If you know the moves but are unsure how to choose between them, start with Practical Tips.
No account also means no cloud game library
AI and local two-player games are stored in the browser on the current device and can usually continue after a refresh. They do not automatically appear on another phone or computer, and clearing site data removes information we cannot recover through an account.
Online rooms temporarily store the board, seats, and moves so both players can sync and reconnect. A room is not a permanent game archive, so save an important position yourself. See the Privacy Policy for details.
We do not present practice as a rank exam
- This site has no rating ladder, rank certification, or automatic matchmaking with strangers.
- AI levels represent different search strengths, not real-world player ranks.
- A hint is one candidate move to compare, not the only correct answer.
- The rules and tips help you understand positions; they do not promise quick mastery or guaranteed wins.
Useful practice does not have to end in victory. If you can say, "Moving the gold left a square for a drop," or "Promoting here cost my silver its diagonal retreat," you already have a clear goal for the next game.
Our content standard is simple: can you use it immediately?
The Rules Guide should let a complete beginner finish a game independently. Practical Tips should turn vague instinct into checks you can perform, such as seeing who protects a gold's old square or giving a piece in hand a job before dropping it.
These methods have conditions and are not winning formulas. Silver should not always promote, and a captured piece need not be dropped at once. If the explanation disagrees with the board, the page or program needs fixing; the reader should not have to guess at an exception.
If something is wrong, tell us exactly where you got stuck
Unclear rules, a legal move that will not land, an incorrect promotion prompt, or a failed room connection all deserve feedback. A full-board screenshot, the previous move, and the device and browser are usually more useful than a general report that it does not work.
Use the Contact page for the most helpful details. We correct reproducible rule and connection problems as well as wording that misleads new players.
Who maintains this board
This site is maintained by Ply Yard. The design, shogi engine, online rooms, and English content continue to evolve with real feedback. We do not ask for a player account, legal name, or payment information.
