Dōbutsu shōgi

Dobutsu Shogi (Japaneseどうぶつ しょうぎ, dt " Animal Chess " ) is a small version of the Japanese boardgame Shogi, a chess variant. Invented the ladies Madoka Kitao and Maiko Fujita, both Japanese Shōgiprofis to small children, especially girls, introduce them to the Shogi game. In the Western world the game under the name Let's Catch the Lion since 2009! marketed.

The game is played on a 3 by 4 fields large board. The rules are closely modeled on that of the regular Shogi, including the Drops ( re-use of captured game pieces ) and transport. The range of characters is limited to a field. As with all chess variants it comes to bring the opponent's king to the track.

The pieces are square and a little reminiscent of building blocks. Characterized they are drawn animal images. Points on the sides and corners indicate the direction in which the pieces are allowed to move.

Game rules

At the beginning each player has four pieces: a lion ( king) on ​​the central panel of his basic series, a giraffe (tower) right of an elephant ( runners ) on the left and a Chick ( Bauer) immediately before the lions. A player begins. It is alternately pulled. All stones like pulling in regular Shogi - but only one field. Draws a piece to a square that is occupied by an opponent's piece, so this is beaten and removed from the board. The hitter takes it into his stock, and has now the possibility to use this figure as an alternative to a train on an empty space on the board ( drop). Achieved the chick the basic series the other hand, it is conveyed to a chicken ( Tokin in the regular Shogi ). To this end, the game piece is turned over and now has more possible moves. One Hit chicken should not, however be used as a chicken, but again only as a chick. An additional way to win the game, besides the capture of the opponent's king or lion is the carrying of one's own lions on the opponent's home row.