Great whale shogi

Great whale shogi is a modern variant of shogi (Japanese chess). It is not, however, Japanese: it was invented by R. Wayne Schmittberger of the United States in 1981. The game is envisioned as a "complicated 11×11 big brother"[1] to Schmittberger's other shogi variant, whale shogi. In both games, the pieces are named after types of whales. As in that game, each player starts with only one copy of most piece types; however, in great whale shogi, each pawn is a calf that promotes to the piece type of its file, and identically named pieces in whale shogi and great whale shogi do not share the same movements between the two games.

Game rules

Objective

The objective of the game is to capture your opponent's white whale.

Game equipment

Two players, Black and White, play on a board ruled into a grid of 11 ranks (rows) by 11 files (columns). The squares are undifferentiated by marking or color.

Each player starts the game with a set of 28 wedge-shaped pieces, of slightly different sizes. They are (not listed in order of power):

  • 1 white whale (W)
  • 1 bowhead whale (Bw)
  • 1 bottlenose dolphin (BD)
  • 1 rough-toothed dolphin (RT)
  • 1 sei whale (Se)
  • 1 minke whale (M)
  • 1 fin whale (F)
  • 1 Bryde's whale (B)
  • 1 harbor porpoise (HP)
  • 1 Dall's porpoise (DP)
  • 1 black right whale (BR)
  • 1 sperm whale (S)
  • 2 northern bottlenose whales (NB) (this is the only piece of which there are two starting copies per side)
  • 1 humpback whale (H)
  • 1 pilot whale (P)
  • 1 killer whale (K)
  • 11 calves (one corresponding to each piece except for the white whale, sperm whale, humpback whale. These are abbreviated by suffixing a C onto the corresponding piece type. For example, the bowhead whale calf takes the abbreviation of the bowhead whale Bw and suffixes a C: BwC)

Each piece has its abbreviation written on its face. On the reverse side of the pieces which can promote is another letter, possibly in a different color (red instead of black); this reverse side is turned up to indicate that the piece has been promoted during play. The pieces of the two sides do not differ in color, but instead each piece is shaped like a wedge, and faces forward, toward the opposing side. This shows who controls the piece during play.

Listed below are the pieces of the game and, if they promote, the pieces they promote to.

The promotions apply only to pieces that start out with the ranks in the left-most column. That is, pieces with these ranks written in black; promoted pieces with those same ranks written in red may not be promoted further. Pieces that only appear upon promotion, that is, names that only occur written in red, are marked with an asterisk. The white whale and killer whale do not promote.

Pieces
Piece name Abbreviation Promotion Betza notation
white whaleW-K
bowhead whaleBwdwarf minke whalefRbWbD
*dwarf minke whaleDM(promoted bowhead whale)bBK
bottlenose dolphinBDkiller whaleFD
rough-toothed dolphinRTsperm whalebWfDfA
sei whaleSepygmy killer whalefFbA
*pygmy killer whalePK(promoted sei whale)FA
minke whaleMgiant bottlenose whaleFfbW
*giant bottlenose whaleGB(promoted minke whale)FfbWAfbD
fin whaleFCuvier's beaked whaleFlrW
*Cuvier's beaked whaleCB(promoted fin whale)FlrWAlrD
Bryde's whaleBpygmy sperm whalefWbFfD
*pygmy sperm whalePS(promoted Bryde's whale)WD
harbor porpoiseHPsperm whalefbWffZ
Dall's porpoiseDPnarwhalWA
*narwhalN(promoted Dall's porpoise)FfH
black right whaleBRfalse killer whalefRlrHbW
*false killer whaleFK(promoted black right whale)KfDfmcavWfmpcafmpcafW
sperm whaleSblue whalefBbsR
*blue whaleBl(promoted sperm whale)FyafsFyavFyabsFyasF
humpback whaleHgray whalebBfsR
*gray whaleG(promoted humpback whale)NN
pilot whalePpacific northern right whaleW
*pacific northern right whalePN(promoted pilot whale)DA
northern bottlenose whaleNBbeluga whaleF
*beluga whaleBg(promoted northern bottlenose whale)KcabK [lower-alpha 1]
killer whaleK(promoted bottlenose dolphin and independent piece. As an independent piece, does not promote)FfsWfmpcafFfcabF [lower-alpha 2]
calvesXC(promotion to corresponding adult type of calf)fW

Setup

Below is a diagram showing the setup of the players' pieces. The board setup is symmetrical: the way one player sees their own pieces is the same way that the opposing player sees their pieces.

Setup
1110987654321 
BRDPHPBFWMSeRTBDBwk
  H  NB  S  b
BRCDPCNBBCFCKMCSeCPBDCBwCc
  NBC  KC  PC  d
           e
           f
           g
  PC  KC  NBC  h
BwCBDCPSeCMCKFCBCNBDPCBRCi
  S  NB  H  l
BwBDRTSeMWFBHPDPBRk

Gameplay

Players alternate moving their pieces, with movements as defined below. Black plays first. A move consists of moving a piece to either an empty square or to a square occupied by an opposing piece, thus capturing that piece, optionally promoting the piece; or dropping a captured piece anywhere on the board.

Promotion

An unpromoted piece may be promoted (flipped over) if it moves into or from the promotion zone, consisting of the 3 farthest ranks from the starting area of the player who controls the piece. Calves are mandatorily promoted upon reaching the last rank. Once captured, pieces are demoted.

Individual pieces

Following are diagrams that indicate the movement of each piece. Pieces are listed roughly in order, from front to back rows, with pieces that only occur in promoted form appearing next to their unpromoted counterparts. Pieces with a grey heading start out in the game; those with a blue heading only appear on the board as a promoted piece. Betza's funny notation has been included in brackets for easier reference, with XBetza extension for lion-type or multistep moves.

Notation
○Steps to an adjacent square
☆Jumps to a non-adjacent square, bypassing any intervening piece
│Ranges along a straight line, crossing any number of empty squares
─
╲
╱
✳May move as a queen from this square
♘May move as a nightrider in this direction
!igui (capture without moving) or step to an adjacent square
☆May jump directly to this square, or reach it through a multiple-step move
White whale W (royal piece) Calves XC (promotes to corresponding adult piece)
             
             
    ○ ○ ○    
    ○ W ○    
    ○ ○ ○    
             
             
  • Step: It can step one square in any direction, orthogonal or diagonal. (K)

This is the royal piece of great whale shogi. The white whale can move into check at any time, although this is almost always a blunder.
             
             
      ○      
      XC      
             
             
             
  • Step: The calves can move one square directly forward in any direction. (fW)

The calves promote to their corresponding adult pieces, which they start in the same column as. There are thus 11 different types of calf. There are no white whale, sperm whale, or humpback whale calves.The X listed in the piece abbreviation here is a placeholder which is replaced by the adult piece's abbreviation.

Bowhead whale Bw (promotes to dwarf minke whale) Dwarf minke whale DM
      │      
      │      
      │      
      Bw      
      ○      
      ☆      
             
  • Step: It can step one square directly backwards.
  • Jump: It can jump two squares directly backwards.
  • Range: It can move any number of free squares directly forwards. (fRbWbD)
             
             
    ○ ○ ○    
    ○ DM ○    
    ╱ ○ ╲    
  ╱       ╲  
╱           ╲
  • Step: It can step one square in any direction.
  • Range: It can move any number of free squares diagonally backwards. (KbB)
Bottlenose dolphin BD (promotes to killer whale) Killer whale K
             
      ☆      
    ○   ○    
  ☆   BD   ☆  
    ○   ○    
      ☆      
             
  • Step: It can step one square diagonally.
  • Jump: It can jump two squares orthogonally. (FD)

This is the move of the kirin in Chu shogi and other traditional large-board variants. Because of its movement, the bottlenose dolphin can only reach half of the squares on the board.
             
  ☆       ☆  
    ! ○ !    
    ○ K ○    
    ○   ○    
             
             
  • Step: It can step one square any direction except directly backwards.
  • Lion move: It can make a two-step move along either of the two forwards diagonals (without moving between them), either capturing then moving back to its starting square, or capturing on the first square then capturing on the second, or jumping directly to the second square. (FfsWfmpcafFfcabF)[lower-alpha 2]

The killer whale occurs both as an independent piece and as a promoted bottlenose dolphin.

Rough-toothed dolphin RT (promotes to sperm whale) Harbor porpoise HP (promotes to sperm whale)
             
  ☆   ☆   ☆  
             
      RT      
      ○      
             
             
  • Step: It can step one square directly backwards.
  • Jump: It can jump two squares directly or diagonally forwards. (bWfDfA)

Because of its movement, the rough-toothed dolphin can only reach half of the squares on the board.
  ☆       ☆  
             
      ○      
      HP      
      ○      
             
             
  • Step: It can step one square directly backwards or forwards.
  • Jump: It can jump two squares diagonally forwards. (fbWffZ)

Because of its movement, the harbor porpoise can only reach half of the squares on the board.

Sperm whale S (promotes to blue whale) Blue whale Bl
╲           ╱
  ╲       ╱  
    ╲   ╱    
─ ─ ─ S ─ ─ ─
      │      
      │      
      │      
  • Range: It can move any number of free squares any directions except directly forwards and diagonally backwards. (fBbsR)

The sperm whale occurs both as an independent piece and as a promoted rought-toothed dolphin or harbor porpoise.
╲           ╱
  ╲ │   │ ╱  
  ─ ✳   ✳ ─  
      Bl      
  ─ ✳   ✳ ─  
  ╱ │   │ ╲  
╱           ╲
  • Multi-phase movement: It can move one square diagonally, then any number of free squares in any direction, diagonal or orthogonal. It cannot jump over any pieces in the process, so the first diagonal square must be free to make a queen move. (FyafsFyavFyabsFyasF)

There are up to 4 paths to reach a particular square with the blue whale. Based on this description of its movement, the blue whale can effectively pass a turn when a diagonal square is free by stepping there and making a queen move directly back to the starting square. Unlike the pieces with lion powers, the blue whale cannot capture multiple pieces in one turn.

Sei whale Se (promotes to pygmy killer whale) Pygmy killer whale PK
             
             
    ○   ○    
      Se      
      ○      
  ☆       ☆  
             
  • Step: It can step one square diagonally forwards or directly backwards.
  • Jump: It can jump two squares directly backwards.
             
  ☆       ☆  
    ○   ○    
      PK      
    ○   ○    
  ☆       ☆  
             
  • Step: It can step one square diagonally in any direction.
  • Jump: It can jump two squares diagonally in any direction.

Because of its movement, the pygmy killer whale can only reach half of the squares on the board.

Minke whale M (promotes to giant bottlenose whale) Giant bottlenose whale GB
             
             
    ○ ○ ○    
      M      
    ○ ○ ○    
             
             
  • Step: It can step one square in any direction except directly sideways.

This is the move of the ferocious leopard in Chu shogi and the crane in Tori shogi.
             
  ☆   ☆   ☆  
    ○ ○ ○    
      GB      
    ○ ○ ○    
  ☆   ☆   ☆  
             
  • Step: It can step one square in any direction except directly sideways.
  • Jump: It can jump two squares in any direction except directly sideways.
Fin whale F (promotes to Cuvier's beaked whale) Cuvier's beaked whale CB
             
             
    ○   ○    
    ○ F ○    
    ○   ○    
             
           
  • Step: It can step one square in any direction except directly forwards or backwards.
             
  ☆       ☆  
    ○   ○    
  ☆ ○ CB ○ ☆  
    ○   ○    
  ☆       ☆  
             
  • Step: It can step one square in any direction except directly forwards or backwards.
  • Jump: It can jump two squares in any direction except directly forwards or backwards.
Bryde's whale B (promotes to pygmy sperm whale) Pygmy sperm whale PS
             
      ☆      
      ○      
      B      
    ○   ○    
             
             
  • Step: It can step one square directly forwards or diagonally backwards.
  • Jump: It can jump two squares directly forwards.
             
      ☆      
      ○      
  ☆ ○ PS ○ ☆  
      ○      
      ☆      
             
  • Step: It can step one square in any orthogonal direction.
  • Jump: It can jump two squares in any orthogonal direction.
Dall's porpoise DP (promotes to narwhal) Narwhal N
             
  ☆       ☆  
      ○      
    ○ DP ○    
      ○      
  ☆       ☆  
             
  • Step: It can step one square in any orthogonal direction.
  • Jump: It can jump two squares in any diagonal direction.
      ☆      
             
    ○   ○    
      N      
    ○   ○    
             
             
  • Step: It can step one square in any diagonal direction.
  • Jump: It can jump three squares directly forwards.
Black right whale BR (promotes to false killer whale) False killer whale FK
      │      
      │      
      │      
☆     BR     ☆
      ○      
             
             
  • Step: It can step one square directly backwards.
  • Jump: It can jump three squares directly sideways.
  • Range: It can move any number of free squares directly forwards.

Because of its movement, the black right whale can only reach a third of the squares on the board.
      ☆      
      ☆      
    ○ ! ○    
    ○ FK ○    
    ○ ○ ○    
             
             
  • Step: It can step one square in any direction.
  • Lion move: It has lion movement powers up to three squares directly ahead. It can move to or capture on the first square then move back to the starting square (igui), or jump to the second or third square, or move through/capture on all three squares in order, or move through/capture on the first then third square, skipping the second, or move through/capture on the second then third square, jumping over the first. It may not move backwards after reaching the second or third square.
Humpback whale H (promotes to gray whale) Gray whale G
      │      
      │      
      │      
─ ─ ─ H ─ ─ ─
    ╱   ╲    
  ╱       ╲  
╱           ╲
  • Range: It can move any number of free squares in any direction except directly backwards and diagonally forwards.
             
    ♘   ♘    
  ♘       ♘  
      G      
  ♘       ♘  
    ♘   ♘    
             
  • Range: It moves as a nightrider. After making a knight move in any direction, it may continue moving any number of successive knight moves in that direction.
Pilot whale P (promotes to Pacific northern right whale) Pacific northern right whale PN
             
             
      ○      
    ○ P ○    
      ○      
             
             
  • Step: It can step one square in any orthogonal direction.
             
  ☆   ☆   ☆  
             
  ☆   PN   ☆  
             
  ☆   ☆   ☆  
             
  • Jump: It can jump two squares in any direction.

Because of its movement, the Pacific northern right whale can only reach a quarter of the squares on the board.

Northern bottlenose whale NB (promotes to beluga whale) Beluga whale Bg
             
             
    ○ ○ ○    
      NB      
    ○   ○    
             
             
  • Step: It can step on square in any diagonal direction, or directly forwards.

This is the move of the silver general in most shogi variants.
             
             
    ! ! !    
    ! Bg !    
    ! ! !    
             
             
  • Step: It can step one square in any direction.
  • Lion move: It can capture one piece in any direction then move back to its starting square.[lower-alpha 1]

Drops

Captured pieces are truly captured in great whale shogi. They are retained "in hand", and can be brought back into play under the capturing player's control. On any turn, instead of moving a piece across the board, a player can take a piece they have previously captured and place it on any empty square, facing the opponent. The piece is now part of the forces controlled by that player. This is termed dropping the piece, or just a drop.

A drop cannot capture a piece; that requires an additional move.

As in Shogi, there are restrictions on the dropping of calves (analogous to pawns in shogi). Calves may not be dropped on the last rank, may not be dropped for checkmate (though they may be dropped for mate), and may not be dropped into files that already contain a calf of that player.[1] The last restriction applies even when two calves are of different types.

Game end

A player who captures the opponent's white whale wins the game.

See also

Notes
  1. The igui-type capture is described in the original source as "it can make an Igui! move by moving to one square in any direction, capturing a piece there, and returning to the original space it came from". This description prohibits lion-type passes, in which no captures are made. If such passes are possible, this piece is KmcabK
  2. The igui-type capture is described as "It can also capture a piece on the 1st square and then move back to its square of origin (Igui type capture). This last type of capture is almost as if it didn't move.".[1] The literal interpretation of this is that it cannot do an lion-type pass. If such passes are possible, this piece is FfsWfmpcavF.

References
  1. "Great Whale Shogi". The Chess Variant Pages. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
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