Taikyoku Shogi

Taikyoku Shogi

Taikyoku Shogi (太局将棋, Ultimate Chess) is the largest chess variant ever documented. Played on a 36×36 board with 402 piece types per side (804 pieces total) on 1,296 squares, it is documented in a single known Japanese manuscript held at Osaka Municipal Central Library. Whether the game was ever actually played to completion is disputed — a single game would require an estimated 10,000+ moves. The transcription used here is by L. Lynn Smith.

The Board

36×36 grid (1,296 squares). Standard Shogi orientation. Each player occupies the first 12 ranks from their side (Sente: ranks 1–12; Gote: ranks 25–36). Ranks 13–24 are empty at the start.

Royals

• King (does not promote) — royal
• Crown Prince (promotes to King) — royal once promoted

Win: capture both the opponent’s King and Crown Prince (or their only royal if the Crown Prince has not promoted).

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Piece List

All 402 pieces per side, with count and promoted form:

Total: 402 pieces per side.

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Starting Position (Sente)

Positions are given as (rank, column). Columns 1–36 run left to right; rank 1 is Sente’s back rank. Gote’s setup is the mirror: rank 36 = Gote’s back rank, column positions reversed.

Note: The original manuscript gives setup positions by rank and column number. Rank 1 holds the outermost defensive pieces; Ranks 2–10 hold the remaining armies; Rank 11 holds all 36 Pawns; Rank 12 holds Dogs (columns 6, 15, 22, 31) and Go-Betweens (columns 11, 26).

For the authoritative column-by-column starting position, consult chessvariants.com/shogivariants.dir/taikyoku_english.html.

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Piece Ranking (for Jump Captures)

The following pieces can jump over lower-ranked pieces to make captures (as in Tenjiku Shogi):

A piece of rank R can jump over any number of pieces ranked 5 (the rank below R), continuing until making a capture.

Promotion

• Pieces promote upon reaching any of the opponent’s 11 ranks (ranks 26–36 for Sente)
• Captured pieces are permanently removed from play (no drops)
• Each piece promotes to its fixed promoted form (listed in the piece table above)
• Promotion is irreversible

Historical Note

Taikyoku Shogi is documented in a manuscript held at Osaka Municipal Central Library. Its playability has been questioned by historians — some believe it was a theoretical exercise assembled by combining all known Shogi variants rather than a game designed for practical play. No game records from historical times have survived, and no mating problems have been published.

Attribution

Taikyoku Shogi is documented in a single known Japanese manuscript. English transcription by L. Lynn Smith, with thanks to Patrick Davin. Source: chessvariants.com/shogivariants.dir/taikyoku_english.html