Please contact us if you would like to join and have any questions.

All Beginners are extremely welcome to pop in and join us for an introduction to the game! We are a small and happy bunch and would love to see more folks playing with us and improving their skills!

If you want to become a member of our club, please register for our club using this form: <click this link>. Registration to become an EJCA member is a separate process.

What is Shōgi?

• It is known as the "Japanese Chess", and it has many features you will also see in traditional Chess, but Shōgi is in fact even more challenging! 
• In Shōgi, once players capture an opponent’s piece, they can use that piece as their own—meaning that while Chess games on the whole get simpler as fewer pieces are left on the board, Shōgi games tend to get even more complex!
• Shōgi has a history that can be traced back over 1000 years!
• Shōgi is the "Game of Generals" and you will find lances, dragons, castles, kings...
  
  

What else do you need to know?

• Club fees: 
• One time registration fee/member: 20$ (helps us to acquire club equipment, game material, flyers, posters, ...)
• half-year membership fee (Oct-Mar, Apr-Sep, paid upfront): 30$ (helps us to cover rental costs) (if you join mid-semester, will pro-rate accordingly)
• Shōgi club members are also required to be EJCA members.
  
  
• Equipment: we have Shōgi Boards, pieces, byoyomi-clocks available - but feel free to bring your own set as well. 
• In order to record games for later analysis, you could bring a smartphone and use https://play.mogproject.com/ as an easy to use tool to record your (in-person) games - or use any other Shogi app that serves the same purpose
• For instructions, puzzles and practice games online, we recommend you have a look at lishogi.org, 
• Please do join our very own team on lishogi, so you can participate in online tournaments.
• You could also explore the well-known 81dojo website for a large international crowd of players; and don't miss the Canadian Shogi Discord channel    

NEW to Shōgi?: You may find our flyer, the beginners presentation or Shogi etiquette primer helpful. Don't be afraid of the Kanji symbols on the pieces - you will learn to recognize them in a short amount of time and we also use piece sets that carry easy to read arrows/symbols that help you play right away on day 1!