Click a piece and it lifts; green dots appear on the squares it can reach, and an orange ring marks a square where it would capture. Click a destination and the piece walks there.
To change your mind, click another of your pieces, or click the same one again. Clicking somewhere it cannot go answers with a dull knock.
Moving into, out of, or within the last three ranks lets you promote, and you are asked. If the piece would otherwise have no legal move, it promotes without asking. A promoted piece throws up a shaft of gold light and wears a gold sash from then on.
Captured pieces go to the stand beside the board and become yours. Click one there, then click the square you want it on. Illegal drops — two pawns on one file, and the rest — are refused with a sound.
The board turns to face whoever is playing, so your own army is always the near one.
The panel on the right switches the pieces (traditional or warriors) and the music and effect volumes at any time. Changing the look leaves the position, the captured pieces and the turn exactly as they were.
A shogi clock does not work like most game clocks. Running out of main time is not a loss — you drop into byoyomi and are given a fixed number of seconds for every move. You can play on for as long as you like; only overrunning that per-move allowance loses.
Create a room and you get a four-character code. Give it to your opponent, who enters it under "join with a code". Whoever created the room plays first.
Nothing is stored. Moves are relayed and forgotten, so when both of you close the page the game is gone. If one of you reloads, the other sends the position over and play resumes.