Shogi
Two-piece handicap
The stronger player gives up both big men — the rook on 8b and the bishop on 2b — and moves first.
What is different here
Nimai-ochi, the two-piece handicap, strips uwate of everything that moves more than a step at a time. Gote begins with no rook and no bishop: a king, four generals, two knights, two lances and nine pawns.
It is a famous teaching handicap because it forces both players to do one thing properly. Shitate must learn to attack with a rook and a bishop working together. Uwate must learn to defend with nothing but generals and patience.
Roughly four to five grades, depending on whose ladder you use.
- Removed: gote’s rook on 8b and gote’s bishop on 2b.
- Gote — uwate — moves first.
- Uwate has no long-range man at all.
- Shitate should trade pieces: every trade favours the side with more.
- Uwate’s only real chance is material handed over by a careless attack.