Shogi
Bishop handicap
The stronger player gives up the bishop on 2b — and moves first.
What is different here
Kaku-ochi takes one of the two big men off the stronger side. Gote starts without the bishop on 2b; the rook stays. Uwate moves first, as at every rung of the ladder.
This changes the character of the game rather than just the count. With no bishop, uwate has nothing that works on the long diagonals, and the whole opening battle over the bishop trade simply disappears.
It is the standard second rung, for a gap of roughly two grades, and it is the first handicap where shitate has a concrete, permanent advantage to work with rather than a nudge.
- Removed: gote’s bishop on 2b.
- Gote — uwate, the stronger player — moves first.
- No bishop exchange to worry about; uwate’s diagonals are empty.
- Shitate should keep the extra bishop rather than trade it off.
- All other rules are exactly those of the even game.