Goita [ごいた] is a shedding game played by 2 teams of 2 players each, using special Shogi pieces made specifically for the game.
It is said to originate from the Meiji Era, and was created by Seiyoumon Nunoura (布浦清右衛門) in the Ushitsu area in Noto Town, Fugeshi District, Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan, and it was popularized by the fishermen in the area.
Nowadays, the game is preserved by the Noto Goita Preservation Society (能登ごいた保存会, Noto Goita Hoson-kai) as a traditional game of Noto Town.
A similar game played using Hyakunin Isshu karuta exists, called Ao Kanmuri.
¶ Equipment
A special set of 32 Shogi pieces are used. Each piece is equal in size and have no markings on the back.
The set contains 2 Kings, 2 Rooks, 2 Bishops, 4 Golds, 4 Silvers, 4 Knights, 4 Lances, and 10 Pawns.
¶ Goita Pieces and their Names
Pieces are listed in descending rank.
| English name | Shogi name | Shogi marking | Goita name | Goita marking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White King | ōshō | 王将 | ō/dama | 王 |
| Black King | gyokushō | 玉将 | ō/dama | 玉 |
| Rook | hisha | 飛車 | hisha | 飛 |
| Bishop | kakugyō | 角行 | kaku | 角 |
| Gold | kinshō | 金将 | kin | 金 |
| Silver | ginshō | 銀将 | gin | 銀 |
| Knight | keima | 桂馬 | bakko/uma | 馬 |
| Lance | kyōsha | 香車 | gon/kyosu | 香 |
| Pawn | fuhyō | 歩兵 | hyō/fu/shi | し |
¶ Setup
¶ Choosing the Dealer/Teammate
None of the methods mentioned below are stipulated: Any one of the methods below may be used, depending on whether the players want the freedom to choose who is their teammate or who deals.
¶ Method A: Choosing the Dealer at Random
¶ Method A1: Using all pieces
Before starting, players agree first who will be their teammates in the game.
Each player faces up on the ceiling so that they cannot see the pieces.
The pieces are then mixed on the table, and each player takes one piece.
The player with the highest ranking piece becomes the dealer. The pieces used to determine the dealer are then returned to the table.
¶ Method A2: Using 4 pieces
Before starting, players agree first who will be their teammates in the game.
Each player faces up on the ceiling so that they cannot see the pieces.
Four pieces- three Pawns and one of another rank- are then mixed on the table, and each player takes one piece.
The player who takes the non-Pawn piece becomes the dealer. The four pieces are then returned to the table.
¶ Method B: Choosing the Teammates at Random
Each player faces up on the ceiling so that they cannot see the pieces.
Four pieces- two Pawns and two of another rank- are then mixed on the table, and each player takes one piece.
Players who took pieces of the same rank belong to the same team. The four pieces are then returned to the table.
Teammates who took both non-Pawn pieces must then agree which one of them will become the dealer.
¶ Method C: Choosing the Teammates and Dealer at Random
Each player faces up on the ceiling so that they cannot see the pieces.
Four pieces- two Pawns, one White King, and one Black King- are then mixed on the table, and each player takes one piece.
Players who took pieces of the same rank belong to the same team. The player who took the White King becomes the dealer. The four pieces are then returned to the table.
¶ Dealing the Pieces
Four players sit around a table in a manner such that teammates are facing each other.
While the players are not looking, the pieces on the table are all turned face-down by the dealer and gently mixed.
Once the mixing is done, the pieces are arranged in a circle. The other players may now look at the table.
Each player takes 8 pieces from the table, one piece at a time, starting with the dealer counter-clockwise.
¶ Special Situations
- If one player has 5 pawns in hand, they consult with their teammate if they want to redeal or start the round. If the teammate agrees to redeal, then the entire deal is reset, and all players retake 8 pieces from the table. The dealer remains the same.
- If two players, one from each team, has 5 pawns in hand, they consult with their teammate if they want to redeal or start the round. If both teams’ teammates agree to redeal, then the entire deal is reset, and all players retake 8 pieces from the table. The dealer remains the same. If at least one team’s teammate disagrees with the redeal, then the round starts without a redeal.
- If a player has 6 or more pawns in hand, it is considered a Teyaku. The round ends prematurely and that player wins the round and becomes the dealer for the next round. In addition, that player’s team receives points for the Teyaku formed.
¶ List of Teyaku
- 6 pawns + 2 different pieces: Get points from the highest ranking piece.
- 6 pawns + a pair: Get points from each piece in the pair.
- 7 pawns + 1 different piece: Get double the points of the different piece.
- 8 pawns: Get 100 points.
¶ Score of pieces in a Teyaku
- White King = 50 points
- Black King = 50 points
- Rook = 40 points
- Bishop = 40 points
- Gold = 30 points
- Silver = 30 points
- Knight = 20 points
- Lance = 20 points
¶ Gameplay
Turns move counter-clockwise starting with the dealer.
Each player has their own territory, which is composed of two rows: The top row is the “Defending row” and the bottom row is the “Attacking row”. At the beginning of each round, these rows are completely empty.
The dealer starts by playing the role of “attacker”:
- The dealer takes any one piece from their hand onto the leftmost side of their defending row, face-down and pointing toward themselves.
- Then, the dealer takes any one piece from their hand onto the leftmost side of their attacking row, face-up and pointing away from themselves. This piece is called the “attack piece”.
The other 3 players then play the role of “defender”:
- If the next player has a piece of the same rank as the “attack piece”, the player may “defend” the attack by placing their matching piece on the leftmost side of their own defending row, face-up and pointing toward themselves. If they do, they become the new “attacker” and must place any one piece from their hand onto the leftmost side of their own attacking row, face-up and pointing away from themselves, as a new “attack piece”.
- If the next player doesn’t have a piece of the same rank as the “attack piece”, or if they don’t feel like “defending” the attack, then they pass their turn to the next player.
- If all three players failed to “defend” the attack and passed their turn, then the “attacker” places any one piece from their hand onto their own defending row (on the right side of the piece they previously put), face-down and pointing toward themselves, and then places another piece from their hand onto their own attacking row (on the right side of the piece they previously attacked with), face-up and pointing away from themselves. This piece becomes the new “attack piece”.
¶ King (Wild Card)
The King is considered a wild card that can be used to “defend” against a Rook, Bishop, Gold, Silver, or Knight. However, it cannot be used to “receive” a Lance or a Pawn.
The King generally cannot be used as an attack piece. The only situations when you can use a King to “attack” are:
- If one King has already been played on the table.
- If you have both Kings in hand.
- If it is your last move.
A King used as an “attack piece” cannot be defended by the other 3 players, so the attacker automatically places a piece face-down on their defending row and “attacks” with another piece.
It is impractical and therefore not allowed to place a King face-down on the defending row, because only the player doing so knows that the other King may be used as an “attack piece”, but the other players don’t know it.
¶ End of Round
The round ends once a player runs out of pieces in hand. That player wins and becomes dealer for the next round.
The winner’s team receives points depending on the 8th piece used by the winner:
- White King = 50 points
- Black King = 50 points
- Rook = 40 points
- Bishop = 40 points
- Gold = 30 points
- Silver = 30 points
- Knight = 20 points
- Lance = 20 points
- Pawn = 10 points
Also if a player “attacked”, and has 2 pieces of the same rank remaining in hand, and none of the other players defended the attack, then the player puts one of the pieces face-down on the defending row, and the other face-up on the attacking row, and wins the round. In that case, the points received by that player’s team is doubled.
If, however, the player “defends” an attack with one of the pieces and places the other on the attacking row and wins the round, even if the 2 pieces are of the same rank, the points received are not doubled.
¶ End of Game
After each round, the teams’ points are tabulated.
Once a team’s cumulative score reaches a target score (usually 150 points), the game ends with that team being the winner of the game.