The Japanese Wikipedia page for tsumeshogi, translated into English by Illion. Where possible, I tried to maintain some form of correspondence between the vocabulary used by the tsumeshogi community and by western chess problemists. This is hopefully of interest to shogi players, shogi hobbyists, and chess problemists looking to get into shogi problems.

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%A9%B0%E5%B0%86%E6%A3%8B

Tsumeshogi

Tsumeshogi （詰将棋） is a type of puzzle using the rules of shogi.

From a given initial shogi position, consecutive checks are to be made to deliver mate to the opponent’s king. Thought to originate as training problems for developing endgame skills in practical play, now tsumeshogi as a puzzle has become a distinct field in its own right.

Overview

Because the objective is the same as in practical play (to mate the king), realistic tsumeshogi problems are typically thought to be a useful way to develop endgame skill in shogi. Yet, tsumeshogi has evolved into a distinct creation in and of itself; as former Meijin Masuda Kouzou described it, “all the charm of tsumeshogi is in its unexpected vibrancy”. It diverges from standard wisdom and valuation systems; sacrifices, supposedly inferior non-promoting moves, drops with limited scope and yet other surprising tactics and ideas abound, and a new joy of solving and creating these problems emerges.

The shortest problems are 1te (1 move to mate), followed by 3te, 5te, 7te and so on, all having an odd number of moves. This is because a tsume problem begins with sente (semekata) making the first move, and ends with sente delivering mate. Relatively easier problems of up to about 19 moves are found in newspapers, on television or in shogi magazines, while works which are longer and comparatively harder to solve are found in collections published as books or in specialist tsumeshogi magazines. A representative specialist magazine is Tsumeshogi Paradise （詰将棋パラダイス）, while shogi magazines such as Shogi Sekai （将棋世界） and Kindai Shogi （近代将棋） also carry regular shogi columns. Problems judged to be outstanding are conferred awards; Tsumeshogi Paradise awards the Kanju Prize, and Kindai Shogi awards the Tsukada Prize.

Well-known modern tsumeshogi composers include Kurokawa Ichirou 黒川一郎, Shichijou Kenzou 七條兼三, Komaba Kazuo 駒場和男, Ootsuka Toshio 大塚敏男, Yamada Shuuji 山田修司, Kitahara Yoshiharu 北原義治, Kashiwagawa Etsuo 柏川悦夫, Okada Satoshi 岡田敏, Sakai Katsuhiko 酒井克彦, Tanaka Itaru 田中至, Ueda Yoshikazu 上田吉一, Wakashima Tadashi 若島正, Yamamoto Shouichi 山本昭一, Yamazaki Takashi 山崎隆, Morinaga Hiroaki 森長宏明, Yanagita Akira 柳田明, Itou Tadashi 伊藤正, Fujimoto Kazu 藤本和, Soekawa Kouji 添川公司, Hashimoto Kouji 橋本孝治, Souma Yasuyuki 相馬康幸, Tajima Hideo 田島秀男, Kuwabara Tatsuo 桑原辰雄.

In addition, many shogi professionals also compose tsumeshogi, with their published works usually having been produced as part of endgame and practical training. However, few of them create thematic works like the aforementioned specialist composers. Notable tsumeshogi composers among professionals (including retired and deceased) are first and foremost Tsukada Masao and Futakami Tatsuya; also famous are Naitou Kunio, Tanigawa Kouji, Itou Hatasu (formerly Itou Yoshikazu), and Nakada Shoudou. Other professionals who have composed are Harada Yasuo, Takayanagi Toshio, Seino Shizuo, Igarashi Toyoichi, Kumagai Michihito, Kitamura Masao, Maruta Yuuzou, Katsuura Osamu, Katou Hifumi, Katou Hiroji, Satou Shouhei, Satou Daigorou, Oouchi Nobuyuki, Kiriyama Kiyozumi, Sekine Shigeru, Nakahara Makoto, Kobayashi Kenji, Takahashi Michio, Urano Masahiko, Mori Nobuo, Kitahama Kensuke, Satou Yasumitsu, Miura Hiroyuki, Funae Kouhei, Saitou Shintarou, Fujii Souta, etc. Shogi Sekai has previously published collections of all tsumeshogi problems composed by professional players. Additionally, some problems are published in newspapers and magazines, and even sometimes in lieu of giving an autograph. Among female professional players, Hayamizu Chisa and others are noted to compose tsumeshogi.

Since 2011, tsumeshogi books of 5te and shorter problems have been published to cater to the beginner and casual audiences.

Similar puzzles exist in western chess, known as chess problems. However, in those it is preferred not to have a solution consisting of consecutive checks.

Rules

The side delivering mate is referred to as semekata 攻方, “attacking side” (or tsumekata 詰方), while the side that gets mated is gyokukata 玉方, “king side” (or ukekata 受方).

Semekata plays first.
Semekata must deliver mate with consecutive checks.
Semekata can drop pieces in hand, as well as pieces they capture in the course of play.
Gyokukata plays the best moves to prolong mate as much as possible.
Where gyokukata has multiple moves leading to variations of the same length, the correct one is the one which makes sente use a piece in hand. In addition, gyokukata will prefer to interpose a check with a piece on the board over dropping a piece from the hand (aigoma 合駒), given that both options lead to mate in the same number of moves.
Gyokukata has in hand all other pieces; in other words, all pieces not on the board or in semekata’s hand, excepting the other king.
- Gyokukata can use these hand pieces as aigoma to interpose checks.
- If all pieces of a type are already accounted for between the board and semekata’s hand, gyokukata cannot drop such a piece. For instance, if there are two dragons on the board, gyokukata cannot drop a rook from their hand as aigoma.
- Gyokukata dropping interposing pieces which are immediately simply captured without fundamentally changing the mating variations are termed “futile interpositions” and are not considered in the move count. However, if the aigoma allows gyokukata to escape mate, or if the mating variations differ with and without the drop, then it is not considered futile. Certain problems may end with the final move being a check that can only be met by interpositions which can be captured for immediate mate, even if not delivered by the currently checking piece; these interpositions are also considered futile.
Aside from the above, all rules of normal shogi apply (notably, pieces cannot be dropped in places where they have no future legal moves, nifu is not allowed, and semekata cannot mate with a pawn drop (uchifu-dzume) or do perpetual check sennichite.)

There are also restrictions on the composer as to what constitutes a valid problem:

There must be a single unique intended line of play.
- Any alternate line other than the composer’s intention but also leading to mate is termed a yo-dzume 余詰 (in western chess parlance, a “cook”), and considered to be a flaw in the composition.
At the end of the intended line of play, semekata should have no pieces left in hand. (Having extra pieces in hand, koma-amari 駒余り is not allowed.)
The board should not have pieces that are unnecessary and do not participate in the mate. However, “practical” or “realistic” tsumeshogi （実戦型詰将棋） will usually feature pieces to resemble formations often seen in games.

History

Tsumeshogi was first conceived of in the early Edo period. If, as game historian Masukawa Kouichi points out, the “compositions” found in the Shingen Yuugaku Orai （新撰遊覚往来） are considered as tsumeshogi, then tsumeshogi can be considered to have existed as early as the 15th century AD.

The oldest tsumeshogi on record are published in the manual Shougi Zoubutsu 『象戯造物』 by Oohashi Soukei I 初代大橋宗桂 (1555-1634), in the Keichou years (1596-1615). These were intended to teach thinking in the endgame phase, and lacked the modern requirements to mate in the shortest number of moves and have no pieces in semekata’s hand at the conclusion.

After Soukei, it became customary for the sitting Meijin to present the shogunate with a collection of tsumeshogi problems, known as kenjou-zushiki （献上図式）, leading to the development of tsumeshogi. The works offered by Oohashi Soukan III in 1734 (『将棋作物』, also called 『将棋無双』 or 『詰むや詰まざるや』) and his brother Itou Kanju in 1755 (『将棋図式』, also called 『将棋図巧』) are considered to be the pinnacle of tsumeshogi in the Edo period. It was Itou Soukan who codified the rules of tsumeshogi then. Itou Kanju’s legacy remains today in the award named after him, the Kanju Prize.

Starting from the 9th Meijin Oohashi Souei VI, the presentation of tsumeshogi to the shogunate was no longer held, and development of tsumeshogi stagnated for a time. Its revival came in the Showa era, when Shogi Geppou 『将棋月報』 started serialising tsumeshogi problems. Since then the development of tsumeshogi took an independent turn from the practical game, leading to compositions of great complexity or high artistic value. As of May 2019, the longest published tsumeshogi problem was Hashimoto Kouji’s 1525te Microcosmos (1986 / 6, Tsumeshogi Paradise; versions after).

Contrasting with the specialised, artistic side of the field, a different direction of tsumeshogi development emphasised its indispensable role in practical endgame training, and thereafter resulted in its popularisation. Not long after the Second World War, in a great boost to tsumeshogi, the 2nd Meijin titleholder Tsukada Masao published many shogi books aimed at ordinary players. From Tsukada’s attribution of his endgame skill development to tsumeshogi, the concept of practical tsumeshogi problems was born. The simple idea of endgame training = tsumeshogi led to a huge rise in popularity of the tsumeshogi subgenre of books among shogi enthusiasts.

In the 2000s, more tsumeshogi books featuring much shorter problems and organised by number of moves became popular, like Urano Masahiko’s highly-praised “Handbook” series, bringing tsumeshogi to the masses as not just an endgame training method but as a brain training puzzle, expanding its popularity beyond just shogi players.

Furthermore, tsumeshogi columns appear in media typically bought by salarymen, such as sports newspapers, weekly magazines and broadsheets. These are also seen as a good way to pass the time in the train or while waiting in hair salons.

Kanju Prize and Tsukada Prize

These are prizes awarded to recognise outstanding tsumeshogi problems.

Kanju Prize

The Kanju Prize was established by the Japanese Tsumeshogi Association (全日本詰将棋連盟, or 全詰連 for short) and is announced in the publication Tsumeshogi Paradise. The first Kanju Prize was awarded in 1950, but there followed a gap of 11 years before the second was awarded in 1960. Since then, the prize has been awarded every year. It is the most prestigious prize that can be awarded for tsumeshogi. There are three main categories of short (17te and shorter), medium (19te to 49te) and long (51te and above) problems, as well as a special category to recognise particularly noteworthy problems.

The prize is named after the foremost among tsumeshogi composers in the Edo period, the shogi player Itou Kanju.

Modern professionals have also been awarded the Kanju Prize; Urano Masahiko won in the short category in 1983 and in the special category in 1995, Tanigawa Kouji the special category in 1997, and Naitou Kunio the special category in 1998. Since 2004, Urano Masahiko has also been on the judging panel.

Also, the 2004 medium category was won by the then-Shoreikai 2-dan Funae Kouhei (who subsequently became a 4-dan professional in 2010.)

Eligible for the award each year are all problems published in newspapers and magazines in that year, except for from 1988 to 1990 where only problems published in Tsumeshogi Paradise were eligible. Problems published outside of shogi-related media can also be considered for the prize, like the 1987 short category winner (published in the Hochi Shimbun, now Sports Hochi) and the 1998 special category winner (published in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, now The Nikkei).

Now, problems published on the internet can also be eligible for the prize if they meet certain conditions. Like with print media, they do not necessarily have to appear on shogi-related websites to be eligible.

Kanju Prize winners

(TABLE)

Most decorated composers

(TABLE)

Tsukada Prize

The Tsukada Prize was awarded by Kindai Shogi (ceased publication in June 2008) and announced in their issues. It was named after the 2nd Meijin titleholder Tsukada Masao. Until his death in 1977, he judged the award. There were three categories of short (under 20te), medium (under 40te) and long (41te and longer) awarded each year.

Tsukada Prize winners

(TABLE)

Most decorated composers

(TABLE)

Kadowaki Yoshio Prize

The Kadowaki Yoshio Prize was established by the Japanese Tsumeshogi Association, and is announced in Tsumeshogi Paradise. It recognises individuals who have contributed to the development of the field of tsumeshogi.

When Kadowaki Yoshio was hospitalised, the Japanese Tsumeshogi Association raised funds for him, but he refused the money, instead donating all of it back to the association. Thus the Kadowaki Yoshio Prize was established.

Kadowaki Yoshio Prize winners

(TABLE)

Tsumeshogi terms

As explained above, tsumeshogi development took its own turn away from the practical game. As such, it gained a specialised vocabulary with its own unique terms.

Length

Following the system of the Kanju Prize:

Short: Problems of up to 17te. Problems up to 5te are also classified as very short problems. Most tsumeshogi books on the market are of this sort, particularly “single-digit problems” of 9te or fewer.
Medium: Problems between 19te and 49te inclusive.
Long: Problems of 51te and longer.

The exact definitions of these categories may vary from person to person.

Varieties of tsumeshogi

Kyoku-dzume （曲詰） and aburidashi （あぶりだし）: Problems where the arrangement of the pieces on the board draws out a shape or a character. Those where the shape or character appear as the initial diagram are called kyoku-dzume, while those where they appear as the final mating position are called aburidashi (named for a form of invisible ink writing). The name aburidashi comes from 1937, when 18-year-old prodigy Watanabe Susumu composed three problems spelling 「カ」「ミ」「風」 (to commemorate the flight of the 神風号 from Tokyo to London), and Katou Jirou (honorary 9-dan) named the tsumeshogi technique. There are also tsumeshogi problems where the board arrangement occurs in the middle of the solution. Problems where both initial and final positions form shapes or characters are called rittai-kyokudzume. Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu’s composition 「七の字詰め」 is a famous example. Kyoku-dzume are also composed to celebrate an event, especially for shogi players or tsumeshogi composers.
Sougyoku tsumeshogi / “Two king tsumeshogi” （双玉詰将棋）: Problems where semekata also has a king, hence two kings are on the board (sougyoku = two kings). Like in actual shogi, semekata must respond when gyokukata delivers a check. Although Katou Geno’s compositions just after World War II heralded the start of an age of sougyoku problems, the first issue of the Shogi Sekai monthly (October 1937) featured sougyoku problems, and it is unclear when the first actual publication of such a problem was. A notable sougyoku composer today is professional 7-dan Kanki Hiromitsu, with many published problems to his name.
Daidou tsumeshogi / Daidougi （大道詰将棋・大道棋）: These were originally tsumeshogi at roadside stores for customers to attempt to solve for a prize. These problems would seem to be simple at first glance, but an unexpected defence by gyokukata would create difficulties, often requiring a dan-level of ability to solve. Such problems are now generally referred to as daidou tsumeshogi. A large number of them are sougyoku problems. For a majority of the problems, the author is also unknown. Fans of these problems at roadside stores and other places recorded them, and there seem to have been around 3000 problems, of which close to 500 remain today. Many daidougi come from the end of the Taishou era, recorded by Oda Keiho, a strong amateur player (6-dan) who invented the Onigoroshi opening. Besides him, when Masuda Kouzou left home, for a period he lived off the money he made solving daidougi. Today, daidougi are mostly found only in bazaars and such places.
Lance-pawn problems / Gold problems / Silver problems （香歩問題・金問題・銀問題）: These types of problems have all regularly appeared as daidougi. There are a number of series of daidougi with identical starting positions, differing only in the pieces in hand, hence the name of these types of problems.
Kemuri-dzume / “Smoke mate” （煙詰）: Problems where the initial position has all 39 pieces on the board (except semekata’s king), and the final position has the minimum number of pieces needed for mate (3 pieces). The 99th problem in Itou Kanju’s 『将棋図巧』 collection is the first kemuri-dzume composed. Note that for the king to be mated not at the edge of the board, 4 pieces must remain (including the king); this was originally the subject of debate, but today is accepted as a type of kemuri-dzume.

Classification by initial position

Mushikake / “Guileless diagram” （無仕掛け）: Tsumeshogi where semekata has no pieces on the board in the initial position.
Muboubi zushiki / “Defenceless diagram” （無防備図式）: Tsumeshogi where gyokukata has no pieces other than the king on the board in the initial position.
Hadagyoku / “Naked king” （裸玉）: Both mushikake and muboubizushiki at the same time, i.e. there is only the king on the board in the initial position. The 98th problem in Itou Kanju’s 『将棋図巧』 collection is the first such problem composed.
Tanki zushiki / “Lone wolf diagram” （単騎図式）: Tsumeshogi where semekata only has one piece at the start of the problem. Further separated into categories where this piece is on the board, on in hand. If it is in hand, it is necessarily also a mushikake tsumeshogi by definition.
Isshoku zushiki / “Monochrome diagram” （一色図式）: Tsumeshogi where the initial position consists of only one type of piece apart from the king. All copies of these pieces must be on the board for either side and not in either player’s hand. For instance, a problem with a king and two rooks is a “Rook monochrome”.
Nanairo zushiki / “Rainbow diagram” （七色図式）: In the initial position, aside from the king, exactly one of each type of piece (rook/bishop/gold/silver/knight/lance/pawn) is present. Separated into categories where this restriction is only for pieces on the board, or includes semekata’s hand pieces. Another category is where the 7 pieces are on the board, and semekata has further pieces in hand. The promoted silver/knight/lance should not be used unless there is an absolute need for them.
Hikaku zushiki / “Rook-bishop diagram” （飛角図式）: In the initial position, only the king, both rooks and both bishops (can be promoted) are on the board. No restriction on hand pieces.
Oogoma/kogoma zushiki / “Major/minor piece diagram” （大駒図式・小駒図式）: Major-piece tsumeshogi are those with only the king, both rooks, and both bishops (can be promoted) in the initial position including semekata’s hand pieces. Unlike rook-bishop tsumeshogi, there is no restriction that they must all be on the board. Minor-piece tsumeshogi is the converse, where the major pieces are all in gyokukata’s hand. Such minor-piece tsumeshogi were already present in the works of Oohashi Soukei I.
Binbou zushiki / “Pauper diagram” （貧乏図式）: In the initial position, all golds and silvers are in gyokukata’s hand. Promoted silvers/knights/lances/pawns are allowed despite moving like golds, but works without even those are called “ascetic paupers” （清貧図式）.
Nigiri-dzume / “Grab tsume” （握り詰め）: A number of pieces are taken from the piece box at random, and these, along with one king, are all then used to compose a tsumeshogi (pieces on the board + semekata’s hand pieces). Urano Masahiko is particularly good at this.
Toufu-zushiki / “Tofu diagram” （豆腐図式）: In the initial position, only the king, pawns and promoted pawns are present. The name is a play on words, from the promoted pawns (to) and pawns (fu). The first published problem of this type was in 1953 by Kurosaka Takami （黒坂隆身） in Pinwheel 『風ぐるま』.
Uguisu-zushiki / “Songbird diagram” （鶯図式）: The initial position contains only the king, knights, lances and pawns (and promoted variants thereof). The name comes from the pieces used, 「王歩桂香」 = 「オウホケキョ」 sounding like the call of the Japanese bush warbler: 「ホーホケキョ」.
Jissen hatsugata / “Starting array tsume” （実戦初形）: In the initial position, gyokukata has a complete starting array of their pieces in the first three ranks on the board (and possibly more pieces in hand). The first such composition was published in 1981 in the Kobe Shimbun by Naitou Kunio.
Isshu mochigoma / “All of a kind” （一種持ち駒）: In the initial position, semekata’s hand is composed of exactly all of one type of piece (e.g. 4 silvers, or 18 pawns).

Classification by mate delivered

Secchin-dzume / “Lavatory tsume” （雪隠詰）: Tsumeshogi where the king is mated on one of the corners of the board (the 11/91/19/99 squares). Named since the lavatory or outhouse is usually located at the corner of a house. The term is also applicable to practical games (e.g. resulting from anaguma games.)
Miyako-dzume / “Metropole tsume” （都詰）: Tsumeshogi where the king is mated in the centre of the board (the 55 square). Also applicable to practical games.
Sukashi-dzume / “Watermark tsume” （すかし詰）: Tsumeshogi where the king is mated from a distance by a rook, bishop (or promoted variants thereof), or unpromoted lance. This requires all aigoma to be impossible or ineffectual.
Tanki-dzume / “Lone wolf mate” （単騎詰）: In the mating diagram, semekata only has one piece left. Also called “super tsumeshogi” 「スーパー詰将棋」.

Devices

Tsumeshogi, in particular the longer ones, often use and layer the following techniques, called devices.

Ryuuoi / “Dragon chase” （竜追い）: A promoted rook chasing the king. This is a common device used by many long tsumeshogi, started by the problem “Kotobuki” 『寿』 by Itou Kanju.
Mochigoma henkan / “Hand piece conversion” （持ち駒変換）: Exchanging the pieces in hand for other types, by means of discovered check or other methods.
Rentori & hagashi （連取り・はがし）: Reducing the number of gyokukata’s pieces on the board. Taking pieces already in place as a side-effect of a natural sequence is rentori; luring pieces to a specific location to be captured is hagashi. It is common for the latter to be used in conjunction with mochigoma henkan to acquire a piece to lure with. Although this is common in longer problems, it is rarely seen in shorter ones as it would usually be bad technique.
Chie no wa / “Wire puzzle” （知恵の輪）: An invention by the Japanese arithmetician Kurushima Kinai, by means or repeating a long sequence of moves akin to sennichite, the position slowly changes after each repetition to achieve the final result. Aside from Kurushima’s problems “Golden wire puzzle” 「金知恵の輪」 and “Silver wire puzzle” 「銀知恵の輪」, among others the longest tsumeshogi composed “Microcosmos” uses this technique.
Ryuu noko & uma noko / “Dragon saw & horse saw” （龍鋸・馬鋸）: Whereby a promoted rook or promoted bishop repeatedly checks by moving in a zigzag pattern like a sawblade. The more common of the two is a horse saw, the horse moving one square at a time horizontally and vertically.
Komaichi henkan / “Piece displacement” （駒位置変換）: Taking a piece on the board and having gyokukata capture it to place it elsewhere on the board. By this sequence, the original piece has been moved to a different location, often one to which it could not have directly moved.
Chuuai / “Intermediate interposition” （中合）: An aigoma which is placed at some distance from the king, and which affects the subsequent play in a significant way. In problems featuring chuuai, it usually extends the length of the problem, or allows the king to escape. Oohashi Soukei’s “Lance-pawn problem” 「香歩問題」 has a famous silver chuuai. Outside of tsumeshogi, chuuai is also noted as a defensive tesuji.
Idouai / “Moving interposition” （移動合）: A defensive piece which is moved to function as an aigoma. This can arise as a way to maintain an escape route for the king, or also to create complications or lengthen the mate. Sometimes idouai is also necessary to avoid koma-amari mates (mates with semekata having pieces remain in hand).
Jamakoma shoukyo/ “Eliminating in-the-way pieces” （邪魔駒消去）: Removing a friendly piece that is in the way by letting the opposing side take it, clearing the way for a mate. This theme can arise from the problem diagram, or midway through a solution line.
Uchifu-dzume kaihi / “Pawn-drop mate avoidance” （打ち歩詰め回避）: Where a normal sequence would culminate in a pawn-drop mate, avoiding it by playing a different sequence. By displacing defensive pieces or reducing the squares covered by attacking pieces, an escape route can be created for the king, or a defensive piece can be made to capture the dropped pawn. There are also cases where a major piece is deliberately left unpromoted to avoid pawn-drop mate. Furthermore, gyokukata can also apply this theme, using a defence relying on the illegality of a pawn-drop mate.
Uchigae （打ち換え）: Refers to sacrificing a piece on a square then dropping another piece on that same square, and also dropping a piece (of the sacrificed piece’s type) on a different square.
Switchback （スイッチバック）: Refers to a piece on the board moving away from its square, then later returning to the same square. Originates from the vocabulary of western chess problems.
Furisenda / “Disadvantageous drop order” （不利先打）: With two different piece types in hand and both able to be dropped for identical effect, it is typically good to drop the weaker one first, keeping the stronger one in hand; the idea of furisenda is that the correct move is to drop the stronger one first. e.g. dropping a rook where a lance would apparently suffice, or a gold instead of a pawn.

Tsumeshogi specialised vocabulary

Sakui / “Intention” （作意）: The composer’s intended solution sequence. This constitutes the correct answer for a tsumeshogi problem. In the case of a cooked problem, the intention is not a unique correct solution.
Gisakui / “False intention” （偽作意）: A sequence that looks like the intended solution, but actually does not lead to mate. Is a subset of the tries.
Magire / “Try” （紛れ）: A sequence that does not lead to mate. A tsumeshogi with more tries is often harder to solve.
Fukanzensaku / “Cooked problem” （不完全作）: A problem that does not stand as a correct tsumeshogi. This includes problems with no solution, or problems with alternate valid solutions (yo-dzume). As told by Yamaguchi Hitomi （山口瞳）, the director of external relations of the Japan Shogi Association Serizawa Hirobumi （芹沢博文） once received a phone call regarding a cooked problem. Yamaguchi remarked, “It is my view that it is very hard to remove duals from a tsumeshogi.”
Kizu / “Defect” （キズ）: Flaws in a correct tsumeshogi that detract from its value as a composition. For example, duals on the final move, longer mating variations, mating variations of the same length, different mates in the variations, non-unique move options, etc.
Henka / “Variation” （変化）: Move sequences that diverge from the intention by gyokukata making an alternative defensive move. As the number of variations increase, it becomes harder to determine which line is the intention, and the problem also becomes harder to solve.
Yo-dzume / “Duals” （余詰）: Move sequences leading to mate that diverge from the intention by semekata making an alternative move. These could be longer or shorter than the intention. Sequences that lead to mate faster than the intention are called haya-dzume （早詰）. A problem with any duals that are not on the final move is considered cooked.
Saishuute yo-dzume / “Final move duals” （最終手余詰）: On the final move of a variation, when there is more than one mating move, or when there are sequences leading to mate in three or more moves. Although these do not cook a problem unlike regular duals, they are still considered to be flaws.
Henka choutesuu / “Longer mating variations” （変化長手数/変長）: A mating variation longer than the intention. This would normally render a problem cooked; however, an exception is made for variations which are longer than the intention by 2 moves and have excess pieces remaining in hand (koma-amari). Such variations would then be only flaws and not cooks.
Henka doutesuu / “Same-length mating variations” （変化同手数/変同）: A mating variation of equal length to the intention. These are permitted to end in koma-amari, but if they end with no pieces left in hand then they are considered flaws. Note that non-unique move options are not considered to result in same-length mating variations if the content after the option is identical.
Henka betsu-dzume / “Duals in variations” （変化別詰/変別）: Having a dual within a variation. Such duals within variations are not considered cooks, but are still flaws. (Note: specifically, this concerns duals leading to a longer or a non-excess-piece equal mate compared with the intention, occurring within a shorter or a excess-piece mating variation.
Koma-amari / “Excess pieces” （駒余り）: A mate occuring with semekata having pieces still remaining in hand. This was once accepted in the main lines of very old tsumeshogi problems, but today is considered a cook if occurring in the intention. In a correct problem, excess-piece mates only occur within variations. However, they are also allowed in the intended solutions in daidougi as a matter of practice.
Higentei / “Non-unique move options” （非限定）: Options available on a particular move not fundamentally changing the content of the problem. This can include the exact square to drop a long-ranged piece (rook/bishop/lance), the type of aigoma interposition, or the choice to promote or leave a piece unpromoted where it does not make a difference. These are acceptable if the subsequent moves are the same in content, and are considered flaws otherwise.
Mudaai / “Futile interposition” （無駄合）: An aigoma that can be simply captured without fundamentally changing the play following it. These are not considered to be played by gyokukata, to avoid giving semekata excess pieces in hand by the end of the solution.