Dunno about actual LN because I've heard that they are better and anime tried really hard to cram all the content into 12 episodes.
Anyway I've tried to watch 7 or so episodes of the anime before dropping it. It skips though almost all the matches. And when it actually shows them then mc wins via some stupid asspulls like "muh mystic eyes".
I watched 3-gatsu no lion afterwards and honestly it did a far better job at showcasing world of shogi than this series. Also it actually made me learn how to play this wonderful game.
These two characters have at least one rather arresting aspect about them
Samuel Bell
Parker King
Be rich and make her mom notice you
Austin Gomez
To be clear I am by no means comparing this trashy LN series to the masterpiece that is 3-Gatsu. I just think that it did far better at being a solid sports series than I expected from what was ostensibly a lolibait show. I thought the matches were engaging and the characters entertaining. Ginko and the Cake in particular were solid explorations of what it's like to grapple with your limitations in face of the "shogi aliens" that were around them. I also liked how Yaichi's stress lead to a legitimate breakdown - it gave him a fair amount of dimensionality and connected to my investment in Ginko's story. All that said, the good stuff is strung together by the trashy LN stuff so if you can't find at least a little enjoyment in that it's not for you.
As for differences to the novels, I can only really talk about the first volume as I only just recently found a translation of the second. Overall it's pretty much the same outside of the novels giving even more information about the shogi world - its rules, history, and conventions. The matches are described pretty vividly and enthusiastically but I personally thought the anime flair captured that well.
Caleb Perry
Ginko
Nicholas Jones
a
Matthew Brown
I can't stop thinking about the bath scenes.
Tyler King
based shogi poster. Have some cake!
(Our shogi club played in the park last weekend at a Japanese culture exhibition. Hot-blooded endgames to pounding taiko drums was the absolute best!)
Tyler Hill
The way her bra strap falls gently off her shoulder is driving me wild.
Gavin Walker
We hate stinko
Bentley Bell
Can't tell if more sexy or cute.