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Text File | 1991-07-11 | 8.0 KB | 339 lines

COM This lesson is a commentary on an even game written especially for beginners by a leading women professional, Takojima Akiko. Adapted from Chapter 8 of `Shogi for Beginners,' by John Fairbairn. ENDCOM White: Human Black: Human Handicap: Even Level 1 B 1 P7g-7f COM Opens the Bishop's diagonal. This is the most flexible first move, as it allows one to play either a Static Rook or a Ranging Rook opening. Virtually every shogi opening belongs to one of these two major groups. ENDCOM W 1 P8c-8d COM Opens the way for White's Rook. This is the most forceful first move, but it practically commits one to a Static Rook Opening. In the Static Rook, the Rook stays in its original file. ENDCOM B 2 S7i-6h W 2 P3c-3d B 3 P6g-6f COM Black's Bishop was threatened with Bx8h+, so Black blocks the Bishop's diagonal with P-6f. If Black plays Bx2b+, then White develops his Silver in a natural way with Sx2b. ENDCOM W 3 S7a-6b B 4 S6h-6g COM Both player develop their Silvers before their Golds. This is normal. The Silver's zigzag move navigates around Pawns easier, while Golds cover gaps in the back ranks better. ENDCOM W 4 P5c-5d B 5 P9g-9f W 5 G6a-5b COM This prepares a defensive formation or castle called the Boat Castle. ENDCOM B 6 R2h-5h COM In Ranging Rook openings the Rook is moved along the second rank to cover another file, which often gives the name to that variation. Here Black chooses a Central Rook. ENDCOM W 6 K5a-4b B 7 K5i-4h COM When playing a Ranging Rook against a Static Rook, one usually moves his King into a defensive position called the Mino Castle. Black starts to do this now. ENDCOM W 7 K4b-3b COM White's Boat Castle is complete, but this may well transform into a different castle later. ENDCOM B 8 K4h-3h W 8 P1c-1d B 9 P1g-1f COM Note the two 1-pawn pushes. The edge files are important as the Kings are often very close to the edge. Pushing the 1-Pawns gives the King more room to escape. ENDCOM W 9 P9c-9d B 10 K3h-2h W 10 S3a-4b B 11 S3i-3h COM This move finishes the Incomplete Mino castle, using the Silver and Gold nearest the King as his main defenders. The other Gold would have to be on 5h to make the Complete Mino. Most good castles use three generals to defend the King. ENDCOM W 11 P8d-8e B 12 B8h-7g W 12 S4b-3c B 13 P4g-4f W 13 P3d-3e B 14 S3h-4g COM Note that Black's four generals are separated. This is unusual, as if a sudden fight were to break out, he could be in trouble because of drops. ENDCOM W 14 S3c-3d COM White's Silver manoeuvre through 3c and 3d aims at the front of Black's Mino Castle. Though strong against the side, the Mino Castle is weak at the front. ENDCOM B 15 P5g-5f W 15 S6b-5c B 16 R5h-8h COM In Ranging Rook openings one often switches the Rook from file to file to test the opponent's reaction. ENDCOM W 16 P4c-4d B 17 G4i-3h COM Keeping the defending generals together, covering each other but still allowing room is important. This is called `cohesion.' ENDCOM W 17 P4d-4e COM The Silver on 3d exerts power mainly on the 4th file, so White chooses to start the middle game by pushing the 4-Pawn twice. ENDCOM B 18 P4fx4e COM When Pawn meets Pawn is often best to capture. If Black instead plays G-5h, White plays Px4f; Sx4f, P*4e which ruins Black's flimsy castle. ENDCOM W 18 S3dx4e B 19 P*4f COM Black has to play P*4f to forestall a White play here. ENDCOM W 19 S4e-3d B 20 G6i-5h W 20 P6c-6d B 21 G5h-4h COM Black protects his loose (undefended) Gold by moving from 6i to 4h and also strengthens his castle. ENDCOM W 21 B2b-3c B 22 P7f-7e W 22 K3b-2b B 23 R8h-7h W 23 G4a-3b B 24 L9i-9h W 24 G5b-4b B 25 B7g-6h W 25 P2c-2d COM At this point Black has slightly the easier game. ENDCOM B 26 P7e-7d W 26 P7cx7d B 27 R7hx7d W 27 P*7c B 28 R7d-7f COM After exchanging 7-pawns, Black parks his Rook at 7f. A Rook brought up to the fourth rank is called a Floating Rook. It is a common move and powerful in defense. ENDCOM W 28 P2d-2e B 29 N8i-7g COM Moving the Knight behind the Rook like this is a very strong position. ENDCOM W 29 P5d-5e B 30 P5fx5e W 30 B3cx5e B 31 S6g-5f W 31 B5e-3c B 32 P*7d W 32 P7cx7d COM P*7d forces Px7d, otherwise Black breaks in with Px7c+, Nx7c; Rx7c+. ENDCOM B 33 P*5d W 33 S5c-6b COM White cannot capture with the Silver, otherwise Black can win with Rx7d, P*7c; Rx6d, P*6c; Rx5d, P*5c; Rx3d. ENDCOM B 34 R7fx7d W 34 S6b-7c B 35 R7d-7f W 35 S3d-4c COM S-4c attempts to control the dangerous Black Pawn on 5d. ENDCOM B 36 P6f-6e COM P-6e gives White no respite. ENDCOM W 36 S4cx5d COM If White answers Px6e, Black plays Nx6e, which promises P-5c+ next. ENDCOM B 37 P6ex6d COM White gets rid of the troublesome Pawn on 5d, but Px6d creates another just as awkward. ENDCOM W 37 P*6f COM P*6d is a typical shogi counter attack. If Sx6d instead, Black plays R-7a+. ENDCOM B 38 P4f-4e COM If instead Black moves his Silver on 5f, White will march in with P-6g+. The danger for Black is that his Bishop is undefended and hemmed in; P-4e helps it to escape. ENDCOM W 38 P*7e B 39 R7fx7e W 39 P*7d B 40 R7e-7f W 40 P8e-8f COM Seeing that Black Bx3e will cause problems for White, he tries to engineer complications elsewhere. The liberal use of Pawns for such purposes is a common feature of shogi. This is a critical move for White. ENDCOM B 41 P8gx8f W 41 P7d-7e B 42 R7fx7e W 42 R8bx8f COM The point of White's counterplay is to bring his Rook into action. But though his Rook is now almost certain to promote, Black can put even more pressure on White. ENDCOM B 43 B6hx3e W 43 P*8d COM White could prevent Black B-7a+ by playing P*5c instead, but then Black can play R-8e and force an exchange of Rooks. The point of P*8d is to stop the exchange. ENDCOM B 44 B3e-7a+ W 44 P*7d B 45 +B7ax8a COM The drawback of White P*8d is that allows Black +Bx8a as the Rook no longer defends this point. ENDCOM W 45 S5d-4c B 46 R7e-6e W 46 R8f-8h+ COM This gives White a foothold in the enemy camp, but the cohesion of Black's pieces around his King is almost perfect. Black still has time to further his attack. ENDCOM B 47 P4e-4d W 47 B3cx4d COM White has to play Bx4d and not Sx4d because of Black's Knight in hand. If White Sx4d, then Black N*3d forks the King and the Gold. ENDCOM B 48 S5f-4e W 48 P2e-2f COM White chooses to ignore the threat Black S-4e poses to his Bishop and tries to snatch a lead in the mating race by attacking the head of the King with P-2f. ENDCOM B 49 P2gx2f COM Taking the Pawn instead of the Bishop is natural in shogi. The gain of a Bishop for a Silver would be outweighed by loss of cohesion White Px2g+ would impose on Black's castle. ENDCOM W 49 P*2g B 50 K2hx2g W 50 +R8hx9h COM This move is away from the main action, but White needs pieces in hand. Often a fight will take place in one part of the board just so a player can get a piece in hand to use in another fight elsewhere. ENDCOM B 51 P3g-3f COM This move prevents a future White N*3e. Now Black can use his Knight in hand with worrying about where it might be dropped after White captures it. ENDCOM W 51 P6f-6g+ B 52 S4ex4d W 52 S4cx4d B 53 N*3d COM This Knight drop is the most critical move of the game. ENDCOM W 53 K2b-3c B 54 N3dx4b+ W 54 G3bx4b B 55 +B8a-5d W 55 L*2c COM If White instead defends with S*4c, Black can win with B*2d, Kx2d; R-2e, K-3c; G*2c, K-3d; G-2d mate. ENDCOM B 56 +B5dx4d W 56 K3cx4d B 57 B*5e W 57 K4d-4c COM K-3d instead loses to G*4d, K-2d; B-4f. If S*5d instead, then Kx5d is mated by G*4d. ENDCOM B 58 S*5d W 58 K4c-3b B 59 G*2b W 59 K3b-4a B 60 G2bx2c COM This is a professional move: it eliminates the last shred of danger to Black's King. ENDCOM W 60 B*5i B 61 P*4c W 61 +P6g-5g B 62 P4cx4b+ W 62 K4ax4b B 63 L*4c W 63 K4b-5a B 64 G*5b W 64 K5ax5b B 65 P6d-6c+ COM White resigns after this move. ENDCOM W 65 K5b-6a COM No matter where the White King flees he is doomed. ENDCOM B 66 +P6cx7c W 66 K6a-7a B 67 S*7b COM Checkmate. ENDCOM COM \