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# Shogi Game 1 (amateur game, amateur comment): introductory game.
#
# Below you find (the English translation of) an annotated game which was
# published in the Dutch Shogi magazine "81" and in the Dutch beginners
# booklet. It has proven to be a very useful game to explain some basic
# principles of Shogi. Also, it is a rather straight forward game compared
# to professional games where in most cases very diffuse middle game fights
# take place.
#
# Pieter Stouten, 14-th May 1990.
#
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
#
# Black: Michael Trent (1-dan). White: David Murphy (2-dan).
1.P2f P3d 2.P2e B3c
[ This move is necessary, otherwise white can exchange pawns: 3.P2d Px2d
4.Rx2d. He would thus get a pawn in hand and open up his rook file. ]
3.P7f P4d
[ White closes the bishop diagonal again. He plans to play ranging rook
(the rook goes to 5, 4, 3 of 2b; a defensive strategy) and in that case
he*d better avoid an exchange of bishops. One of the reasons is that he
will have problems developing his pieces without leaving holes for
bishop drops. ]
4.S4h R3b 5.P3f S4b 6.K6h K6b
[ In general the rook play an important role in the attacks. It is wise
to move the king away from the area where the initial fights will be
and both players act according to the Shogi proverb "keep the rook and
king apart". ]
7.K7h K7b 8.P5f P5d 9.G4i-5h G4a-5b
[ Both players use their second gold general to build their castle. ]
10.S6h
[ In itself this move is not bad. However, it will become clear that
black plans a quick attack and in that case it is wiser to omit this
move. ]
10... S5c 11.P1f P1d
[ The advance of the edge pawns must be timed very well. The remark at
blacks tenth move applies here too: this move is good if black wants to
play a slow game, because it eleminates a future B1e. ]
12. P4f K8b 13.N3g S7b
[ Black develops his knight in order to start an attack over the second,
third and fourth files. White strengthens his kings position and awaits
the attack. He aims at a counter attack as soon as black has broken
through into the white camp. Probably white*s breakthrough will take
place later, but he has good compensation in the form of a stronger
castle. This theme occurs very often in static rook versus ranging rook
games. ]
14.P4e R4b
[ Black starts his attack and white puts up a very passive defence. His
rook has a hard task now to penetrate the black position. Moreover, he
blocks his own bishop. It seems much better to start a counter attack
with 14... P3e, later to be followed by B2b, B5a or Bx4d in order to
use his rook more actively. ]
15.Px4d Sx4d 16.P*4e S5c
[ 16... Sx4e is more active. A silver general is normally more valuable
than a knight, but white gets two pawns in hand and black none, while
the knight might come in handy for white too. ]
17.Bx3c+ Nx3c 18.P2d Px2d
[ Black threatens to break through and white had to consider taking the
pawn on 2d or starting a counter attack with Nx4e. If he choses the
latter, black can play Px2c+ followed by +P3c. The disadvantage is the
black "tokin" (=promoted pawn) that white will get in his camp; the
advantage is that it will cost black two more moves to promote his
rook. Because white did not trust the result after engaging in a
"semeai" (=mutual attack) with 18... N4e would to give a positive
result, he captured the pawn on 2d. Making the right decision in
moments like this often makes the difference between a win and a loss:
miss one attacking chance and you will be forced to defend the whole
game until the unavoidable defeat; on the other hand, an unsound attack
can destroy all "aji" (=potential, meaning possibilities, threats)
without getting anything in return. ]
19.Rx2d Nx4e 20.Nx4e Rx4e 21.R2a+ P*4g
[ Now it becomes clear why black*s 10.S6h was not good. Had this move
been omitted, then white would not have had the time to play 13... S7b
and after R2a+ the gold on 6a would hang. Thus black would have kept
"sente" (=initiative). Instead of 21... P*4g B*6d is a very good move,
because after 22.P*2h black does not have a pawn in hand anymore and he
is being threatened with the annoying 22... N*4f 23.G5g N3h+ 24.S4g
+N4h also. Black can also counter 21... B*6d with 22.N*3g. White would
then reply with 22... R4b 23.B*3c P*4g 24.Bx4b+ Sx4b. The white rook
has played its role and instead of spending moves on saving it white
starts to scatter black*s defences by successive pawn drops on the
fourth file: 25.Gx4g P*4f 26.G5g N*6e 27.G5h P4g+ 28.Gx4g P*4f. This
analysis was provided by Kato Hifumi, 9-dan professional (the highest
regular grade). Destroying the coherence of the enemy pieces (their
shape) by dropping pawns is one of the most important Shogi techniques.
With the actual move 21... P*4g white missed a good chance. ]
22.Sx4g P*4f 23.B*3g Px4g+ 24.+Rx6a +Px3g
[ 23.B*3g seems pointless, but a closer look reveals that it is actually
quite mean. On move 24 white cannot capture blacks "Ryu" (=dragon
=promoted rook) with his silver: 24... Sx6a 25.N*7d K7b 26.G*8b mate.
By attacking the front of the white castle and threatening to mate him
there, black has the chance to break down the white defences from the
side. ]
25.+Rx5b S*6b
[ Here 25... B*4d would be much better, because it is defensive and
attacking at the same time. After e.g. 26.G*4c Bx9i+ 27.Gx5c black
threatens 28.+Rx7b Kx7b 29.S*6a K8b 30.S*7a Kx7a 31.G*7b mate. White
is one move quicker, however. He has the following beautiful "tsume"
(mating sequence where every move is check): 27... N*8f 28.Px8f S*8g
29.Kx8g B*9h 30.K7h Bx8i+ 31.K8g +b8i-8h 32.K9f L*9e mate. This
illustrates the sharpness of Shogi: one move can make the difference
between winning and losing. ]
26.P*4f Rx4f
[ This move eliminates white*s last chances. 26... R4b 27.+Rx4b Sx4b
28.R*4a seems annoying, but after 28... B*3c 29.S7g B*3b white wins
the rook and with his "tokin" on 3g there still is some hope. ]
27.N*6e +P4g
[ White cannot defend anymore, so he starts a desparate attack. Black
does not lose the right track, however. ]
28.Nx5c+ +Px5h 29.+Nx6b +Px6h 30.Gx6h N*8f 31.Px8f B*6i 32.Gx6i
R4h+ 33.N*6h +Rx6h 34.Gx6h S*8g 35.Kx8g N*9e 36.K7h Resigns
[ White resigns here, because after 36... B*8g 27.K7g his attack has
petered out. ]
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