Don't run from a fork. (Ryo-dori nigeru bekarazu)

vocabulary: ryo-dori=fork, nigeru=run, bekarazu=don't

When two of your pieces are attacked by one enemy piece with the same move, you cannot save both. This is not an uncommon situation when you play a quick attack opening like Yokofu-dori. The idea conveyed in the above proverb is: Don't just think of rescuing one of the threatened pieces, but consider the position in a positive light.

Look at Diagram 1. This is one of the possible positions you might run into when playing Yokofu-dori.

White in hand: R P3 
  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
+---------------------------+
|wL wN wS wG wK  *  * wN wL |a
| *  *  *  *  *  * wG  *  * |b
|wP  * wP wP wP wP wS  * wP |c
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |d
| *  *  *  * wB  *  *  *  * |e
| *  *  *  *  *  * bP  *  * |f
|bP  *  * bP bP bP  *  * bP |g
| *  * bG  *  *  *  * bS  * |h
|bL bN bS  * bK bG  * bN bL |i
+---------------------------+
Black in hand: R B P3 
Diagram 1. Up to (w)B*5e
You are Black. Your next move is?
G-3h? No, you'll lose a Lance on 9i.
S-8h? No, you'll lose a Silver on 2h.
P*8b. Yes, that's the only way to put the proverb to good use.

The most likely moves thereafter would be:

... Bx2h+
Px8a+ S-6b
P*7b (Diagram 2)

White in hand: R S P3 
  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
+---------------------------+
|wL bP+ * wG wK  *  * wN wL |a
| *  * bP wS  *  * wG  *  * |b
|wP  * wP wP wP wP wS  * wP |c
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |d
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |e
| *  *  *  *  *  * bP  *  * |f
|bP  *  * bP bP bP  *  * bP |g
| *  * bG  *  *  *  * wB+ * |h
|bL bN bS  * bK bG  * bN bL |i
+---------------------------+
Black in hand: R B N P 
Diagram 2. Up to (B)P*7b.
Here the position is even.
When in ryo-dori, the obvious first choice should be saving one of the pieces, which is often the right move. But sometimes you may come up with a better idea. This is what the proverb is teaching.

Now let me show you how the idea was applied in a real game. Look at Diagram 3. White just dropped a Bishop on 3i, forking a Rook and a Gold. R-2f will be out of the question because it would only allow the Bishop to take a Gold and and promote on 6f. Worse yet, it is ote(mate). R*4h would rescue both pieces indeed, but it would only make White gloat knowing you can't attack with a meager paratroop.

White in hand: S P2 
  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
+---------------------------+
|wL wN  *  *  *  * wK wN wL |a
| *  *  *  * wG  * wG  *  * |b
| *  *  * wS wP  * wS wP wP |c
|wP  *  *  *  * wP  *  *  * |d
| *  *  *  *  *  * bS bP  * |e
|bP bG  * bG bP  *  *  *  * |f
| *  *  *  *  * bP  *  * bP |g
| * bK  * bB  *  *  * bR  * |h
|bL bN  *  *  *  * wB bN bL |i
+---------------------------+
Black in hand: R P6 
Diagram 3. Up to (w)B*3i

Moves from Diagram 3:
R*7a   S*4a
P*3d   S-2b  (Diagram 4)

White in hand: P2 
  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
+---------------------------+
|wL wN bR  *  * wS wK wN wL |a
| *  *  *  * wG  * wG wS  * |b
| *  *  * wS wP  *  * wP wP |c
|wP  *  *  *  * wP bP  *  * |d
| *  *  *  *  *  * bS bP  * |e
|bP bG  * bG bP  *  *  *  * |f
| *  *  *  *  * bP  *  * bP |g
| * bK  * bB  *  *  * bR  * |h
|bL bN  *  *  *  * wB bN bL |i
+---------------------------+
Black in hand: P5 
Diagram 4. Up to (w)S-2b.
Black didn't run from a fork, but went on to attack. White's idea was to maintain material advantage, so he tried to steer toward a long and slow game...

Moves from Diagram 4:
P*6d   S-5d
P-5e   Bx2h+
Px5d  (Diagram 5)

White in hand: R P2 
  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
+---------------------------+
|wL wN bR  *  * wS wK wN wL |a
| *  *  *  * wG  * wG wS  * |b
| *  *  *  * wP  *  * wP wP |c
|wP  *  * bP bP wP bP  *  * |d
| *  *  *  *  *  * bS bP  * |e
|bP bG  * bG  *  *  *  *  * |f
| *  *  *  *  * bP  *  * bP |g
| * bK  * bB  *  *  * wB+ * |h
|bL bN  *  *  *  *  * bN bL |i
+---------------------------+
Black in hand: S P4 
Diagram 5. Up to (b)px5d.
In response to the third move, P-5e, White didn't play S-4c. If he had, Black's R-2f would have been just the right defense. If White had played Bx6f+, Black would have responded with B-7g, which would make a great difference compared with a position where Black played R-2f in the first place.

Diagram 5 shows both parties in equilibrium. Compare it with Diagram 3 where Black's Rook and Gold are forked, which you might well consider a crisis. Black played deftly, put the proverb into practice and got himself out of trouble.


Tidbits from the Shogi World (1)

According to the recent issue of Shukan Shogi, a weekly shogi journal, Meijin Satoh made an unprecedented request when he and Habu, Osho, were doing the ceremonial pre-game inspection. They were supposed to check the koma pieces and the board to be used as well as the room, lighting, ornaments, etc. Satoh asked the hanging scroll to be replaced with something else. A hanging scroll contains, usually, a picture or calligraphy, which is put up at the tokonoma, a small decorative alcove. Now what was on the scroll in question?

a) A painting in gold which would dazzle Satoh's eyes when sitting opposite it.
b) A fierce-looking tiger glaring at anyone who sits opposite it.
c) The handwriting which could be read as "Three cheers for Habu".

Answer? Click here.

******************************************************************
A Bit on the Linguistic Side

Ryo-dori and Yokofu-dori---euphonic sound change

What does -dori mean, you might ask. It is the same as "tori" or capturing, but "dori" never comes at the head of the word. This may be one of the causes for trepidation for a would-be Japanese learner. Sometimes the head consonant of a word changes its sound after another word. For instance, ranging Rook is furi-Bisha instead of furi-Hisha. Static Rook i-Bisha. One Pawn (Fu) is pronounced as ippu instead of ichi-Fu.

As you already know, it is forbidden to mate with a Pawn drop. What does the rule forbid? Fu-zume, not Fu-tsume. Intriguing, isn't it? The whole system of euphonic changes is far from being neat. Suffice it to say, "tsu" and "zu" are perceived as similar sounds to the Japanese ears, like "hi" and "bi". Another example: hito is "a person". Hito-bito is? Yes, people.

Don't let this "bit" "hit" you too hard.


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