PAWN (2)

A Pawn-anchored Gold is more solid than a rock.
(Kinzoko no Fu iwa yori katashi.)

Vocabulary: -zoko (soko)=bottom, Å@ no=of, with Å@ iwa=rock, Å@ Å@katashi= be solid

(1)
When your opponent attacks with a promoted Rook, remember that a Pawn-anchored Gold makes a solid guard.

White in hand: P 
  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
+---------------------------+
|wL wN  * wG  *  *  *  *  * |a
| * wK wS  *  *  *  *  *  * |b
| * wP wP  *  *  *  *  *  * |c
|wP wL  * wP  *  *  *  *  * |d
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |e
|bP  * bP  *  *  *  *  *  * |f
| * bP  * bP bS bP  *  *  * |g
| *  * bK bG bG  *  *  *  * |h
|bL bN  *  *  *  *  *  * wR+|i
+---------------------------+
Black in hand: P 
Diagram 1. Up to ... L8d
Diagram 1 shows where White has just dropped a Lance on 8d. Together with the promoted Rook on the bottom row, White aims to attack your King directly. The expected line of moves is: Lx8g, Kx8g, +Rx8i.

Here P*5i is the move Black should play. This is the harder-than-a-rock Pawn, a bulwark against the promoted Rook. 

White in hand: P 
  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
+---------------------------+
|wL wN  * wG  *  *  *  *  * |a
| * wK wS  *  *  *  *  *  * |b
| * wP wP  *  *  *  *  *  * |c
|wP wL  * wP  *  *  *  *  * |d
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |e
|bP  * bP  * bP  *  *  *  * |f
| * bP  * bP  * bP  *  *  * |g
| *  * bK bG bG bS  *  *  * |h
|bL bN  *  *  *  * bP  * wR+|i
+---------------------------+
Black in hand: nothing
Diagram 2. Up to P*4i.
Look at diagram 2. Here you see a Pawn-anchored Silver. In this case White can drop a Pawn on 3h, so it may not seem as solid as a Pawn-anchored Gold. Still, White will need to play Px3i+ and +P-3h in order to get the promoted Rook's path open. In the meantime, you can play some effective moves.

Take note how an anchor Pawn makes sturdy defense in either case.


(2)
Sometimes a Pawn-anchored Gold can be as brittle as a sandcastle.

Diagram 3 shows where Black interposed a Pawn after White's R*3i, which was also anchoring the Gold on 5h. In this case, however, there was a problem.

White in hand: P 
  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
+---------------------------+
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |a
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |b
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |c
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |d
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |e
| *  * bP  *  *  *  *  *  * |f
|bP bP bS bP  *  *  *  *  * |g
| *  * bG  * bG  *  *  *  * |h
|bL bN bK  * bP  * wR  *  * |i
+---------------------------+
Black in hand: nothing
Diagram 3. Up to P*5i.


Moves after Diagram 3:
...     P*5g
G-6h  Rx5i+
White's P*5g reveals where the problem lies. Black cannot respond with Gx5g which will only allow White to play Rx5i+, a fatal fork, so Black has to play G-6h, to which White can reply by promoting his Rook on 5i taking the Pawn. After this, if Black plays K-8h, White will play P-5h+. A happy position for White.

Look at Diagram 3 again. The correct move here is K-8h.

I will show you another dubious anchor Pawn. Look at Diagram 4.

White in hand: L 
  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
+---------------------------+
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |a
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |b
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |c
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |d
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |e
| *  * bP  *  *  *  *  *  * |f
|bP bP  * bP  * bP  *  *  * |g
| *  * bG bS bG  *  *  *  * |h
|bL bN  * bK bP  * wR+ *  * |i
+---------------------------+
Black in hand: nothing
Diagram 4. Up to P*5i.
Black has just dropped a Pawn on 5i after White's +R-3i, check. This was a grievous mistake on Black's part. White will then drop a Lance along the 5th file, L*5e, with which Black cannot cope because he cannot use another Pawn on the same file.

So, in Diagram 4, you should play S-5i, so that you can drop a Pawn in case of L*5e.

Always beware of a Lance drop when you drop an anchor Pawn.

To Top Page