A Tokin on 5c cannot lose.
(Gosan no Tokin ni make wa nashi.)

Vocabulary: go=5, san=3, no=of, on, Tokin=promoted Pawn, ni=be at, make=loss, wa=as for, nashi=no, nothing


(1)

Of all the promoted pieces, Tokin or the promoted Pawn enjoys the greatest increase of power. That you have a promoted Pawn is good, but one around the central area will be especially valuable.

In Diagram 1 you have a Tokin on 5c. How would you play here to hem in White's King? 

White in hand: Nothing
  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
+---------------------------+
| *  *  *  *  *  *  * wN wL |a
| *  *  *  *  *  * wG wK  * |b
| *  *  *  * bP+ * wS wP wP |c
| *  *  *  *  * wP wP  *  * |d
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |e
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |f
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |g
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |h
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |i
+---------------------------+
Black in hand: R B 
Diagram 1.


B*5d
B*5d aims at the Gold on 3b. This is threatmate: Bx3b, Kx3b, G*4c,K2b, R*3b. And there is nothing White can do to escape.

Even if you have only one Pawn in hand in Diagram 1, you can still play a very good move making the most of the Tokin on 5c.

P*4c.

A Pawn on 4c can be promoted on 4b, thereby you can undermine White's defense.

When you attack using the Tokin, all you give up to the opponent is just a plain Pawn. This is really the best policy you can ever dream of.

(2)

White in hand: Nothing 
 9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
+---------------------------+
|wL wN  * wG  *  *  *  *  * |a
| * wK wS  *  *  *  *  *  * |b
|wP wP wP wP bP+ *  *  *  * |c
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |d
| *  * bP bP  *  *  *  *  * |e
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |f
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |g
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |h
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |i
+---------------------------+
Black in hand: R S2 
Diagram 2.
In Diagram 2, Black's Tokin is on a very good square threatening White's Mino castle. What would be the best way to continue your attack?

S*6b

This is threatmate: S*7a, Gx7a, Sx7a=, Kx7a, G*6b...
Even if White responds with Gx6b, +Px6b will be another threatmate.

You could drop a Rook on the 1st or 2nd row in Diagram 1 so that you can continue your attack from +P6b or +Px6c.

With your Tokin sitting dangerously close to his castle, White will find it very hard to cope with your attack.

What if you have only one Pawn in the above Diagram?

P6d    Px6d
P*6c
Your line of attack should be making another Tokin along with the pivotal Tokin on 5c.

Thus, Tokin on 5c is effective either for the Yagura or the Mino castle. Except for the Anaguma (bear-hug) castle, that is. Against Anaguma, the Tokin on 5c seems less disruptive, since the King in Anaguma sits one step farther away, which can seem a lot farther away in the actual game.

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