Push up the Edge Pawn When Playing the Mino Castle

(Mino-gakoi wa hashifu wo tsuke)


Vocabulary: Mino-gakoi=the Mino-castle, wa=as for, hashi-fu=edge Pawn, wo=no lexical meaning (functional marker designating the case of the preceding noun as objective), tsuke=(imperative) to push

The edge Pawn in the Mino-castle could play a crucial role. When your opponent plays P1d as in Diagram 1, you'd best respond with P1f. Later on the square of 1g will mean a great deal for your King.

White in hand: nothing 
  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
+---------------------------+
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * wL |a
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |b
| *  *  *  *  *  *  * wP  * |c
| *  *  *  *  *  * wP  * wP |d
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |e
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |f
| *  *  *  *  * bP bP bP bP |g
| *  *  *  * bG  * bS bK  * |h
| *  *  *  *  * bG  * bN bL |i
+---------------------------+
Black in hand: nothing
Diagram 1.
Had your opponent's Pawn come to 9e, as in Diagram 2, and if your Gold on 6a were taken, your King will be mated in three moves: S*7a, K-9b, G*8b.

White in hand: nothing
  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
+---------------------------+
|wL wN  * bP+ *  *  *  *  * |a
| * wK wS  *  *  *  *  *  * |b
|wP wP wP  *  *  *  *  *  * |c
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |d
|bP  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |e
| *  * bP  *  *  *  *  *  * |f
| * bP  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |g
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |h
|bL  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |i
+---------------------------+
Black in hand: G S 
Diagram 2.
In Diagram 3, however, Black will need four Generals to mate the King.

White in hand: nothing
  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
+---------------------------+
|wL wN  * bP+ *  *  *  *  * |a
| * wK wS  *  *  *  *  *  * |b
| * wP wP  *  *  *  *  *  * |c
|wP  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |d
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |e
|bP  * bP  *  *  *  *  *  * |f
| * bP  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |g
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |h
|bL  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |i
+---------------------------+
Black in hand: G2 S2 
Diagram 3.

Moves from Diagram 3:
S*7a    K9b
G*9c    Kx9c
S*8b    K9b
Sx9a+   K9c
S8b-    Kx8b
G*9b   (mate)
You should not drop a Gold on 9b as in Diagram 2. The King will then sit on 9c, and you won't be able to check any further.

Compare those two diagrams above and see what a difference an edge Pawn can make when the King is in the Mino-castle. The edge square secured by pushing up a Pawn was worth two Generals in this case.

White in hand: nothing
  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
+---------------------------+
|wL wN  * bP+ *  *  *  *  * |a
| * wK wS  *  *  *  *  *  * |b
| * wP wP  *  *  *  *  *  * |c
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |d
|wP  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |e
| *  * bP  *  *  *  *  *  * |f
|bP bP  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |g
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |h
|bL  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |i
+---------------------------+
Black in hand: G3 S3 
Diagram 4.
What if the edge Pawn was another square ahead (Diagram 4)? In order to mate White's King, you will need as many as six Generals.

Moves from Diagram 4:
S*7a    K-9b
G*9c    Kx9c
S*8b    K-9d
S*8e    Kx8e
G*7e    K-9d    
G*8e    mate
If, after the 5th move in the above, White plays K9b, it will be even quicker: G*9c, Nx9c, Sx9a+, Kx9a, G*8b.

Now I hope I have made it clear that pushing up the edge Pawn, which is a part of the Mino-castle, can earn a lot: each square gained means two Generals.

When you build up the Mino-castle, don't forget to push up the edge Pawn. You won't regret it, especially toward the endgame.


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