Recapture the Vanguard with a Joining Pawn.

(Kurai no dakkai awase no tesuji.)


Vocabulary: kurai=vanguard position, no=of, dakkai=recapturing, awase (noun form of awasu=to join), tesuji=basics

Even if your opponent has managed to get the vanguard position, ask yourself if you can recapture the square.

In Diagram 1, White has managed to drop a Pawn at the head of his Silver on 5e. This is more than a vanguard Pawn. If it works as a foothold from which White drops other pieces, your castle won't be long in breaking apart. You have to do something to prevent that.

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

Moves from Diagram1:
R2f     B3a
P*5g    Px5g+
Sx5g    --->Diagram 2

White in hand: P 
  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
+---------------------------+
|wL wN  *  *  * wK wB wN wL |a
| *  *  *  * wR  * wG  *  * |b
| *  * wP wP  * wG wS wP wP |c
|wP wP  *  *  * wP wP  *  * |d
| *  *  *  * wS  *  * bP  * |e
|bP  * bP bP  *  *  * bR  * |f
| * bP bB bG bS bP bP  * bP |g
| * bK bS  *  *  *  *  *  * |h
|bL bN  * bG  *  *  * bN bL |i
+---------------------------+
Black in hand: P 
Diagram 2. Up to Sx5g.
Before you go about recapturing a square, you need to deploy your pieces so that the square in question will be duly covered. In this case, R2f is the first step. Then you join a Pawn on 5g, thereby moving up your Silver to the crucial spot. Thus, a joining Pawn tesuji helps recapture the square which was taken by the opponent.

Moves from Diagram 2:
.....       P*5f
Sx5f      Sx5f
Rx5f      --->Diagram 3

White in hand: S 
  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
+---------------------------+
|wL wN  *  *  * wK wB wN wL |a
| *  *  *  * wR  * wG  *  * |b
| *  * wP wP  * wG wS wP wP |c
|wP wP  *  *  * wP wP  *  * |d
| *  *  *  *  *  *  * bP  * |e
|bP  * bP bP bR  *  *  *  * |f
| * bP bB bG  * bP bP  * bP |g
| * bK bS  *  *  *  *  *  * |h
|bL bN  * bG  *  *  * bN bL |i
+---------------------------+
Black in hand: S P2 
Diagram 3. Up to Rx5f.
From Diagram 2, White has to drop a Pawn on 5f. Otherwise, Black will drop his own Pawn there, which would only bring White's scheme to naught. Thus, Diagram 3 will be an inevitable position, yet it is already pretty bad for White. A Rook-exchange would give White a major headache because of his awkward castle, since his King sits on quite a vulnerable square.

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