An attack with four pieces won't fail.

(4mai no seme wa kirenai.)


Vocabulary: mai=piece, seme=attack, wa=as for, kirenai=not run out of steam


How many pieces will you need to continue attacking till the end of the game? Three is not always enough. When you have four attacking pieces including those in hand, your offensive will be strong enough to carry through.

Diagram1 shows where Black, with the anaguma castle guarded by four generals, has begun attacking using the promoted Rook, the promoted Bishop and a Knight. He has a Pawn in hand, but at the moment there is no good place to drop it. Thus, there are only three pieces active on the offensive. It looks like too small an attacking force. How will you convert it into a four-piece attack position?

White in hand: nothing
  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
+---------------------------+
|wL wN  * wG  *  * bR+ *  * |a
| * wK wS wS  *  *  *  * wL |b
| * wP  * wG  *  *  * wP wN |c
| * wB wP wP wP bB+wP  * wP |d
|wP  *  *  *  * bN  *  *  * |e
| *  * bP  * bP  * bP  * bP |f
|bP bP  * bP  * bP  *  *  * |g
|bL bS bG bS  * wP  *  * bL |h
|bK bN bG  *  *  *  * wR  * |i
+---------------------------+
Black in hand: P 
Diagram 1. Up to ....P*4h.
You begin with P5e. If Px5e, then P*5d will add the fourth attacking piece.

Moves thereafter:

.......    P4i+
Px5d   +P5i
P5c+  --->Diagram 2

White in hand: nothing
  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
+---------------------------+
|wL wN  * wG  *  * bR+ *  * |a
| * wK wS wS  *  *  *  * wL |b
| * wP  * wG bP+ *  * wP wN |c
| * wB wP wP  * bB+wP  * wP |d
|wP  *  *  *  * bN  *  *  * |e
| *  * bP  *  *  * bP  * bP |f
|bP bP  * bP  * bP  *  *  * |g
|bL bS bG bS  *  *  *  * bL |h
|bK bN bG  * wP+ *  * wR  * |i
+---------------------------+
Black in hand: P2 
Diagram 2. Up to P-5c+.

Moves from Diagram 2:

.....    +P6i
+Px6c  Sx6b-6c
N5c+  --->Diagram 3

White in hand: P 
  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
+---------------------------+
|wL wN  * wG  *  * bR+ *  * |a
| * wK wS  *  *  *  *  * wL |b
| * wP  * wS bN+ *  * wP wN |c
| * wB wP wP  * bB+wP  * wP |d
|wP  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |e
| *  * bP  *  *  * bP  * bP |f
|bP bP  * bP  * bP  *  *  * |g
|bL bS bG bS  *  *  *  * bL |h
|bK bN bG wP+ *  *  * wR  * |i
+---------------------------+
Black in hand: G P2 
Diagram 3. Up to N-5c+.
In Diagram 3, the position is clearly in Black's favor.

When you approach the King, try to procure four attacking pieces. Then you won't have to worry about running out of steam.


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