CHAPTER 1: Yagura Section 2: Formation with (b)R on 2i The suzume-zashi, having provoked a variety of countermeasures, found itself in need of revisions so that it could cope with them. First of all, suzume-zashi was characterized as a sure weapon, which enabled your force to penetrate the opponent's camp. An unfailing effect was expected, even if the opponent was prepared for it. Its power was thus overwhelming, it seemed at first. But the effective defenses to it was devised one after another, which called for reviewing of its structure. The suzume-zashi side could no longer depend solely on the hard-hit strategy, but had to play tactfully; e.g., pretend to hit from the front and hit the body, as in kendo (Japanese fencing). Hence, a new version based on suzume-zashi with a spirit of flexibility was devised: R-on-2i type. As was mentioned in the first section, suzume-zashi's archenemy is bo- gin. So, you first assume a formation which can be developed into suzume-zashi, and if the opponent is about to resort to bo-gin, you place your R on 2i. This is the idea. First, we will take a look at the Nakahara(b)-Yonenaga(w) game, which was played on April 26 & 27, 1979, as No.4 game in Mejin-sen. 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +---------------------------+ |wL wN * * * * wK wN wL |a White in hand: nothing | * wR * * * wB wG * * |b | * * wS wP * wG wS wP wP |c |wP * wP * wP wP wP * * |d | * wP * * * * * * bP |e |bP * bP bP bP * bP bP * |f | * bP bS bG * bP bN * * |g Black in hand: nothing | * * bG bB * bS * * * |h |bL bN * bK * * * bR bL |i +---------------------------+ Diagram 1. Nakahara(b) vs Yonenaga(w), up to R-2i. Nakahara(b)'s R-2i was not exactly the first in history, still this game is considered to mark the rudiments of the idea. The game began just like other suzume-zashi games, but placing R on 2i was clearly the beginning of a different thing. Back in the second game of the same Meijin-sen series, Black also took the suzume-zashi position, but White successfully guarded his camp by K-3a through S-2b, against Black's L-1g through R-1h. Taking a lesson from it, Nakahara came back with this new idea. Black aims at the 5th and/or 6th file, where White is less guarded because of his bo-gin positioning. The idea was good, but the moves to realize it were rather awkward and apparently vulnerable, reflecting the undeveloped concept. Moves after Diagram 1:( from White) S-8d; P-6e S-7c; S-6f K-2b; G7h-7g Those moves, S-6f through G7h-7g by Nakahara, caused a sensation at the time. Some cited an old saying "There's no must for meijin"(meijin ni joseki nashi=No joseki for meijin). Indeed the position after those moves would have invited criticism, if it hadn't been made by meijin. But this position became a big hit among top-class players. One player who was benefited most by this formation would be Osamu Nakamura (now 8-dan), who won the shin-jin-oh crown(king of rookie players), and got himself the Osho title from Nakahara. The R-2i was his favorite formation, which presumably matched his own playing style. 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +---------------------------+ White in hand: nothing |wL wN * * * * * wN wL |a | * wR * * * * wG wK * |b |wP * wS wP * wG wS wP wP |c | * * wP wB wP wP wP * * |d | * wP * * * * * * bP |e | * * bP bP bP * bP bP * |f |bP bP bS bG * bP bN * * |g | * * bG bB * bS * * * |h Black in hand: nothing |bL bN bK * * * * bR bL |i +---------------------------+ Diagram 2. Nakamura(b) vs Miyata(w), up to R-2i. Diagram 2 shows where Black placed his R on 2i in the Shin-jin-oh-sen game between Nakamura(b) and Miyata(w), a prototype game, played on 31st October, 1983. See for yourself how White opened fire only to fall prey to Black's trap. Moves after Diagram 2: (from White) P-7e; N-2e,S-2d; P-6e,B-4b; Px7e,P-6d; Px6d,Sx6d; B-4f, P-5e; S-5g,Sx7e; P*7f,P-8f; Px8f,Sx8f; Bx5e,P*6d; Sx8f, Rx8f; P*8g,R-8b; P-4f,... Against White's P-7e, Black countered with N-2e through P-6e. A few moves later Black played S-5g, Nakamura's finesse, which put S, laid up idle in suzume-zashi, onto the center field. While letting White take P on 8f by Sx8f, Black countered by Bx5e (if (w)R-9b, then (b)P*8d), followed by (b)P-4f, which made Black happy. The same position appeared several times after this in different games, but White couldn't make his point in any of them. Hence, those moves cited above became joseki. Unlike the orthodox suzume-zashi, the right S is up and about, which certainly makes a difference. Now let me show you how the R-2i side should play against the bo-gin, the old emeny of suzume-zashi. Diagram 3, below, is from the Nippon Series game between Kunio Yonenaga(b) and Kiyosumi Kiriyama(w), played on June 6th, 1982. 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +---------------------------+ |wL wN * * * * * wN wL |a White in hand: nothing | * wR * * * * wG wK * |b |wP * wS wP * wG wS wP wP |c | * * wP wB wP wP wP * * |d | * wP * * * * * * bP |e | * * bP bP bP * bP bP * |f |bP bP bS bG * bP bN * * |g Black in hand: nothing | * * bG bB * bS * * * |h |bL bN * bK bR * * * bL |i +---------------------------+ Diagram 3. Yonenaga(b) vs Kiriyama(w), up to B-6h. Moves from Diagram 3: (from White) S-8d; P-6e B-4b; S-6f N-7c; P-5e Px5e; Sx5e P-8f; Px8f S-9e; S-5d Gx5d; Rx5d Central field is the place to attack, as Yonenaga did in this game, which brought him a victory by a big margin. Another game in the same vein: a play-off for the meijin challenger, played by Tanigawa(b) and Nakahara(w) on March 24, 1983. Diagram 4 shows where Tanigawa shifted his R from 2i to 5i. 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +---------------------------+ |wL wN * * * * wK wN wL |a | * wR * * * wB wG * * |b White in hand: nothing | * * wS wP * wG wS wP wP |c |wP * wP * wP wP wP * * |d | * wP * * * * * * bP |e |bP * bP bP bP * bP bP * |f | * bP bS bG * bP bN * * |g Black in hand: nothing | * * bG * * bS * * * |h |bL bN bB bK bR * * * bL |i +---------------------------+ Diagram 4. Tanigawa(b) vs Nakahara(w), up to R-5i. Moves from Diagram 4 :(from White) P-7e; Px7e Bx7e; P-5e Px5e; Rx5e B-4b; R-5i S-7d; N-2e S-2d; B-4f P-6d; P*7e Sx7e; P*7f P-8f; Px8f Sx8f; Sx8f Rx8f; P*8g R-8b; S*5a After those moves, if White plays B-5c, Black can counter with the series of moves: Nx1c- through P*5d. Thus, the game was another example to prove that the center-attack worked. Tanigawa won this game, and went on to claim the meijin title. He was just 20 years old when he played this game. This R-on-2i formation is never played now. But why? A clue to the mystery can be found in the following game. Take a look at Diagram 5, from a Mei-sho-sen(now defunct) game, played by Yonenaga(b) and Kato(w) on October 31st, 1984. 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +---------------------------+ |wL wN * * * * * wN wL |a | * wR * * * * wG wK * |b White in hand: nothing | * * wS wP * wG wS wP wP |c |wP * wP wB wP wP wP * * |d | * wP * * * * * * bP |e | * * bP bP bP * bP bP * |f |bP bP bS bG bB bP bN * * |g Black in hand: nothing | * bK bG * * bS * * * |h |bL bN * * * * * bR bL |i +---------------------------+ Diagram 5. Yonenaga(b) vs Kato(w), up to K-8h. The R-2i formation is essentially a passive strategy, in which Black delays his/her plan until he/she sees how the opponent deals with the position. This is exactly what White takes advantage of. White's answer at Diagram 5 is B-4b. You may say it's just a move waisted, but it evades in advance a possible attack on B's head by P-6e, an effective countermeasure against White's offence. This kind of slow move gives Black a headache, because White will then play S-8d if Black does nothing about it. Moves from Diagram 5: (from White) B-4b; P-4f S-8d; N-2e S-2d; P-6e N-7c; After White's B-4b, Black, seeing that P-6e was pointless, played P-4f instead, only to give White enough time to build up the intended foothold: S on 8d and N on 7c. The rest of the game went in favor of Kato, who eventually won the game. What Kato did in the aforementioned game proved that the R-2i formation didn't work when White chose to wait. It functions when Black takes advantage of White's offense, but is not fit for having the initiative. Did White's cautious move, B-4b, become joseki, then? The answer is no. There was a big change in the yagura conception which drowned out a minor adjustment like B-4b. The big-bang in the yagura, as it were, was the idea of immobile Fu(P) on the Rook file. I have to add that the idea of keeping the P unmoved was not exactly novel. But it used to appear in combination with suzume-zashi, so the meaning was different. Now we distinguish the new yagura from the old one, the immobile P on the R file demarcating the boundary line. In the old yagura, P-2f was thought of as an unnecessary move, if Black was about to attack along the first file. The idea came along with the idea of the P-on-2g suzume-zashi. The present view is: P-2f is not necessary because R will come on the third file, which is to be the field to open fire. It took a long time for the present view to replace the old one. The old-style suzume-zashi with P on 2g also fell prey to the bo-gin, and made its exit. Then there was an explosion of the immobile P on the second file, together with the idea of shifting the R on the third file. Takako Noda