From: John Kenney EMBL-HEIDELBERG DE> Date: 5 feb 1993 Subject: comments on interesting game I played through most of the interesting game that Howard Wachtel sent in from the Chicago Shogi club. What's great news (to me), that is that there is a Shogi club in Chicago. Does anyone know of a Shogi club in Berkley and in Santa Barabara (I have brothers who play there). I have made comments on the game up to move 56. I am only 3 kyu so if other players would care to comment please do so - I could easily be wrong or have missed something. I think that occasionally commenting amature games would be a good addition to the discussion on the list. We would be able to analyze positions and mistakes which are familiar to us all! >Black: Salvaggione White: Rockwell Chicago Shogi club 1/24/93 The opening is a dangerous one requiring strong nerves: double static rook with bishops off. It is dangerous because from the beginning of the game both players have a powerful piece in hand which can be dropped at any moment to disturb the King before or during castling, or to help generate a breakthrough, or even just promote the Bishop and start causing general havoc in the back ranks. This threat overshadows all plans and inhibits free movement. Notes are lettered. >1. P2f P3d 2. P2e B3c 3. P7f S2b 4. S4h P8d 5. Bx3c+ Sx3c 6. S8h S6b >7. S7g G3b 8. G7h P5d 9. P5f K4a 10. K6i K3a 11. K7i K2b 12. K8h P4d >13. P6f P7d 14. G5h P6d 15. P3f P4e[A] 16. G(5)6g[B] S5c 17. P1f[C] S(5)4d 18. >S5g[D] G5b 19. P9f G(5)4c 20. P1e N7c 21. B'4a B'8c[E] 22. B6c+ N8e 23. S(7)6h >G5c 24. +B7c R8a 25. P8d P7e 26. +Bx8c[F] Rx8c 27. Px8e Px8e 28. B'6a R8d >29. B7b+ P6e 30. +B7c B'8b 31. +Bx8d Bx2b+ 32. +Bx7e +Bx1i 33. Px6e >G(5)4c 34. P'8g +Bx2i[*] 35. R'8a P2d[G] 36. +Bx8e[H] Px2e 37. R8b+ G(4)4b [A] Open to a knight attack: 16 N-3g attacking the P on 3e which can only be defended by S-4d which breaks up the castle (if N is allowed to take the pawn it is safe so long as White does not get a pawn in hand and it helps to support the Rook attack.) [B] Invites a questionable Bishop drop (which I would make because I like excitement) 16 ... B'5h whose promotion can not be stopped but is liable to attack by Black's Gold: G(6)-6h-5i-5j in the meantime White's P-7e disrupts the Black's castle. Like I said, the Bishop drop is questionable. [C] Slow attack, probably better is 17. B'6c the promotion is hard to stop although the Bishop could be contained. [D] 18. B'6c is even better looking now and could not be contained! [E] Weak drop - does not stop Black's Bishop from promoting and White's is not in a strong position. White would be better better off to drop the Bishop so that it could be promoted. [F] Bad exchange: Black's promoted Bishop in White's camp is worth much more than White's unpromoted one. [G] Wishing to generate excape route White instead breaks up his own castle. [*] Shogi proverb: "A promoted Bishop is worth three Generals in defence", but not it is not near the King! White could realy use the +B in defence just now. [H] Black's Bishop is a lot more dangerous than it looks - ready to slice into the side of White's castle! > Now the attack begins. >38. N'6d +B2h 39. P4f Px4f 40. N5b+[I] P4g+ 41. +Nx4b +Bx8b 42. +Nx3b Kx3b >43. P'2d[J] Sx2d 44. S6f S(2)3c 45. P'2d[J] Sx2d 46. +B5b S(2)3c 47. G'4c K2b >48. +B4a L'2c 49. G'3b K1b 50. G(4)x3c[K] Sx3c 51. +B3a G'2b 52. Gx2b Sx2b >53. +Bx2a Kx2a 54. S'4a G'3a 55. N'3c Sx3c 56. G'4c S2b[L] [I] Going for the attack (great!) loses promoted major piece, but blows apart White's castle. [J] Nice, light pawn drops which draw the defending Silver out of the castle and cutoff the excape route. [K] The series of exchanges throws away Black's "agi" (potential). Better is to squeeze white: like, 49.G-3b (keeping the gold in hand) K1b 50. +B-3a with 2 threats of mate - difficult to stop. [L] Blaxck's attack has petered out. White should be safe. He needs to generate an attack, though. I have not looked past this point, but I am very suprized that White lost. Ah, that is the beauty of Shogi. > Now that White has an army of pieces to defend himself with, I thought >he would easily beat back Black's attack. But Black has other ideas. >57. S5b+ R'7b 58. G(6)7g +B7c 59. S7e +B6c 60. +S5c +B4a 61. P6d N'5a >62. G5b Rx5b 63. P6c+ R9b 64. +P6b B'4d 65. +Px5a +Bx5a 66. N'4c Bx5c >67. Nx5a+ S'4b 68. B'8a Sx5a 69. Bx5d+ G'3b 70. +Bx5c S4b 71. +B5d S(2)3c >72. S8d R5b 73. P5e P'5f 74. B'7d Rx5d 75. Px5d P5g+ 76. S7i P'6f 77. Gx6f >+P(4)5h 78. B5b+ +P6i 79. P'4c +Px7i 80. Gx7i Gx4c 81. G7h P'6g 82. P'6i >N'5f 83. Gx5f +Px5f 84. R'6a R'4h 85. N'5c N'6f 86. K9g Rx7h+ 87. N4a+ >P'5a 88. +Nx3a K1b 89. +Bx4b Gx4b 90. S'2a K2b 91. G'3b Gx3b 92. +Nx3b MATE