From: R J Hare FESTIVAL ED AC UK> Date: 14 feb 1993 Subject: Shogi Proverbs Here's my first stab at a list of Shogi proverbs. I got most of them from John Fairbairns booklet `How to Play Shogi' (I hope I'm not infringing copyright, but they *are* proverbs, after all). I have already had contributions from Reijer Grimbergen. If you have others, please contribute and I will periodically update and repost with suitable acknowledgements. In particular, I'd like Japanese language versions with the English where possible, and if any experts can provide notes which illustrate the meaning of the proverb, this is fine though the meaning of many are obvious (even to me!). Roger Hare. _______________________________________________________________________ Shogi Proverbs Oote yori mo shibari Squeeze first, check later Gyoku no mamori wa kin gin sammai Defend the King with three Generals Gyoku hi chikasuberakazu Don't put King and Rook close together Gyoku wa kakusuji o sake yo Don't put the King on the Bishop's diagonal Gyoku no hayanige wa hatte no toku ari Early escape by the King is worth eight moves Igyoku wa sake yo A sitting King is a sitting duck Ichifu senkin A Pawn is worth a thousand golds Fu no nai shoogi wa makeshoogi Without Pawns in hand the game is lost Fuzume ni tsumi ari If there is a mate with a Pawn drop, there is a legal mate as well Shikake wa fu no tsukisute kara Start the fight with a Pawn sacrifice Te no nai shoogi wa hashfi o tsuke If you are stuck for moves, push the edge Pawn Nimaigae nara fu to mo se yo Take two pieces for one even if they are Pawns Tokin no osohaya A Tokin is faster than you think Kinsoko no fu wa iwa yori katashi A Pawn-anchored gold is more solid than a rock Keima no takatobi fu no ejiki The far jumping Knight falls prey to a Pawn San-kei areba tsumanu koto nashi With three Knights in hand, start looking for a mate Kin nashi shoogi ni uke-te nashi Without a gold in hand there is no defence Kin wa todome ni nokose Save a gold for last Oogoma wa chikazukete uke yo Defend against major pieces by drawing them closer Joban wa hisha yori kaku In the opening the Bishop is more important than the Rook Teki no uchitai tokoro e ute Drop where your opponent wants to drop Shuuban wa koma no sondoku yori sokudo In the endgame speed is more important than material Kachishoogi wa oni no gotoshi A won game is like a devil Zokute ni myooshi ga ari A vulgar move may be brilliant Okame hachimoku The bystander has the best view of the game Tsumi yori hisshi Tsume is better than hisshi Exchanging your Rook Pawn gives a four-fold advantage Without Pawns the game is lost A Pawn-anchored Gold is as solid as a Rook Ranging Rook needs a Static Bishop A four piece mating net will always catch its prey Bring the Horse back to camp The stab in the back is the best way to get a Gold in hand 5e is a strategic point In slow games the Bishop is the main performer Watch the files where Pawns can be dropped Two Golds are better line ahead than line abreast Drop the Lance as far backas possible With a Gold on your back rank you can sacrifice the Rook Knights fork Every floating piece leaves a chink in your armour A floating Rook attacks a retreating Rook defends With Bishops off don't move the centre Pawn Checks don't pay Attack with Rook, Bishop, Knight and Silver With a Ranging Rook build a Mino Beware the peeping Bishop Rooks and Bishops need open lines The Silvers are the pivots of attack and defence No Golds - no mate When all else fails,interpose To play a floating Rook hurry with the edge Pawn If the Golds and Silvers go high let the King follow them With Static Rook against Static Rook keep a Gold beside the Bishop Tie the King up A flanKing Silver is the first step to brinkmate Draw the Gold diagonally forward Oppose Bishop with Bishop Silvers before Golds The Dragon belongs in the promotion zone Knights like to be sacrificed Oppose the enemy's right Silver Better a Pawn than a tempo. In the opening move the odd numbered Pawns Drive the King back for an easier mate Against an edge King push the edge Pawn A watchtower Bishop has more scope Brinkmate before mate Lance drop 8f is joseki Help is no defence Keep the King and Rook apart Attack is the best defence The Mino is weak against Knights Use the Silver like a plover A Pawn is worth its weight in Gold Don't run away from a fork Never attack too soon Rooks know how to defend Two Lances are better than one The entering King is safe Sacrifice - the key to mate Drop a Pawn at the focal point Think before you check The wall Silver is bad shape The Bishop's diagonal is difficult to block Think before you retreat A Meijin needs no joseki The Lance's worst enemy is a Pawn Pros don't take pieces When your opponent plays on the right, look left Make your pieces work Common sense is not absolute Make a bolthole for your King Endgames are won on confidence In endgames the King is the main performer The bigger the handicap the bigger the King Fight hardest when you are behind When you have found the best move look for a better one The enemy's vital point is your own Oppose a Reclining Silver with a Pawn or another Reclining Silver Aim at the next good move When there is a floating piece there is always a move Watch the opposing Rook Exchange of pieces is a profit for the weaker player To develop the Silver, sacrifice Pawns Castle befor you fight The Climbing Silver can be beaten The board has 81 squares Attacks grow from seed pieces With Pawns in hand consider an edge attack Kings follow Kings If your pieces cry, so do you In slow games switch the Bishop to the right Amateurs dream, professionals think Watch what the opponent is aiming at Aim at effective pieces Avoid loss of material Defend the head of the Bishop with a Gold Against the Ranging Rook put the King on the second rank Keep the King off the Bishop's diagonal Discovered check has no defence The way forward is often to pull a Gold back A Shogi King's home is his castle Knights and Silvers must always think twice befor promoting The hardest road for the Rook is dead ahead Even Rooks and Bishops can be sacrificed Drop Pawn agains Pawn to recover position The side-stepping Knight foils the best laid plans Drop major pieces at a distance Though a General a Silver is the Rook's lieutenant In the opening don't allow a one-sided exchange of Rook Pawns A Rook on the second rank stops a quick mate Don't fear major pieces in front of their Pawns Three General make the best Royal Bodyguard Before dropping a Knight move it one square back The wrong order of moves is a good way to lose Reversing Gold and Silver is vulgar style The promotion sacrifice is a high-class finesse A Ranging Rook is a good middle game move Pawn strikes cause havoc in the opponent's camp A clumsy Climbing Silver is no threat to the opponent The beginner loves his Rook more than his King Remember Pawns can mate too Opening: tempo; Middle-game: profit; Endgame: speed Oppose a vanguard Silver with a Pawn Suppost a vanguard Pawn with a General Without Golds there is no defence A Horse is worth three Generals Don't answer traps with traps Advance Pawn and Silver side by side A King in front of his Knight is hard to attack A LAnce behind a Rook is twice as sharp A Tokin on the sventh rank is diabolical TaKing the side Pawn is to grasp the nettle A Silver in front of an enemy Knight is joseki A Kingin front of his Pawns is easy meat Bishops and Knights are weak in the head In the fortress don't push the edge Pawn till the Kingis round the corner The all-powerful joining-Pawn attack starts with Pawns in hand The head of a Silver is a vital square Keep balance