From: John Kenney EMBL-HEIDELBERG DE> Date: 11 mar 1993 Subject: Re: Another game from Chicago club Here is my commentary on the latest game submitted by Howard Wachtel UICVM CC UIC EDU>. My comments are indicated by *. All opinions expressed in this e-mail are not necessarily those held by EMBL, the government of Badden-Wurtenburg, the E.C. or anyone else that may even have any opinions at all. Does that cover my liability? ;) John EEEEEE M M BBBBB L John Kenney E MM MM B B L EMBL EEE M M M M BBBBB L Postfach 10.22.09 E M M M B B L 6900 Heidelberg, Germany EEEEEE M M M BBBBB LLLLLL InterNet: "Kenney EMBL-Heidelberg DE" |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Black: Wachtel White: Salvaggione (4-kyu) Chicago Shogi club 2/28/93 1. P7f P8d 2. S6h P3d 3. P6f Unnecessarily passive, Tony said. Another way of avoiding the Bishop trade is 3. S7g. *not necessarily passive, because P6f is a move to make when building *the fortress defence against a static rook attack. I think it is more *a question of move order (which can be important!) 3, ,,, S6b 4. G7h P8e 5. S7g P7d 6. G5h P5d 7. G(5)6g S4b 8. S4h S3c 9. P5f B3a 10. P2f K4b 11. B7i K3b 12. B4f P6d 13. P6e For some reason I thought I could make something out of this pin, but in fact it accomplished very little. *strategic note: black's development seems fine, except that the king *is not castled (shogi proverb: "sitting king is sitting duck") It is important *that unless you have an overwelming attack to protect the king before *starting the middle game (that is engaging in exchanges of material which *opens up lines of attack for the major pieces and drops). Also, the result of *black's attack was to give white a pawn in hand (bad for black). *Also, the bishop at 4f is a good place for it (if you can keep it there) as it *has good open lines (like bearing down on the enemy rook), but it is *susseptible to an attack on its head. 13. ...S7c 14 Px6d Sx6d 15. P'6e S7c 16. G6f ?! Not good, says Tony, beacuse the Gold should stay back as part of the King's castle. For some reason I was worried about the possibilty of the Pawn advance P7d-7e. *Tony is right. You should be attacking over your rook file at his king *and not over the head of your king's castle. If you are thinking of sliding *your rook over to the 6th file (ranging rook) then this is a possible *avenue of attack, but you still must secure your king. 16. ...P4d 17. K6i P4e All right, so my early Bishop deployment was a bit too ambitious. 18. B6h G(6)5b 19. K7i S8d I didn't worry about the possiblity of this Silver coming into 9e, beacuse I thought P9f would chase it back. Instead I should have played 20. P9f! right away. 20. P3f? S9e 21. P9f P8f!(*a) 22. Px8f Sx8f 23. Sx8f Bx8f 24. S'7g B4b 25. P'8g(*b) *(a) Classic Tesugi (combination). One way to confuse the issue and keep pieces out of white's hand (although it ain't pretty, i.e., shape looks bad) *is: *22. S8h Px8g+ 23. Gx8g P'8f 24. G7g and black still (barely) defends *and is threatening the silver on 9e (if it retreats to 8d then Gx9f) but *white can continue to mount pressure by bringing up his knight and/or *launching an edge attack. *(b) result of this series is that white has a silver and 2 pawns in hand with *which to attack while white has nothing in hand, white also has an open rook *file. I still want to make my castle on that side! 25. ...K2b 26. N3g P'6d(*c) 27. Nx4e(*d) S4d *(c) even if black takes the P on 6d the white's bishop can be easily driven *away. However, if white can drawn up black's gold watch out for a pawn *drop on the head of the bishop at 6g. *(d) save this for when the attack is going on the 2nd file - with at least *a pawn at 2e - then when the silver moves to the head of the knight *black can push the 2nd file pawn (and sacrifice the knight) looking to *break into white's castle. But in any case the knight still disrupts *white's castle, black has to jump on white soon before white can repair *the castle. Maybe I shouldn't be in such a hurry to grab pawns. 28. P4f G6c Now White is threatening to pile up on 6e with N8a-7c. But after the text I got into trouble on the 9a-1i diagonal. 29. Px6d(*e) Bx6d 30. P'6e(*f) B7c 31. R2i Sx4e! 32. Px4e S'3h *(e) now black should not take (keep the bishop out!), if 29. P2e Px6e *30. Gx6e G6d 31. Gx6d Bx6d 32. G'6e theatening to drive in on silver at *d4 or if bishop retreats to 7c the pawn push to 2d destroys white's *castle! Even N7c does not help white if black can put pressure *on the 2nd file. *(f) P'6e is a (bad) reflex move, instead black must knock bishop back *(for example to 7c) with the gold then drop a pawn at 6d and after gold *exchange (Gx7d, Gx7d, Bx7d) drop gold at 6c followed by N5c+ causing *disruption of white's pieces. Even if gold exchange is refused then *after white's gold moves away from pawn (6b or 7c) then Gx5d is also *a good penetrating move AFter this my miserable Rook was passive for the rest of the game. 33. R6i If 33 R5i I feared a Knight drop on 4g. White is attacking me without even finishing his castle. *because you have no attacking potential, but white better not make any *miscalculations or his king could be in trouble! 33. ...P'4g 34. S5g B3g+ 35. P4d G3b 36. P3e N7c 37. Px3d P4h+ I overlooked my opponent's threat, but I probably had no defense against it anyway. Maybe I could have tried 38. S'6g +B3f. *Black needs to free up his pieces and generate counter play even at *the cost of material. One way of proceding could be to open up the rook *(6th) file by opposing bishops and advancing the pawn (that is if white *allows it). 38. K8h? +P5h *last ditch effort may be 38. Sx4h +Bx4h 39. B4f hoping to disturb *white with a counter attack on his rook and knight while looking for *possible attacks on c3 (esp. if black gets a knight in hand). But, white *(with careful play) should be able to dodge these threats, but at least *they offer some resistance and counter chances (however slim). Now a major piece falls, but Tony insists that the game is not hopeless yet, beacuse the White King is not well defended. *in fact a defensive move (eg., P'2b) by white would seal black's fate *because black's generals, rook and bishop are not going anywhere fast. 39. R7i S4g+ 40. G(7)6g +Px6h 41. S(5)6h R4b! How can I prevent the invasion on the 4th file? 42. S'4c would only delay it for a move or two. *41. ... R4h is slow and removes pressure from head of black king. *42. P-7e could loosen things up for black's rook and give a faint *hope for black to enter his king. 42. ... Px7e 43. P'7d N-8e *44. S-8f with threat of Rx7e followed by Rx8e or P-8c+ the problem is *that this is far from the white king. 42. S'3e +B3f 43. R3i P'3h Well that didn't work! 44. R4i +Bx3e 45. Rx4g S'4f 46. R4h S3g= 47. R4i N'4f 48. G5g Rx4d 49. P'4g P3i+ 50. Rx3i N3h+ 51. R7i +N4h 52. P4f Perhaps 52. P5e. *52. P-7e is even more attractive now that white's rook and bishop *can no longer support the knight at 7c. 52. ...Sx4f 53. Gx4f +Bx4f 54. S'5g +B4g 55. P5e +N5h 56. S5f +Nx6h 57. Sx6h +Bx5f I didn't think that this sacrifice was necessary. *quicker is 57. ... +B5h followed by R4h+ 58. Gx5f R4g+*(R4h+ direct line on the king is better) 59. G5g +R3h Tony criticized this move, but I though it was reasonable. Now how do I defend 6h--? *59. Px5d opens up the possiblity of good bishop drops attacking the *king or forking golds, also N'4e causes concern, but exact play by *white in both cases avoids real trouble. 60. B'7g ?? *nightmarish bishop drop - time to resign, 60. G'5i defends better Hoping for a discovered check, but overlooking the obvious reply. Now White finishes me off quickly. 60. ...Nx6e 61. B8f Nx5g+ 62. R7h B'6e 63. S'7g +Nx6h 64. Sx6e +Nx7h 65. K9g S'8h 66. K9h Sx8i 67. K9g S'8h Mate