From: Takako Noda JA2 SO-NET OR JP> Date: 30 aug 1997 Subject: "QUEST" Yagura(4) Shagami-yagura, or squatting-yagura As an example of shagami-yagura, I will show you another Nakahara(b)- Yonenaga(w) game, which was played on 29 & 30 March, 1979. 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +---------------------------+ $B!\!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2 (J $B!\ (J |wL wN * * * * wK wN wL |a $B!C (J White in hand: nothing $B!C (J | * wR * * * wB wG wS * |b $B!C (J $B!C (J | * * wS wP * wG * wP wP |c $B!\!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2 (J $B!\ (J |wP * wP * wP wP wP * * |d | * wP * * * * * * bP |e |bP * bP bP bP * bP bP * |f $B!\ (J________________________ $B!\ (J | * bP bS bG * bP bN * bL |g $B!C (J Black in hand: nothing $B!C (J | * * bG * * bS * * bR |h $B!C (J $B!C (J |bL bN bB bK * * * * * |i $B!\!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2 (J $B!\ (J +---------------------------+ Diagram 7. Nakahara(b) vs Yonenaga(b), up to S-2b. Moves from Diagram 7: (from Black) B-5g, P-6d; P-4f, B-5c; S-4g, N-3c; B-6h, K-2a; K-7i, S-6b; R-5h, S-6c; See how the White's king is castled. This is called shagami-yagura, or kikusui-yagura, or Takashima-yagura, and appeared many times in Nakahara- Yonenaga matches, demonstrating how tough it was. Though it is rarely seen these days, this formation can be quite successful in the sense that it allows his own king enough space to avoid fatal threats. Only, you've got to be very careful when you are about to form shagami-yagura, especially the timing of N move. It can be vulnerable, when the N leaping is taken as a cue for an attack. Look at the example below. It was taken from the fifth game of Meijin-sen, played by Habu(b) and Yonenaga(w), on May 30& 31, 1994. 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +---------------------------+ $B!\!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2 (J $B!\ (J | * wN * * * wK * wN wL |a $B!C (J White in hand: nothing $B!C (J |wR * * * * * wG * * |b $B!C (J $B!C (J |wL * * wP wS wG wS wP wP |c $B!\!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2 (J $B!\ (J | * wP wP wB wP wP wP * * |d | * * * * * * * * * |e |wP * bp bP bP bS bP bP * |f $B!\ (J________________________ $B!\ (J |bP bP bN bG * bP bN * bP |g $B!C (J Black in hand: nothing $B!C (J | * wS bG bB * * * wR * |h $B!C (J $B!C (J |bL * bK * * * * * bL |i $B!\!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2!2 (J $B!\ (J +---------------------------+ Diagram 8. Habu(b) vs Yonenaga(w), up to (w) P-9f. The last move on the diagram, (w)P-9f, was made in response to (b)N-7g. Moves from the Diagram 8: (from Black) Px9f, Lx9f; Lx9f, Rx9f; P-6e, B-9g+; L*9i, P*9h; Sx9g, Rx9g+, G-8h, +R-9b; L*9h, +R-7b; B-5g, P-6d; Px6d, L*6a; After those moves, White has something to look forward to, e.g., P-7e through S-6d, which would mark White's success. The problem remains though: once both parties complete their formations, the suzume-zashi side has difficulty to time when to open fire. It might even have a possibility of sen-nichi-te ( literally, a thousand-day move, meaning you keep on getting back to exactly the same phase after a thousand days; a stalemate). In other words, that's exactly why White resorts to suzume-zashi, because even if the game ends up with sen-nichi-te, he/she is guaranteed to play Black in a re-match. What's there to lose? Besides a danger of getting into a stalemate, another factor that made suzume-zashi less popular was White's shagami-yagura, which still makes the Black indecisive how to go about it. Suzume-zashi, however, is very active in other formations like S-4f- or S- 4g-yagura, and still a very powerful weapon in many games. The concept of suzume-zashi will no doubt be succeeded and give rise to many revised strategies in years to come. Every time I think about it, I'm overwhelmed by Kozo Masuda's ingenuity. Takako Noda