From: David Levy INTRSRCH DEMON CO UK> Date: 9 feb 1997 Subject: Re: "QUEST" Tsukata Special (1) Dear Takako Do you know how I can make contact with the International Shogi Popularisation Society? Many thanks, David Levy In message <199702090620.PAA11678 mail ja2 so-net or jp> SHOGI-L techunix technion ac il writes: > Tsukata Special: wonderous new discovery (1) > > Tsukata Special deserves to be called revolutionary, in the sense that > its blitz-attack concept made a strong impact not only on the aigakari > (double wing attack) but also on many other strategies. For instance, > the furi-bisha openings which used to be regarded as rather passive > strategies are now recognized as something that can be quite aggressive > against slow tactics. Thus, offence is considered more important in > today's game theory. The idea behind all this may well have been the > Tsukata Special. > The diagram 1 shows a very early stage of the game, which gives an > impression that the players are yet to decide their openings. But here > already, lurks a possibility of skirmish. > > 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 > +--------------------------------------------+ White in hand: > | wL | wN | | wG | wK | | wS | wN | wL | a +------------------+ > +--------------------------------------------+ | | > | | wR | | wS | | | wG | wB | | b | | > +--------------------------------------------+ +------------------+ > | wP | | wP | | wP | wP | wP | wP | wP | c > +-------------------------------------------- > | | | | wP | | | | | | d > +--------------------------------------------+ > | | wP | | | | | | | | e > +--------------------------------------------+ > | | | | | | | | bR | | f > +--------------------------------------------+ > | bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | bP | | bP | g > +--------------------------------------------+ Black in hand: > | | bB | bG | | | | bS | | | h +------------------+ > +--------------------------------------------+ | P | > | bL | bN | bS | | bK | bG | | bN | bL | i | | > +--------------------------------------------+ +------------------+ > Diagram 1. P-6d. Tsukata(b) vs Nakahara(w) > > After Diagram 1: (from black) > P*2d, Px2d; Rx2d, P-1d; P-7f, P-8f; Px8f, Rx8f; > P-1f, > > To drop P at 2d right after its exchange is a clever move, aiming at, of > course, snatching P on 6d. > > After the above: (from white) > R-8b; P-1e, Px1e: P*1d, P*2c; Rx6d, > > I can never forget the day I witnessed what was going to be called the > Tsukata Special. It was one of the Osho League games, played by Yasuaki > Tsukata and Makoto Nakahara, on August 22, 1986. I was right there next > to them, because I was a record keeper. When I saw Black's P*2d, the > honest reaction on my part was, "Tsukata-sensei doesn't know the joseki!?" > It is not even joseki, but joshiki(obvious reasoning) that snatching P > on 6d through P*2d, Px2d, Rx2d is impossible when S is at 3h, because > White then will respond as P-1d, thereby claiming Black's N by P*2h in > exchange for giving P on 6d. Therefore the Black Silver has to be at 3i. > Tsukata-sensei, however, looked brim with confidence, making P-7f. White > then took a natural course, P-8f, Px8f, Rx8f, instead of S-6c, which > would have met Black's B-7g to refuse P exchange. It was not until I saw > Tsukata-sensei's P-1f that his intention dawned on me. For White's S-6c, > he would attack from the first file as P-1e, Px1e, P*1d. > What the Tsukata Special aims at are 1) snatching a P on 6d, and 2) a > far-wing attack from P-1e. > > Nakahara carefully pulled his R back to 8b, but Tsukata determinedly > proceeded, P-1e, Px1e, P*1d. At White's P*2c, Black made Rx6d. > > Moves afterwords: (from white) > Rx8h+; Rx6b+, Gx6b; Sx8h, > > I was still dazed about those unusual opening moves, when suddenly White > made Rx8h (if (b)Sx8h, then the famous B*8f), giving me another surprise. > It was still before the lunch break. Tsukata-sensei undauntedly made > Rx6b+ and then took R by Sx8h, which left me wondering which side was > leading the game. > (TO BE CONTINUED) > -- David Levy