From: "'Chapatsu' Rob Uechi" U WASHINGTON EDU> Date: 7 apr 1999 Subject: Re: SHOGI-L Digest - 6 Apr 1999 to 7 Apr 1999 (#1999-73) Hi Randy, long time no see. I looked at your game and put my comments in brackets. StopDate: 06-Apr-99 9:54:26 AM TeaiWari: Hirate BLACK: HiroshimaCarp WHITE: Randy Count----History 1 76Fu(77) 2 34Fu(33) 3 66Fu(67) 4 84Fu(83) 5 77Kaku(88) 6 42Gyoku(51) 7 68Hi(28) 8 62Gin(71) 9 48Gyoku(59) 10 32Gin(31) Preparing the left-side mino castle which is more solid than the boat castle, but takes longer to prepare. [I've never seen this move order of making the left mino before. Usually, you move the king to 32-33b-22k-32s, but this is rarely played anymore because the king on the long diagonal with the opponent's bishop still on it creates bad aji. This idea is interesting because the king could stay on 31 if furibisha doesn't play an anaguma. Another way to get around this is to use a different kind of left mino called the "tenshukaku mino". After the king gets to 32-14p-24p-23k-32s. The disadvantage to this though is that the head of the king is weak. Oh well, I guess there's no castle that's absolutely perfect...There is another way of playing, instead of 32s, 32k and play for a kyusen "quick attack" against the head of the opponent's bishop since the 5th move looked a bit premature, but I really don't know if it can be exploited because after you eventually play 54p-74p, 78s (by black) will transpose into normal lines.] 11 38Gyoku(48) 12 31Gyoku(42) 13 28Gyoku(38) 14 52Kin(61) 15 18Kyo(19) While my opponent prepares anaguma castle, I can complete my own castle. [And he should not only by castling, but carefully considering the placement of his left side silver. After eventually getting it to 67, he can decide later to play 65p-66s, or 56s depending on where you place your bishop. This is furibisha's method of getting some play] 16 33Kaku(22) 17 19Gyoku(28) 18 24Fu(23) 19 28Gin(39) 20 22Gyoku(31) 21 58Kin(69) 22 23Gin(32) 23 38Kin(49) [This is a mistake. The right gold belongs on 39. It only goes to 38 in aifuri "double furibisha" games. The reason | * w+R * * * wP * * * |e |bP * bP * * * * * * |f | * * * * bP bP bP bP bP |g | * * * * * bG bG bS bL |h Black in hand: |bL * * * * * * bN bK |i R B N L P +---------------------------+ White to move. I thought I had the advantage here. I've won silver for lance and promoted my rook which has easy access to the enemy camp. However, my own camp has many places for the enemy rook and bishop to drop. Additionally, I did not have a clue as to the proper plan here. [Yes. The dragon also protects against 55n! With such a big advantage, you could work it slowly and win safely] 54 51Gin(62) Probably B'33 was better to close the dangerously open diagonal as well providing cover for the silver to move to 51 as needed. [This move is good.] 55 84FuUtsu A clever response taking advantage of a bishop drop fork if I carelessly capture this pawn. [Very bad. Playing for a trap and so wasting a vital move. This is what I meant about "cheapos". 61r was a better way of trying to create attacking moves: 42s 86p a better cheapo, because now if 86d? (65d 56n), he can get in 55n and gain counterplay. The main difference is that you can ignore the text, but with the variation given above, it forces you to make a decision, and gives you more chances to go wrong. ] 56 33KakuUtsu [77b is also possible] 57 82HiUtsu During the game, I thought R'81 was stronger, tying the bishop to defense of the silver plus the 2a knight is defended only by the king. [Hard to say. Either way looks pretty bleak...] 58 99KakuNaru(33) Now, I have time to take this piece. [42s is also a good solid move. You can provoke him into attacking you since he doesn't have anything satisfactory. It will most likely result in him exchanging his lance and knight for your silver after which he has no way of continuing.] 59 15KeiUtsu 60 42Gin(51) [14s seems to lead into the idea I proposed in the last comment] 61 41KakuUtsu 62 33Uma(99) "Retreat the uma for defense." "An uma is worth 3 generals." (Japanese proverbs). [For players just getting introduced to shogi, note that "A horse is worth three generals" is in 99% cases merely a hyperbole. If you're going to give up three generals for a horse, you better have a pretty damn good tactical reason for doing so.] 63 23KeiNaru(15) 64 DoGyoku(22) 65 83FuNaru(84) 66 14Fu(13) Aiming for an attack along the 1-file, but with only 1 pawn in hand, it is an ill-conceived idea. [The simplest way of winning was to start an attack from the side with 88d 63b+ 46p! and if 46p (even if he drops 45l, you ignore it and continue with the attack 47p+ 47g [38] 46p) 47p 47g(38) 35n 39s* (what else? 41h 14p or 36s?? 47n+ 47g 38g or 36h 47n+ 47g 22k) 14p 41h 47n+ 47g 35n 48g 47s 49g 38l (48d 48s 38g 32h 32k 39g 49b 38g 38b+ 39g if white is still winning, this continuation will take up more moves) and he can resign.] 67 63KakuNaru(41) 68 65Ryu(85) 69 73To(83) I realized that the 1-file attack is too slow compared to this onrushing tokin. "A tokin is faster than you think." (Japanese proverb) [About as quick as a turtle with broken legs...its hopeless] 70 46Fu(45) Only 1 pawn in hand, but it is enough for this frontal assault. 71 DoFu(47) 72 47FuUtsu 73 DoKin(48) 74 35KeiUtsu The 2 knights in hand play the key role here attacking 47 and 27 from this square. 75 56GinUtsu 76 47KeiNaru(35) 77 DoGin(56) Probably neither player seriously considered variations taking the rook. 78 35KeiUtsu 79 36Uma(63) 80 68Ryu(65) [Compare this position with the variation I gave earlier on move 66. You could have avoided the attack on your dragon, while preping for the 46p attack which ends up much more severe with the rook first on 88] 81 81HiNaru(82) 82 31KyoUtsu Now the back rank is easily defended. 83 26KyoUtsu 84 49GinUtsu 85 39Kin(38) 86 47KeiNaru(35) 87 DoUma(36) 88 38GinUtsu 89 DoKin(39) 90 DoGin=(49) 91 DoUma(47) 92 DoRyu(68) 93 39GinUtsu 94 68Ryu(38) 95 36KeiUtsu 96 47KakuUtsu 97 45KeiUtsu 98 38KinUtsu 99 33KeiNaru(45) It's probably not wise to give me a knight in hand while N'35 is still available to me. 100 DoGin(42) 101 38Gin(39) 102 DoKakuNaru(47) 103 39KinUtsu 104 35KeiUtsu [Multae viae ad Romam ducant. There are many ways of winning. 39h 39s 47n or 28h 28g 39s (39g works just as well). or simply 47n. The text also okay.] 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +---------------------------+ White in hand: |b+Pb+R * * * * wL wN wL |a G S | * * * * * * wG * * |b | * * b+P * wP wG wS wK * |c |wP * * * * * wP wP wP |d | * * * * * * wN * * |e |bP * bP * * bP bN bL * |f | * * * * bP * bP bP bP |g | * * * w+R * * w+BbS bL |h Black in hand: | * * * * * * bG bN bK |i B S Px4 +---------------------------+ Black to move. 105 41KakuUtsu A key defensive move in many variations, but it was absolutely necessary to capture the uma first. After Gx38, +Rx38, S'39, Nx27=, Sx27, the variations are exceedingly complex no matter what move I make here. Black's game is hanging by a thread, but it is really tough to crack it. For example, [Hanging by a thread? That statement isn't justified: 38g 38d 39s* 47b 38s 38b+ 39b 47s wins easily.] +Rx27, B'41, S'38, Bx32+, Lx32, G'28 provides stiff resistance. Sx39=, Gx27, S'38, R'28 (B'28 needs to be examined) Sx28+, Gx28, S'27, Gx27 Sx27+, S'39, G'38, S'28, R'48, Sx38, Rx38+, G'39, B'47, Gx38, Bx38+, is one possibility that seems decisive, but there are so many moves to consider. That the game was decided by a blunder is not a surprise. 106 27Kei=(35) 107 DoGin(28) 108 28KinUtsu 109 Resign Sincerely, Alexei