Shogi Blog

Side Pawn picker

Shogi game explained.

(Text moves) 1.P7f 2.P3d 3.P2f 4.P8d 5.P2e 6.P8e 7.G7h 8.G3b

(Text moves) 9.P2d 10.Px2d 11.Rx2d 12.P8f 13.Px8f 14.Rx8f 15.Rx3d 16.B3c

Side Pawn Picker opening

(Text moves) 17.R3f 18.S2b 19.P*8g 20.R8e 21.R2f 22.K4a

20.R8e: it hasn’t been played well these days among professional players.

(Text moves) 23.K6h 24.S6b 25.S3h 26.G5a 27.P3f 28.P7d

both sides develop pieces.

(Text moves) 29.N3g 30.N7c 31.P4f 32.R5e

32.R5e: dynamic move. if Black plays 33.Bx5e, White will play 34.Bx5e and then 35.N7g 36.P7e(35.S8h 36.B*4d) other candidate moves for Black are 32.P*8f and 32.P7e.

(Text moves) 33.P4e 34.R5d 35.Bx3c+ 36.Nx3c

33.P4e: threatens N2e. 33.G5h is possible.

(Text moves) 37.P6f 38.P7e

37.P6f: it prevents N6e and defends diagonal for White to put the Bishop in hand at some point.

(Text moves) 39.B*8c 40.Nx4e 41.Nx4e 42.B*4f

(Text moves) 43.G6g 44.Bx1i+ 45.P*2c 46.Sx2c

43.G6g: 43.G5h is possible.

46.Sx2c: 46.S3a is better.

(Text moves) 47.Rx2c+ 48.Gx2c 49.N*3e 50.G2b

47.Rx2c+: it’s a chance to attack White because Black King is secure temporarily and the promoted Bishop on 1i is kind of out of play.

(Text moves) 51.Nx4c+ 52.P*4b 53.P*2c 54.Px4c

53.P*2c: pawn tactic. White can’t play 56.Gx2c because of 57.S*3b. White also can’t play 56.G2a because of 57.N3c.

(Text moves) 55.Px2b+ 56.+B5e 57.P*4d 58.+Bx4d

57.P*4d: good move.

(Text moves) 59.S*3c 60.K5b 61.+P3b 62.L*4a

59.S*3c: attacks the promoted Bishop on 4d and threatens +p3b K5b G*4b.

(Text moves) 63.Sx4d+ 64.Rx4d 65.N3c+ 66.R*8a

65.N3c+: threatens B*6a Gx6a G*4b

(Text moves) 67.B7b+ 68.R4d-8d 69.+Px4a 70.Gx4a

67.B7b+: attacking from both sides is very strong.

(Text moves) 71.+Bx8a 72.Rx8a 73.G*7b 74.S*6a

74.S*6a: White deserts the Rook.

(Text moves) 75.R*2b 76.N*4b 77.Gx8a

77.Gx8a: there is no hope for White

(Text moves) 78.B*9e 79.K7h resign

Side Pawn Picker

Shogi game explained

(Text moves) 1.P7f 2.P3d 3.P2f 4.P8d 5.P2e 6.P8e 7.G7h 8.G3b

(Text moves) 9.P2d 10.Px2d 11.Rx2d 12.P8f 13.Px8f 14.Rx8f 15.Rx3d

Side Pawn Picker opening

(Text moves) 16.B3c 17.R3f 18.R8d 19.R2f 20.S2b 21.P*8g 22.K4a

22.K4a: it’s perfectly playable but it hasn’t been played these days among professional Shogi players.

(Text moves) 23.K5h 24.S6b 25.G3h 26.P5d 27.S4h 28.P5e

23.K5h 25.G3h 27S4h: Black develops Central House.

26.P5d 28.P5e: White makes use of the position of 4a-King. pushing 5 file’s pawn isn’t good for White if the White king is on 5b.

(Text moves) 29.S6h 30.B4d 31.R2h 32.G5a

30.B4d: White asks Black “you wanna use your Rook forward or sideways?”

32.G5a: White develops Nakahara Castle.

(Text moves) 33.B6f 34.R5d 35.P3f 36.N3c

33.B6f: other options for Black are 33.P3f, 33.P4f and 33.S7g.

36.N3c: Whites adds an attacker but has to be careful with 3c-Knight’s head

(Text moves) 37.P4f 38.P7d 39.S4g 40.P*2f

37.P4f 39.S4g: good defensive moves for Black.

40.P*2f: blocks 2h-Rook

(Text moves) 41.N3g 42.S7c 43.P4e 44.B6b

42.S7c: tries to strengthen control of the center. White wants to play S6d and N7c.

43.P4e: Black’s position is already developed well and Black wants to attack before White’s position is complete.

(Text moves) 45.P3e 46.Bx3e 47.P4d 48.S2c

45.P3e 47.P4f: great Pawn tactic. it’s not something you often see. if 48.Rx4d, 49.P*3f 50.B2d 51.P*2e. if 48.Bx4d, 49.P*3d. if 48.Px4d, 49.P*3f 50.B2d 51.P*2e.

48.S2c: guards 3d-square.

(Text moves) 49.P*2b 50.Bx4d 51.P2a+ 52.S6d

49.P*2b: a nice pawn tactic. if White plays 50.Gx2b, Black will play 51.Px4c+. Black doesn’t want to play 49.Px4c+ 50.Gx4c because it allows white to play P*4f at some point.

(Text moves) 53.+Px1a 54.N7c 55.R2i 56.P*3f

53.+Px1a: Black wins material with pawn tactic only. Black’s position is intact and there’s no compensation for White.

55.R2i: guards on the back rank. 55.+P2a and 55.K6i are possible.

56.P*3f: White starts attacking. 56.S3d is possible.

(Text moves) 57.Sx3f 58.P5f 59.Bx4d 60.Px4d

58.P5f: activate White’s Rook and Bishop at the same time. if 59.Px5f, 60.Rx5f.

(Text moves) 61.G4g 62.Px5g+ 63.Sx5g 64.N6e

61.G47: strengthen on the 5-file.

64.N6e: the Rook on 5d pins the silver on 5g and King on 5h. Black can’t play 71.S5f because of 72.B*3h

(Text moves) 65.P*5e 66.Sx5e 67.P*5f 68.Nx5g+ 69.Kx5g 70.Sx5f

65.P*5e 67.P*5f: Black tries to gain time but it’s fear to let the Silver on 6d comes closer to the Black King.

70.Sx5f: 70.S6d would be better.

(Text moves) 71.Gx5f 72.B*3h 73.L*5e 74.Rx5e 75.Gx5e 76.Bx2i+

72.B*3h: attacks the Rook on 2i and the Gold on 5f.

73.L*5e: counter-attack move. 73.B4g doesn’t work because 74.Bx2i+ 75.Bx2i 76.R*5i. if Black plays 73.P*5e, White would play 74.Bx2i+ and then 75,Px5d 76.R*5i

(Text moves) 77.N5*c 78.K4b 79.B*7c 80.L*6b

79.B*7c: threatens Bx5a+ Kx5a R*7a

(Text moves) 81.Bx6b+ 82.+B3i 83.K6h 84.S*5g 85.K7g 86.S6f 87.K8h resign

81.Bx6b+: White can’t play 82.Gx6b because 83.R*4a 84.K5b 85.S*6a 86.Gx6a 87.Rx6a+ 88.K4c 89.G*5d 90.K3d 91.G5d-x4d 92.K2d 93.P*2e

82.+B3i: White has no defensive move anymore.

86.S6f: if Black plays 87.Px6f, White would play 88.R*5c

Shogi Castles

shogi castles are defensive structures of pieces that protect the king. castles are paired with what opening you play. if you develop Boat Castle against Statick Rook, you may lose easily because Boat Castle is weak against a frontal attack.

Boat Castle

used against Ranging Rook.

pros: easy to develop. the golds and silvers are connected well.

cons: weak against a frontal attack. it’s not far from attack.

elmo castle

used against Ranging Rook

pros: easy to develop. the structure of 6h-Silver and 7i-Gold is strong.

cons: weak against a frontal attack. it’s hard to more develop.

Left Mino

often used against Ranging Rook

pros: strong against side attack. it can be more developed.

cons: when the Bishop is gone, the king’s diagonal open. the king and Bishop can be attacked at the same time.

Silver Crown

often used against Ranging Rook

pros: strong overall.

cons: takes time to develop. the bishop tends to be passive. the king and bishop can be attacked at the same time.

Millennium

used against Ranging Rook

pros: strong and far from attack. the Knight can be an attacker.

cons: takes time to develop. the Knight can be attacked.

Half Mino

used in Ranging Rook vs. static rook games and Double Ranging Rook games.

pros: easy to develop. it can be more developed.

cons: not strong overall.

Mino Castle

used in Ranging Rook vs. static rook games and Double Ranging Rook games.

pros: easy to develop. strong against side attack. it can be more developed.

cons: not strong against a frontal attack. weak against the edge attack.

High Mino

used in Ranging Rook vs. static rook games and Double Ranging Rook games.

pros: strong overall. it can be more developed. 2i-Knight can be an attacker.

cons: it’s not strong against side attack compared to Mino castle. 4g-Gold tends to be a target.

Silver Crown

often used in Ranging Rook vs. static rook games.

pros: strong against a frontal attack. the Knight can be an attacker.

cons: it takes time to develop. it’s not strong against side attack compared to High Mino.

Kimura Mino

often used in Ranging Rook vs. static rook games.

pros: easy to develop. the Knight can be an attacker.

cons: not strong overall. 4g-Silver tends to be a target.

Anaguma

often used in Ranging Rook vs. static rook games.

pros: very strong and far from attack. it can be more developed.

cons: takes time to develop. weak against the edge attack. the King has no space.

Central House

used in Double Static Rook games.

pros: easy to develop. the King has space.

cons: not strong overall. weak on the back rank against Rooks.

Grab Castle

used in Double Static Rook games.

pros: easy to develop. it can be more developed.

cons: not strong overall. the King gets check easily with Rooks.

Gangi Castle

used in Double Static Rook games.

pros: easy to develop. the King has space.

cons: not strong overall.

Yagura

often used in Double Static Rook games.

pros: hard to break down with a frontal attack. it can be more developed.

cons: weak against side attack.