Category: Annotated Shogi Games

(Text moves) 1.S6b 2.P7f 3.P5f 4.P4f 5.S5c 6.P4e

you might feel weird with 4.P4f and 6.P4e, but these moves are important to prevent White from playing P4d blocking Bishop’s diagonal. and you need to play them early because if Black plays quiet move like 6.S4h, Black can play 7.P4f.

(Text moves) 7.G3b 8.P3f 9.K5b 10.P3e

it turns out that P4e is important to keep Bishop’s diagonal. 10.P3e threatens P3d as Bishop’s diagonal isn’t blocked.

(Text moves) 11.S2b 12.S4h 13.P6d 14.S4g 15.P7d 16.R3h

11.S2b can’t be helped to play. if White plays 11.P6d, Black can play 12.P3d 13.S2b 14.Px3c+ 15.Sx3c 16.P*3d 17.S2b and develops pieces as the text moves below. 2b-Silver can’t move if 3c-Pawn is gone, because of Bishop’s diagonal.

(Text moves) 17.K6c 18.P3d 19.Px3d 20.Rx3d 21.P*3c 22.R3f

don’t forget to exchange Pawns. some people fail to play 18.R3f.

(Text moves) 23.G6b 24.G7b 25.P9d 26.P9f 27.G7c

26.P9f makes room for the Black King and Bishop.

(Text moves) 28.S6h 29.P6e 30.K6i 31.G6d 32.P5f

32.P5f prevents White from playing P5e to block Bishop’s diagonal.

(Text moves) 33.N7c 34.G5h 35.P8d 36.N3g 37.P8e

Black completes Grab castle with 34.G5h

(Text moves) 38.S4f 39.P7e 40.Px7e 41.Gx7e

Black’s position is beautiful. there’s almost no offside piece for Black. 38.S4f threatens P5e Px5e Sx5e to remove the Gold on 6f. some people might be afraid to let the Gold on 6f advance to the e-rank but White can’t attack with one attacker.

(Text moves) 42.P5e 43.Px5e

42.P5e threatens Px5d Kx5d(Sx5d P*5e)S5e.

(Text moves) 44.P*5d 45.Sx5d 46.Sx5e 47.Sx5e 48.Bx5e

44.P*5d is a great move. 44.Sx5e is a natural move but after 45.P*5d, the Silver on 5e has to retreat. 44.P4d is a also great move. 48.Bx5e threatens S*6d.

(Text moves) 49.S*6f 50.B4f 51.P*5e

there are many options for Black. 49.B8h is perfectly playable. White has no good defensive move because the Silver on 2b and the Gold on 3b are out of play.

(Text moves) 52.B3e 53.S5c 54.P*7f 55.G7d 56.S*7e

52.B3e threatens B7a+. there are many winning moves for Black but removing the Gold on 7d makes it easy to win for Black.

in this odds game, you will learn how to attack the edge with Climbing Silver.

(Text moves) 1.S6b 2.P7f 3.P5d 4.P2f 5.S5c 6.P2e

(Text moves) 7.G3b 8.P2d 9.Px2d 10.Rx2d 11.P*2c 12.R2h 13.K5b

trading Pawns is important. the Pawn in hand will be a great attacker for Black.

(Text moves) 14.S3h 15.G6b 16.S2g 17.P7f 18. S2f

Black develops the right Silver.

(Text moves) 19.G7c 20.S2e

20.S2e threatens P*2d Px2d Sx2d

(Text moves) 21.S2b 22.P1f 23.D6d 24.P1e

21.S2b guards 2c-suare.

(Text moves) 25.P5e 26.P1d 27.Px1d 28.P*1b

25.P5e blocks Bishop’s diagonal. Black adds an attacker, 28.P*1b. there is another Pawn tactic, 28.P*1c, but it doesn’t work out for Black because 29.Nx1c(29.Sx1c 30.Lx1d) 30.Sx1d 31.P*1b.

(Text moves) 29.S4d 30.Sx1d 31.P*1c

if you consider 30.P1a+ 32.Sx1a 33.Sx1d, you’re a good player, but the position after 34.S2b, 35.P*1c 36.P*1a is not clear.

(Text moves) 32.Sx2c+ 33.Sx2c 34.P1a+

32.Sx2c+ is an unusual great move. Black loses material, but opening up 2-file for the Rook is beneficial than it looks. 32.P1a+ is a good move but after 33.Px1d 34.+Px2a 35.S1c, compensation for Black isn’t good enough. 33.Gx2c doesn’t work because 34.P1a+ 35.Sx1a 36.Rx2c+.

(Text moves) 35.N7c 36.+Px2a 37.S3d 38.Lx1c+

there’s no good defensive move for White without Pawns in hand.

in this odds game, you will learn how to attack the edge.

(Text moves) 1.G7b 2.P7f 3.K4b 4.B6f

4.B6f threatens Bx9c+

(Text moves) 5.S8b 6.P9f 7.P7d 8.P9e 9.P6d 10.P5f

6.P9f and 8.P9e activate the Lance on 9i.

10.P5f makes room for the Bishop to go to 5g-square if White plays P6e.

10.P9d doesn’t work because 11.Px9d 12.Lx9d 13.P6e 14.B7g 15.P*9c and Black will lose material.
Black wants to keep the Bishop’s diagonal to 9c-square.

(Text moves) 11.K3b 12.P9d 13.Px9d 14.Lx9d

(Text moves) 15.P8d 16. R9h

15.P8d is a poisoned Pawn. if Black plays 16.Bx8d, White’d play 17.G8c(or 17.S8c 18.B9c+ 19.P*9b ) 18.B6b+ 19.Gx9d. 16.L9b+ is possible.

16.R9h is important. don’t let your Rook out of play.

(Text moves) 17.S7c 18.L9b+ 19.S4b 20. +L8a

18.L9a+ is playable and if White plays 19.G8b, Black can play 20.+L9b(20.P*9c is possible)21.G7b(21.G8c 22.+L9c) 22.+L8a

(Text moves) 21.G6c 22.R9b+ 23.P6e 24.B5g 25.K2b 26.P1f 27.G3b 28.P1e

Black is successful with 22.R9b+

26.+L7a is possible. it threatens +L7b S6d +L6b

now you can see that White can’t defend the edge with one Silver, but what if White could defend with 2 defenders? let’s go back to diagram 2

(Text moves) 11.G7c 12.P9d 13.Px9d 14.Lx9d 15.G8d

15.G8d blocks Bishop’s diagonal and threatens to caputure the Lance on 9d

(Text moves) 16.R9h 17.P*9e

17.P*9e: thanks to the Gold on 8d,White can block the Rook.

(Text moves) 18.Bx8d 19.Px8d 20.Rx9e

18.Bx8d: it’s really hard to play even though it’s a book move. some people fail with 18.L9b+ 19.S7c 20.Bx8d 21.Sx8d and Black can’t play Rx9e. the move order is very important here. Black is behind in material but the compensation of Rook promotion is big.

(Text moves) 21.S7c 22.L9c+ 23.S6b 24.+L8c 25.S5a 26.R9b+

9c- Silver escapes and makes himself useful.

(Text moves) 27.G5b 28.+L7c

28.+L7c threatens +L6c

(Text moves) 29.B*5d 30.S3h

29.B*5d threatens Bx2g+ and guards 6c-square

(Text moves) 31.P3d 32.P5e 33.Bx7g 34.G7h

there’re not good moves for White. Black threatens +L6c and G*6f

Start
1: ☖G-7b
2: ☗P-7f
3: ☖K-4b
4: ☗B-6f
5: ☖S-8b
6: ☗P-9f
7: ☖P-7d
8: ☗P-9e
9: ☖P-6d
10: ☗P-5f
11: ☖K-3b
12: ☗P-9d
13: ☖Px9d
14: ☗Lx9d
15: ☖P-8d
16: ☗R-9h
17: ☖S-7c
18: ☗L-9b+
19: ☖S-4b
20: ☗+L-8a
21: ☖G-6c
22: ☗R-9b+
23: ☖P-6e
24: ☗B-5g
25: ☖K-2b
26: ☗P-1f
27: ☖G-3b
28: ☗P-1e

Start
1: ☖G-7b
2: ☗P-7f
3: ☖K-4b
4: ☗B-6f
5: ☖S-8b
6: ☗P-9f
7: ☖P-7d
8: ☗P-9e
9: ☖P-6d
10: ☗P-5f
11: ☖G-7c
12: ☗P-9d
13: ☖Px9d
14: ☗Lx9d
15: ☖G-8d
16: ☗R-9h
17: ☖P9e 18: ☗Bx8d 19: ☖Px8d 20: ☗Rx9e 21: ☖S-7c 22: ☗L-9c+ 23: ☖S-6b 24: ☗+L-8c 25: ☖S-5a 26: ☗R-9b+ 27: ☖G-5b 28: ☗+L-7c 29: ☖B5d
30: ☗S-3h
31: ☖P-3d
32: ☗P-5e
33: ☖Bx7f
34: ☗G-7h

in this odds game, you will learn Climbing Silver (棒銀 bogin)

(Text moves) 1.G7b 2.P7f 3.G3b

it’s getting difficult from 8 pieces odd game compare to special odds and 10 pieces odds because white has defenders.

(Text moves) 4.P2f 5.K5b 6.P2e

Black push Rook’s Pawn and activate the Rook.

(Text move) 7.P6d 8.S3h 9.K6c 10.S2g

8.P2d is perfectly playable and then 9.Px2d 10.Rx2d 11.P*2c 12.Rx6d Black is up a pawn.

(Text moves) 11.P7d 12.S2f 13.G7c 14.S3e

the Rook and Silver attack 2-file together.

(Text moves) 15.P6e 16.P2d 17.Px2d 18.Sx2d

on move 18, taking the Pawn on 2d with the Silver is important. if White plays 18.Rx2d, Black will play 19.P*2c and Black has to retreat the Rook.

(Text moves)19.G6d 20.Sx3c+

don’t forget the Bishop’s diagonal. 20.Sx1c+ is possible, but not a good move because the promoted Silver is out of play and far away from the White King.

(Text moves)21.Gx3c 22.Bx3c+

the Gold and Silver are almost equal value and basically, trading an attacker for a defender is beneficial.

(Text moves)23.P7e 24.R2b+ 25.Px7f

the Rook and Bishop are promoted. it’s time to attack the White King.

(Text moves)26.+B5a 27.K5d 28.P4f 29P4d.30.+R5b 31.P*2h

Black cuts off White King’s escape routes. 26.+B5a prevents White from playing k7c. 28.P4f controls 4e-square and threatens G*4e. 30.+R5b controls 4c-square.

(Text moves) 32.+B6b 33.Px2i+ 34.+Rx5c

there’re many winning moves for Black. important thing is that making a situation that 2 major pieces attack the same square as text moves.

Start
1: ☖G-3b
2: ☗P-7f
3: ☖G-7b
4: ☗P-2f
5: ☖K-5b
6: ☗P-2e
7: ☖P-6d
8: ☗S-3h
9: ☖K-6c
10: ☗S-2g
11: ☖P-7d
12: ☗S-2f
13: ☖G-7c
14: ☗S-3e
15: ☖P-6e
16: ☗P-2d
17: ☖Px2d
18: ☗Sx2d
19: ☖G-6d
20: ☗Sx3c+
21: ☖Gx3c
22: ☗Bx3c+
23: ☖P-7e
24: ☗R-2b+
25: ☖Px7f
26: ☗+B-5a
27: ☖K-5d
28: ☗P-4f
29: ☖P-4d
30: ☗+R-5b
31: ☖P*2h
32: ☗+B-6b
33: ☖Px2i+
34: ☗+Rx5c
Mated

this odds game is for people who have just learned Shogi piece movements and rules. there are many pieces on the board compared to special odds game, but the main idea is the same that attacking the enemy King with the Rook and the Bishop.

(Text moves)1.K4b 2.P7f 3.P5d 4. P2f

2.P7f and 4.P2f are important to activate major pieces.

(Text moves)5.P6d 6.P2e

since there’re not defenders for White, you don’t need many attackers. just focus on using the Rook and Bishop.

(Text moves)7.P6e 8.P2d 9.Px2d 10. Rx2d

some beginners might be afraid of giving up pieces to your opponents but that’s not something you can avoid, and there are always trades in Shogi. 10.Rx2d threatens R2b+

(Text moves)11.K3b 12.Rx5d

11.K3b is the only move to guard 2c, 2b, and 2a squares. 12.Rx5d threatens to promote.

(Text moves)13.K2c 14.R5b+

if white plays 13.K4b, Black can play 14.R6d 15.K5b 16.R2d(Bx3c+) there’s no way to prevent Rook promotion for White.

(Text moves)15.K2d 16.+R2b

White has no good moves but keep moving around.

(Text moves)17.K3e 18.Bx3c+

even if White plays 17.P*2c, Black still can play 14.Bx3c+. it’s important that you recognize that the promoted Rook and the promoted Bishop are connected.

(Text moves)19.K4e 20.+R2d

20.+R2d prevents White from playing K5d and threatens mate in 1…

(Text moves)21.P9d 22.+R3D

White can’t take the promoted Rook on 3d because the major pieces are connected.

other good moves.

exercise1

hint: use the Bishop to promote

Solution

B6f

there’s no way to prevent Bishop promotion (Bx9c+) B6f is a good move for sure, but personally, I don’t really want to recommend to play it because it’s too “odds game move” you could not apply the move if your opponent has more pieces.

exercise2

hint: since the Bishop attacks 3c-square, you want to add an attacker that attacks 3c-square.

solution

R2f

R2f threatens R3f to play Rx3c+ or Bx3c+.

Start
1: ☖K-4b
2: ☗P-7f
3: ☖P-5d
4: ☗P-2f
5: ☖P-6d
6: ☗P-2e
7: ☖P-6e
8: ☗P-2d
9: ☖Px2d
10: ☗Rx2d
11: ☖K-3b
12: ☗Rx5d
13: ☖K-2c
14: ☗R-5b+
15: ☖K-2d
16: ☗+R-2b
17: ☖K-3e
18: ☗Bx3c+
19: ☖K-4e
20: ☗+R-2d
21: ☖P-9d
22: ☗+R-3d
Mated