1P-88Activating the 竜馬 and 角行. This game is from from 中象戯補録集 (1710), a collection of kifu. It was uploaded to Lishogi by Tepin.2P-553Ln-68The lion is a powerful piece, and it is worth it to develop it early.4P-855P-58These long range pieces support the lion.6Ph-547Ph-898P-65Creating space for the Kirin.9P-7810Kr-6411Kr-7912D-6213D-7b14P-a515FK-6bThe queen can assist with defense.16H-b5馬 and 角 are often placed on this strong diagonal.17P-3818D83-72A 2 Dragon Castle is being built. Some other features of a classical opening are marked here.19H-28This opening is largely symmetrical.20FK-8321P-c822C-9223C-9b24C-9325C-8a26C-84Maneuvering weak pieces such as the generals toward the center is and important step before starting an attack. These pieces put pressure on the opponent.27Ln-67Further centralizing the powerful lion.28FK-a129C-4b30R-8331C-4a32C-4233C-5934Kr-7535P-5736P-66!?An interesting pawn sacrifice to open lines. Pawns in chu shogi matter far less than they do in chess.37Lnx!66Sente uses a "sitting capture" (igui in Japanese). It is as if the pawn just disappeared from the board.38Ln-6539Ln-4739.P-c740P-3541C-58The copper generals slowly enter the fray. As in shogi, the game can often center on pawn breaks, and generals help to support them.42P-8643Kr-6844C-8545C-7946C-5347SM-c9This powerful move defends the entry to sente's camp. This is a good square to place a side mover, which is a valuable defender. Rooks can also be used for this purpose.48VM-a349P-c750P-c551GB-9752Ln-7652.Hx9753.Ph-a754.H-b555.Phxc556.H-a4Prnej commented that this might be why Gote didn't capture the go-between.57.Phxa3+58.Hxa359.SM-c853Ph-a7And it is defended on the next move.54SM-c455GB-98This move is also hard to understand.56H-25Sente's most valuable piece is attacked here, and sente must decide where to retreat it.56.Ln-9657.Ph-8957Ln-5958P-8759Ph-89Sente makes a wise decision to defend rather than allow gote's lion to invade.59.Px8760.Lnx8760C-86Gote continues to put pressure on the 88 square.60.Px8861.Phx8861.Cx8861SM-c8And sente adds indirect defense.62FL-b2It is also very important to bring the ferocious leopards onto the front lines directly behind your pawns.63S-9b64S-9265FL-bb66S-9367S-8a68S-84Now the silver generals (familiar from shogi) are brought forward. These are used in almost exactly the same manner as in standard shogi.69H-9b70S-8571P-1872P-1573P-17With the lance and reverse chariot, I suppose an edge attack is possible. But what is there to attack? The king is always safe in the center (unlike in standard shogi), surrounded by pieces.74FL-2275SM-1976FL-b377GB-4778FL-a479P-4880P-a681FL-2b82BT-9283S-4b84FL-a585S-4a86FL-b687SM-b888B-9189S-4990Ln-9691BT-4bBoth players slowly maneuver their pieces...92FL-b7Until gote starts the first of the fighting. I think that this could be called the start of the middlegame.93SMxb794Lnxb795Px8796Cx8797Kr-77Offering more exchanges. Unlike in standard shogi, and like chess, these only serve to simplify the position.98S-86!99Krx75100Px75101P-77102P-a7102.Sx77103.Lnx77The power of the lion.103P-b8104Lnxc7-b6105P-b7106Ln-96The lion is forced back at the cost of a pawn.106.Lnxb7-a6107.VMxb5107C-78108Cx78109Lnx78Development of the lion is more important than that of the dragon king.109.Dx78110P-76111B-4c112Px77113Ln-9a114H-93Gote rightly declines the exchange. A horse is better than a bishop.115Ln-b8116P-78117B-3b118C-64119H-5bThe bishop and horse are placed on these powerful adjacent diagonals.120Ln-87121P-28122S-77122.Lnx!98This was possible, but would be a waste of time. Go-betweens are worth little more than pawns.123P-37124R33-73The rook and dragon king point ominously at sente's king.125P-27126S-88127P-26!?Knowing that the phoenix promotes to a queen (free king), I would have simply moved it. However, sente does not waste time and counterattacks.128H-14128.Sx89+129S-38?!130Sx89=131FKx89Sente has sacrificed the phoenix, but has activated the queen and right-side silver general.132Ln-66133FK-7a134Lnx57-56135SM-49Necessary defense.135.P-b6??136.Lnx48A dangerous lion invasion.136Lnx47-46137B-68Because of the lion's awkwardness, sente is able to activate yet another piece.138Ln-66139P-47140Ph-76141H-39And another.142Phx58?!Sacrificing the lion!143Hx66144Phx7a=145BTx7a146Hx66In return, gote gets a queen (!), horse, and copper general. The exchange is still quite unclear.147P-16148VM-33?!149Px15150H-23151P-25152VM-34153P-36154Px25155Px35156VM-24157S-37158FL-33159S-36Sente is advancing quickly.160B-43161BT-89Moving the blind tiger so far up is slightly unusual.162B-a2163BTx78164H-56165Dx56?!Emphasizing speed over material.166Px56167S-89168P-57169Raa-7a170H-32171VM-aa172VM-22173VM-9a174C-65175VM-8a176C-56177BT-5aBOTH blind tigers climb upward.178P-58?!Really a bit of a waste of time.179VM-8b180FK-b1181SM-19182C-57183B-79183.Bx57184.Bx57185.Hx57186.FKx57Don't forget about the queen on the furthest rank!184R-53185BT-49186C-48A good move: taking advantage of the "blindspot" of the blind tiger.187BT-68188Cx49=189SMx49190Bx2a+?This gives sente too much of a material advantage.191Rx2a192R83-73193S-78194FK-66195D-3b196G-42197B-6a198R-54199VM-7b200G-82201B-48202FK-63203FL-aa204FL-24205G-6b206G-33207Lnxa7-97208H-42209Ln-79210P-26211BT-57212FL-25213Lnx58Sente is slowly building a powerful attack. Now the lion joins the fight.214G-24215R7a-3a216VM-32217S-67This formation, with a silver general supported like so by a bishop, is known as "Spearing the bird" in shogi literature. In addition, a rook and the dragon behind it are attacked. The rook will be left there and not captured for many moves.218VM-93219P-46The go-between is trapped...220GBx46And it sacrifices itself.221Lnx46222H-64223Ln-47224H-42?Gote can't afford to waste time like this.225S-56226FLx36227Lnx36x26Capturing the maximum amount of material.228H-33229Ln-46230G-23231S-55232R-84Sente has all but entered the promotion zone with his pieces.233BT-47234D-83?!Was this attack missed or simply ignored?235Bx84+236Dx84237VMx73+Finally.238FKx73The first check of the game.239DE-7b240FK-76The idea of this move is to force the lion backward to protect the side mover.241Ln-57242P-45243B-67However, the queen in the center is subject to attack.244FK-75245S-66246FK-73247BT-56248GB-96249R-7a250FK-63251BTx45Sente gains even more ground.252P-95253BT-55254P-b5255B-45256FK-53257Ln-56258G-73259P-68260VM-83261G-8b262BT-63263Ln-46264FK-52265FL-3a266BT-53267R-5a268S-42269FL-39270D-82271FL-48272DE-62273G6b-7a274H-22275D-2b276VM-33277P-14+The first promotion of the game signals sente breaking through.278SMx14279Bx23=279.Bx23+280VMx23281Rx23=282Hx23283Dx23+A powerful Soaring Eagle.284D-24!285R-2a286Dx23287Rx23+288BT-44289H-9a290BT-33291+Rx12292Lx12293Hx12+Sente is focused not on material but on activating and promoting long-range pieces.294B-32295RCx14=296SMx14297Lx14+298Bx14299+Hx14300FK-85301+H-34Sente's first check takes advantage of the tiger's blindspot302BT-43303+H-9aThe horned falcon escapes back home, and the game continues at a slightly slower pace.304BT-52305G8b-8a306P-c6307K-8b308P-c7309S-65310GB-97311S-64+Until now.312P-c8313Ln-54314K-71315P-a8316P-c9+317FL-a9318D-93319BT-65320GBx98321BT-74=321.BT-74+321.FLx98322Gx74322.Gx64323+Sx74324K-61324.FKx74325.Lnx74326.BT-63327.Ln-76Sente has lost his queen.325+H-34326S-51327+Hx52Gote resigns328Sx52329+S-64