Chu Shogi Analysis

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P-88

Activating 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.2

P-55

Ln-68

The lion is a powerful piece, and it is worth it to develop it early.4

P-85

P-58

These long range pieces support the lion.6

Ph-54

Ph-89

P-65

Creating space for the Kirin.9

P-78

Kr-64

Kr-79

D-62

D-7b

P-a5

FK-6b

The queen can assist with defense.16

H-b5

馬 and 角 are often placed on this strong diagonal.17

P-38

D83-72

A 2 Dragon Castle is being built. Some other features of a classical opening are marked here.19

H-28

This opening is largely symmetrical.20

FK-83

P-c8

C-92

C-9b

C-93

C-8a

C-84

Maneuvering weak pieces such as the generals toward the center is and important step before starting an attack. These pieces put pressure on the opponent.27

Ln-67

Further centralizing the powerful lion.28

FK-a1

C-4b

R-83

C-4a

C-42

C-59

Kr-75

P-57

P-66

!?An interesting pawn sacrifice to open lines. Pawns in chu shogi matter far less than they do in chess.37

Lnx!66

Sente uses a "sitting capture" (igui in Japanese). It is as if the pawn just disappeared from the board.38

Ln-65

Ln-47

39.

P-c7

P-35

C-58

The copper generals slowly enter the fray. As in shogi, the game can often center on pawn breaks, and generals help to support them.42

P-86

Kr-68

C-85

C-79

C-53

SM-c9

This 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.48

VM-a3

P-c7

P-c5

GB-97

Ln-76

52.

Hx97

53.

Ph-a7

54.

H-b5

55.

Phxc5

56.

H-a4

Prnej commented that this might be why Gote didn't capture the go-between.57.

Phxa3+

58.

Hxa3

59.

SM-c8

Ph-a7

And it is defended on the next move.54

SM-c4

GB-98

This move is also hard to understand.56

H-25

Sente's most valuable piece is attacked here, and sente must decide where to retreat it.56.

Ln-96

57.

Ph-89

Ln-59

P-87

Ph-89

Sente makes a wise decision to defend rather than allow gote's lion to invade.59.

Px87

60.

Lnx87

C-86

Gote continues to put pressure on the 88 square.60.

Px88

61.

Phx88

61.

Cx88

SM-c8

And sente adds indirect defense.62

FL-b2

It is also very important to bring the ferocious leopards onto the front lines directly behind your pawns.63

S-9b

S-92

FL-bb

S-93

S-8a

S-84

Now the silver generals (familiar from shogi) are brought forward. These are used in almost exactly the same manner as in standard shogi.69

H-9b

S-85

P-18

P-15

P-17

With 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.74

FL-22

SM-19

FL-b3

GB-47

FL-a4

P-48

P-a6

FL-2b

BT-92

S-4b

FL-a5

S-4a

FL-b6

SM-b8

B-91

S-49

Ln-96

BT-4b

Both players slowly maneuver their pieces...92

FL-b7

Until gote starts the first of the fighting. I think that this could be called the start of the middlegame.93

SMxb7

Lnxb7

Px87

Cx87

Kr-77

Offering more exchanges. Unlike in standard shogi, and like chess, these only serve to simplify the position.98

S-86

!99

Krx75

100

Px75

101

P-77

102

P-a7

102.

Sx77

103.

Lnx77

The power of the lion.103

P-b8

104

Lnxc7-b6

105

P-b7

106

Ln-96

The lion is forced back at the cost of a pawn.106.

Lnxb7-a6

107.

VMxb5

107

C-78

108

Cx78

109

Lnx78

Development of the lion is more important than that of the dragon king.109.

Dx78

110

P-76

111

B-4c

112

Px77

113

Ln-9a

114

H-93

Gote rightly declines the exchange. A horse is better than a bishop.115

Ln-b8

116

P-78

117

B-3b

118

C-64

119

H-5b

The bishop and horse are placed on these powerful adjacent diagonals.120

Ln-87

121

P-28

122

S-77

122.

Lnx!98

This was possible, but would be a waste of time. Go-betweens are worth little more than pawns.123

P-37

124

R33-73

The rook and dragon king point ominously at sente's king.125

P-27

126

S-88

127

P-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.128

H-14

128.

Sx89+

129

S-38

?!130

Sx89=

131

FKx89

Sente has sacrificed the phoenix, but has activated the queen and right-side silver general.132

Ln-66

133

FK-7a

134

Lnx57-56

135

SM-49

Necessary defense.135.

P-b6

??136.

Lnx48

A dangerous lion invasion.136

Lnx47-46

137

B-68

Because of the lion's awkwardness, sente is able to activate yet another piece.138

Ln-66

139

P-47

140

Ph-76

141

H-39

And another.142

Phx58

?!Sacrificing the lion!143

Hx66

144

Phx7a=

145

BTx7a

146

Hx66

In return, gote gets a queen (!), horse, and copper general. The exchange is still quite unclear.147

P-16

148

VM-33

?!149

Px15

150

H-23

151

P-25

152

VM-34

153

P-36

154

Px25

155

Px35

156

VM-24

157

S-37

158

FL-33

159

S-36

Sente is advancing quickly.160

B-43

161

BT-89

Moving the blind tiger so far up is slightly unusual.162

B-a2

163

BTx78

164

H-56

165

Dx56

?!Emphasizing speed over material.166

Px56

167

S-89

168

P-57

169

Raa-7a

170

H-32

171

VM-aa

172

VM-22

173

VM-9a

174

C-65

175

VM-8a

176

C-56

177

BT-5a

BOTH blind tigers climb upward.178

P-58

?!Really a bit of a waste of time.179

VM-8b

180

FK-b1

181

SM-19

182

C-57

183

B-79

183.

Bx57

184.

Bx57

185.

Hx57

186.

FKx57

Don't forget about the queen on the furthest rank!184

R-53

185

BT-49

186

C-48

A good move: taking advantage of the "blindspot" of the blind tiger.187

BT-68

188

Cx49=

189

SMx49

190

Bx2a+

?This gives sente too much of a material advantage.191

Rx2a

192

R83-73

193

S-78

194

FK-66

195

D-3b

196

G-42

197

B-6a

198

R-54

199

VM-7b

200

G-82

201

B-48

202

FK-63

203

FL-aa

204

FL-24

205

G-6b

206

G-33

207

Lnxa7-97

208

H-42

209

Ln-79

210

P-26

211

BT-57

212

FL-25

213

Lnx58

Sente is slowly building a powerful attack. Now the lion joins the fight.214

G-24

215

R7a-3a

216

VM-32

217

S-67

This 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.218

VM-93

219

P-46

The go-between is trapped...220

GBx46

And it sacrifices itself.221

Lnx46

222

H-64

223

Ln-47

224

H-42

?Gote can't afford to waste time like this.225

S-56

226

FLx36

227

Lnx36x26

Capturing the maximum amount of material.228

H-33

229

Ln-46

230

G-23

231

S-55

232

R-84

Sente has all but entered the promotion zone with his pieces.233

BT-47

234

D-83

?!Was this attack missed or simply ignored?235

Bx84+

236

Dx84

237

VMx73+

Finally.238

FKx73

The first check of the game.239

DE-7b

240

FK-76

The idea of this move is to force the lion backward to protect the side mover.241

Ln-57

242

P-45

243

B-67

However, the queen in the center is subject to attack.244

FK-75

245

S-66

246

FK-73

247

BT-56

248

GB-96

249

R-7a

250

FK-63

251

BTx45

Sente gains even more ground.252

P-95

253

BT-55

254

P-b5

255

B-45

256

FK-53

257

Ln-56

258

G-73

259

P-68

260

VM-83

261

G-8b

262

BT-63

263

Ln-46

264

FK-52

265

FL-3a

266

BT-53

267

R-5a

268

S-42

269

FL-39

270

D-82

271

FL-48

272

DE-62

273

G6b-7a

274

H-22

275

D-2b

276

VM-33

277

P-14+

The first promotion of the game signals sente breaking through.278

SMx14

279

Bx23=

279.

Bx23+

280

VMx23

281

Rx23=

282

Hx23

283

Dx23+

A powerful Soaring Eagle.284

D-24

!285

R-2a

286

Dx23

287

Rx23+

288

BT-44

289

H-9a

290

BT-33

291

+Rx12

292

Lx12

293

Hx12+

Sente is focused not on material but on activating and promoting long-range pieces.294

B-32

295

RCx14=

296

SMx14

297

Lx14+

298

Bx14

299

+Hx14

300

FK-85

301

+H-34

Sente's first check takes advantage of the tiger's blindspot302

BT-43

303

+H-9a

The horned falcon escapes back home, and the game continues at a slightly slower pace.304

BT-52

305

G8b-8a

306

P-c6

307

K-8b

308

P-c7

309

S-65

310

GB-97

311

S-64+

Until now.312

P-c8

313

Ln-54

314

K-71

315

P-a8

316

P-c9+

317

FL-a9

318

D-93

319

BT-65

320

GBx98

321

BT-74=

321.

BT-74+

321.

FLx98

322

Gx74

322.

Gx64

323

+Sx74

324

K-61

324.

FKx74

325.

Lnx74

326.

BT-63

327.

Ln-76

Sente has lost his queen.325

+H-34

326

S-51

327

+Hx52

Gote resigns328

Sx52

329

+S-64

Source: www.chushogi-renmei.com/DHTML/kifu/index.htm

Chu Shogi Analysis: 森何某 v.s. 福井何某11

Chu Shogi Kifu Famous games

Chat room

PrnejI thing that the go-between was not captured because Gote did not like the fact that Phoenix would come in with tempo on the Horse, winning
Prnejthe pawn on the edge of the board.
Prnej*I think, sorry about that
WassimBerbarlions are nightmares to deal with inside your camp
GalagoOnly just seeing Prnej's comment, I'll add that
hydroshadowThe first game is awesome!
GalagoThere was some sente/gote confusion in the annotations, but it's fixed now.
GalagoMore annotation mistakes fixed
xyxcxyxchi
GalagoMoving the queen out too early here is dangerous and doesn't do much
xyxcxyxchow to analyaze
GalagoCan you see what I'm doing
xyxcxyxcwhat move
xyxcxyxcno
GalagoNow?
xyxcxyxci see now
Galagothis move
xyxcxyxcyes i understand
Galagoand watch out for this kind of thing
Galagothis isn't horrible, but its not great
Galagoin this case the lion got in
Galagohere you can push the pawn
GalagoIt gives you space and makes attacking easier
xyxcxyxcon more step?
Galagoyour threatening that
Galagoshibamizo might move the VM like this to defend
Galagoit isn't worth it taking two moves just to attack the lion
Galagobut this pawn move is good
xyxcxyxcu mean the pawn moves or queen
Galagothe queen is bad
xyxcxyxci see
xyxcxyxccan u se engine evaluations
Galagono, there is no chu shogi engine
Galagoqueen moves are usually bad because you have to retreat so often and that wastes time
xyxcxyxcyes i see
Galagoif you attack the lion, you have to think about where it is going to go
xyxcxyxcshibamizo put his queen bk rank
xyxcxyxcback rank
Galagothat is common
Galagothat way the queen isn't in the way, because like i said it isn;t that useful until endgame
xyxcxyxci cannot see your moves anymore
Galagostill no?
xyxcxyxci clicked something
Galagowhat did you click?
xyxcxyxcnow i was put out of the page
xyxcxyxci clikced moves list
xyxcxyxci see now
Galagook
Galagomaybe here you should push the pawn
Galagono its not good
Galagoi was wrong
Galagonow there is no time to push the pawn because opponent has too many threats
Galagoside mover is better, because it protects this square
xyxcxyxcyes i see his threats are stronger
Galagocapturing this is a very bad move because the side mover can just capture it
xyxcxyxcwhy he didnt take
Galagobecause he thought he should attack quickly
Galagohe though that if he just attacked, he would win, but you had enough defense, so the game lasted longer
xyxcxyxcfinish the game quicker
xyxcxyxche thaught
xyxcxyxcmaybe i shouldnt promote
xyxcxyxcsnake
Galagowhere?
xyxcxyxcat the last rank
xyxcxyxcyes that
Galagothat's fine, but you were already losing so it didn't help much
Galagobut it does get trapped
xyxcxyxchere is over
Galagoyeah
Galagonot much left to say
xyxcxyxcbut i wanted to play 200 moves
xyxcxyxc:)
Galagolol
Galagook, i have to go now
xyxcxyxcthx
xyxcxyxcbye

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