If you are a chess player, you may know Rook in chess can not work immediately after the game starts. On the other hand, Rook in shogi can work instantly. This entry is to show you how to activate your Rook very quickly in the opening. Suppose you are Sente(Black) player In the diagram. You should advance your Rook Pawn from 2g to 2f as the first move. The intention of it is to exchange Rook Pawn on the square of 2d at the head of Gote(White)'s Bishop in a few moves. In shogi, the head of Bishop is much more vulnerable than that in chess since there are lot of lower-valued pieces than Bishop such as Pawn, Lance, Silver and Gold can move straightforward with capturing in shogi. On the other hand, no lower-valued piece than Bishop can move straightforward with capture in chess.
After your P-2f, Gote replies with P-9d. You advanced your Rook Pawn to 2e. Gote responds it with P-9e. (Gote's move looks somewhat peculiar. But this is for the purpose of showing you the effectiveness of Rook Pawn exchange clearly).
From the position in the diagram above, you can exchange your Rook Pawn.
P-2d Px2d Rx2d
Now you see Gote cannot prevent Sente from getting the Rook promoted or dropping a Pawn on 2c. So Gote moves like P8c-8d, then you can drop the pawn on 2c to kill Gote's bishop.
Please confirm Gote's Bishop cannot move anywhere. You already succeed in gaining big material advantage. Rook Pawn exchange is one of the fastest ways to win a game like this if Gote does not know appropriate defense. So why not giving it a try in your games?
Clicking the arrow in the right direction in the diagram, then you will find an example line for you to mate Gote's King.
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I started to read Your opening tips, but there seems to be a problem with the diagrams you refer to. I don't see them.
Again, thanks for the good job you do for popularizing shogi.
Posted by: fbc | November 21, 2008 at 05:48 PM