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  • The Method of Battle in the Mid-game: #3 Create a Foothold

    Hello, everyone. My name is Takashi Araki, and I am an instructor of i-tsu-tsu Shogi class, Kobe Motomachi. This is the third in this series. Last time, I introduced a technique called Tare Fu, or “Dangling Fu (Pawn)”, which increases the number of offensive pieces by making To-Kin (Promoted Pawn). However, the troublesome part of Shogi is that it is not always possible to do Tare Fu. Most times, your opponent is also defending well to avoid allowing you to make To-Kin (Promoted Pawn) easily. Don’t worry! There are other ways to make To-Kin (Promoted Pawn) in Shogi other than Tare Fu! Let’s learn that this time! Create Your Foothold!

    Akiko Nakakura 2 July 2020

  • The Method of Battle in the Mid-game: #2 Dangling Fu (Pawn)

    Hello, everyone. My name is Takashi Araki, and I am an instructor of i-tsu-tsu Shogi class, Kobe Motomachi. This is the second article of the “Ni Course” blog! Last time I showed you a technique to advance Gin (Silver) using a technique of opposing Fu (Pawn)! In Shogi, there are many useful techniques that you should know, and these are collectively called Tesuji in Shogi terms.In fact, the theme of the course is to learn a lot of these Tesuji. So, let me introduce some new Tesuji. The most powerful technique to add your allies. As I mentioned in the last article, after the piece formation is in place, the

    Akiko Nakakura 2 July 2020

  • The Method of Battle in the Mid-game: #4 Push and Sacrifice Fu (Pawn)

    Hello, everyone. My name is Takashi Araki, and I am an instructor of i-tsu-tsu Shogi class, Kobe Motomachi. So far in “Ni course”, we have been learning about the techniques to use “Opposing Fu (Pawn)” (Awase no Fu), “Dangling Fu (Pawn)” (Tare Fu), and “Foothold”. As the last topic in this course, I would like to introduce some techniques to make it easier to use the methods we have learned. That is Tsukisute no Fu, push and sacrifice Fu (Pawn). Sometimes the Best Gain Is to Lose Although Fu (Pawn) is a convenient piece and easy to use, you can’t use it soon if you have it as a hand

    Akiko Nakakura 2 July 2020

  • The Method of Battle in the Mid-game: #1 Opposing Fu (Pawn)

    Hello, everyone. My name is Takashi Araki, and I am an instructor of i-tsu-tsu Shogi class, Kobe Motomachi. Two new courses, “Ni-course” and “Ho-course” were added to the “Hajimete no Shogi Kyoshitsu” from this July. These courses are designed to help beginner players smoothly move up to intermediate players. If you know what tactics are, but don’t know how to go from there… this is perfect for you. I would like to share the contents and style of our lessons. After completing your piece-building, move Gin (Silver) forward. During an opening game, you have to have a process called “piece-building”. To be more specific, this can be described as (1)

    Akiko Nakakura 2 July 2020

  • Get Better Quickly! Effective Study Methods for Shogi Beginners #9 Bou Gin

    Hi, I am Takashi Araki, a Shogi instructor for i-tsu-tsu Shogi classes in Motomachi, Kobe. This newsletter is called “Bou Gin Special” and I will talk about it. How to Break a Castle Writer: Takashi Araki, a former member of Shorei-kai, who has a third dank rank. 1. Bou Gin Is All Around There are several attacking forms in Shogi.  The most simple and destructive one is “Bou Gin (Climbing Silver)”.  When you learn about Bou Gin, you also learn how to link Hi (Rook) and Gin (Silver), how to add pieces, how to remove your opponent’s Kin (Gold) from his/her castle, which are the basics of attacking.  It’s one

    Akiko Nakakura 25 June 2020

  • Get Better Quickly! Effective Study Methods for Shogi Beginners #8 Shogi Castle

    Hi, I am Takashi Araki, a Shogi instructor for i-tsu-tsu Shogi classes in Motomachi, Kobe. This newsletter is called “Castle Special” and I will talk about how to break a castle. How to Break a Castle Writer: Takashi Araki, a former member of Shorei-kai, who has a third dank rank. 1. Tips to Break Down a Castle  There are several types of castles. There are several types of castles in Shogi.  I’ve introduced six types of castles on the previous page of “Castle Fortune telling”. I would say it’s just the tip of the iceberg.  There are more, even countless. There are some very unique such as a “strawberry castle”,

    Akiko Nakakura 25 June 2020

  • Get Better Quickly! Effective Study Methods for Shogi Beginners #7

    Hi, I am Takashi Araki, a Shogi instructor for i-tsu-tsu Shogi classes in Motomachi, Kobe. This newsletter is called “Furibisha and Ibisha Special” and I will talk about an “opposition form” in which one player uses Furibisha, ranging Hisha (Rook) and the other uses Ibisha, static Hisha (Rook). Furibish vs. Ibisha! Writer: Takashi Araki, a former member of Shorei-kai, who has a third dank rank. 1. You Can Customize the Way to Build a Piece Formation. One of the features of an opposition form is that you can build a piece formation freely. In an Ai-Ibisha situation, in which both players use Ibisha, you must be wary of your opponent

    Akiko Nakakura 22 June 2020

  • Get Better Quickly! Effective Study Methods for Shogi Beginners #6 Shogi Tournament

    Hi, I am Takashi Araki, a Shogi instructor for i-tsu-tsu Shogi classes in Motomachi, Kobe. This newsletter is called “Shogi Tournament Special” and I will talk about how to prepare to participate in it. About Shogi Tournaments! Writer: Takashi Araki, a former member of Shorei-kai, who has a third dank rank. 1. You Don’t Have to Win a Game at First. Have you ever participated in any Shogi tournaments? Shogi tournaments are ideal opportunities to play games and get results of your daily works. When you do, you want to win, right? Parents are thrilled when their children win a game. When all you do is to chase results, it

    Akiko Nakakura 22 June 2020

  • Get Better Quickly! Effective Study Methods for Shogi Beginners #5 check

    Hi, I am Takashi Araki, a Shogi instructor for i-tsu-tsu Shogi classes in Motomachi, Kobe. This newsletter is called “Check Special” and I will talk about what “check” is. About Checking! Writer: Takashi Araki, a former member of Shorei-kai, who has a third dank rank. 1. “Check” Might be Something that Makes You Want to Do. There are not a few Shogi players move a piece saying “check”. This is especially true when you are a beginner. Shogi is a game in which you try to take your opponent’s Ou (King) To check is the closest way to take a piece of Ou (King). I know exactly the way you

    Akiko Nakakura 22 June 2020

  • Get Better Quickly! Effective Study Methods for Shogi Beginners #4 3-move calculation

    Hi, I am Takashi Araki, a Shogi instructor for i-tsu-tsu Shogi classes in Motomachi, Kobe. Since this newsletter features “3-move calculation”, I will talk about it. Let’s Learn What 3-move calculation is! Writer: Takashi Araki, a former member of Shorei-kai, who has a third dank rank. 1. Why Do You Need To Calculate Future Moves? There is one very important skill to play a Shogi game, which is to calculate future moves. Calculating future moves means that you expect what moves your opponent will make or what situations you will have. If things go your way, that’s great! However, real games are not as simple as that. You need to

    Akiko Nakakura 9 April 2020

  • Get Better Quickly! Effective Study Methods for Shogi Beginners #3 To-Kin

    Hi, I am Takashi Araki, a Shogi instructor for i-tsu-tsu Shogi classes in Motomachi, Kobe. Since this newsletter features “To-Kin (Promoted Pawn)”, I will talk about To-Kin (Promoted Pawn). Let’s Learn What To-Kin (Promoted Pawn) is! Writer: Takashi Araki, a former member of Shorei-kai, who has a third dank rank. 1. To-Kin (Promoted Pawn) Is Part Angel and Part Devil As you know, To-Kin (Promoted Pawn) is a piece promoted from Fu (Pawn), which is a kind of a good deal. If you don’t have To-Kin (Promoted Pawn) and finish a game, your efforts will be wasted. I think you may wonder what I meant with the word of a

    Akiko Nakakura 9 April 2020

  • Get Better Quickly! Effective Study Methods for Shogi Beginners #2 Mate Problems

    Hi, I am Takashi Araki, a Shogi instructor for i-tsu-tsu Shogi classes in Motomachi, Kobe. Since this newsletter features “Mate Problems”, I will talk about things only related to mate problems. I’m going to give you some helpful tips to solve mate problems. Ways of thinking to solve mate problems! Writer: Takashi Araki, a former member of Shorei-kai, who has a third dank rank. 1. Eliminate Escapeways for Gyoku (King) Before discussing the tips to solve mate problems, I would like to review what rules mate problems have. Besides the rules used during standard Shogi games, there is another one which is you have to keep checking when you take

    Akiko Nakakura 6 April 2020

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