Avoid a Sitting King.
(Igyoku wa sakeyo.)

Vocabulary: Igyoku=Gyoku (King) that sits in the original position, wa=as for, sakeyo (imperative)=to avoid


It is extremely dangerous to start fighting with the King sitting on the original square.

In Diagram 1, Black has already advanced a Silver onto 4f with his King in the original position. If he wants to launch an attack from here, how would he play?

White in hand: nothing
  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
+---------------------------+
|wL wN  *  *  * wK  * wN wL |a
| * wR  *  *  * wB wG  *  * |b
|wP  * wP wP wS wG wS wP wP |c
| * wP  *  * wP wP wP  *  * |d
| *  *  *  *  *  *  * bP  * |e
| *  * bP bP bP bS bP  *  * |f
|bP bP bS  *  * bP  *  * bP |g
| *  * bG  * bG  *  * bR  * |h
|bL bN bB  * bK  *  * bN bL |i
+---------------------------+
Black in hand: nothing
Diagram 1. Up to ...B4b

Moves from Diagram 1:
P-3e    Px3e    
Sx3e    P*3d    
P-2d    Px2d    
Sx2d    Sx2d
Bx2d    Bx2d    
Rx2d    --->Diagram 2

White in hand: B S P 
  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
+---------------------------+
|wL wN  *  *  * wK  * wN wL |a
| * wR  *  *  *  * wG  *  * |b
|wP  * wP wP wS wG  *  * wP |c
| * wP  *  * wP wP wP bR  * |d
| *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * |e
| *  * bP bP bP  *  *  *  * |f
|bP bP bS  *  * bP  *  * bP |g
| *  * bG  * bG  *  *  *  * |h
|bL bN  *  * bK  *  * bN bL |i
+---------------------------+
Black in hand: B S P2 
Diagram 2. Up to Rx2d.
So far, Black's climbing Silver appears to have made a point. But White has a devastating move to play here.

B*1e

You cannot be too careful when you have a sitting King. Black had to play K6i first in this case. Then the attack would have been successful.


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