A losing game on Shogi Club 24

Hey everyone, I suppose this will be my first analysis of a game of my own on this blog. This is a game I played and lost badly on Shogi Club 24 due to some very bad mistakes on my part - mistakes that a player at my level should not be making. I played like a 15-kyu. I just want to put this game up to remind myself to think through all of my moves in the future.

[SENTE "hirohiigo"]
[GOTE "takusya"]
▲1.P7g-7f
△2.P3c-3d
▲3.P2g-2f
△4.P4c-4d
▲5.S3i-4h
△6.B2b-3c (diagram)

This was a Static Rook vs. Ranging Rook game, which I seem to play a lot (an unfortunate truth, since I prefer playing against static rook). My opponent's △B-3c seems to indicate that he is planning △R-2b, Opposing Rook strategy.

▲7.P5g-5f
△8.S3a-3b
▲9.P3g-3f
△10.R8b-4b (diagram)

Despite my opponent's early △B-3c, he transferred his rook to the 4th file. I figured he was simply making moves out of order, so I continued along joseki lines.





▲11.G4i-5h
△12.S3b-4c
▲13.P2f-2e
△14.R4b-2b (diagram)

Oddly, after △R-4b, he next played △R-2b, losing one move. I was right after all that he wanted to play Opposing Rook, but he should gone straight to 2b instead of 4b first.







▲15.K5i-6h
△16.P2c-2d
▲17.P2ex2d
△18.B3cx2d (diagram)

Immediately after I started castling, he attacked my pawn with △P-2d. I thought he was trying to trade rooks by △Rx2d, but he played an unexpected △Bx2d. I wasn't really prepared for this move, and I've never studied it before, and, as a result, I did the one thing a shogi player should never do: panic. Instead of taking advantage of his move, I made an impulse move (also bad) and simply ran away without considering the consequences.




▲19.K6h-7h
△20.B2dx7i+ (diagram)

As I said, ▲K-7h was an impulse move. I hadn't even stopped to consider what would happen after I finished moving my king. It took him only 3 seconds to respond with △Bx7i+ and it was immediately, painfully clear why he did so. By checking with a bishop sacrifice, he launched an irremovable discovered attack on my rook. I did not even have sting on my own rook--he was going to take it for free.



Instead of ▲K-7h, I could have managed the situation and material by ▲Rx2d (diagram). Following ▲Rx2d, △Rx2d ▲B*1e △R*2e ▲Bx2d △Rx2d ▲N-3g and I would have been much better. Material would be equal and I would only have to deal with one rook.










▲21.B8hx7i
△22.R2bx2h+
▲23.N2i-3g
△24.+R2hx1i
▲25.P*2b
△26.N2a-3c
▲27.P2b-2a+
△28.R*2i (diagram)

My futile ▲P*2b was a desperate attempt to regain material, but it was quickly ended by △N-3c. △R*2i was also very powerful, and I was once again panicking.





▲29.+P2ax1a
△30.R2ix6i+
▲31.Resign (diagram )

Because I wasn't thinking, ▲+Px1a seemed like a legitimate move for me; I was planning to drop it to 3i the next turn. Regrettably I hadn't checked my opponent's speed, nor had I checked to see if my 6i gold had any string on it. Since I could not recapture the dragon (thanks to his 1i dragon), my only option was to escape. ▲K-8h is nonsense, because △+Rx7i ▲K-9h △+Rx8i is mate, so my only feasible option was to escape up the board. The problem, though, is that his camp was too stable for me to possible achieve king entering, especially with his two dragons. With no options left, I resigned.

I am so ashamed that I played this poorly. I really felt like a beginner in this game. I put up this review in so that I can see it in the future and remind myself to never make the same mistakes in it again.