Openings · 棒銀
Climbing Silver.
The right silver climbs straight up the board behind the rook’s pawn and breaks through where the bishop is the only defender.
The idea
The simplest attacking plan in shogi and the one everyone is taught first: push the rook’s pawn, then march the right silver up behind it, 3h, 2g, 2f, until rook, pawn and silver all press on the same square. The defender has only the bishop and a silver in that corner. Exchange the pawn, land the silver, and either it promotes or the defender gives up material to stop it.
The name compares the silver to a pole thrust straight forward. Against a careful opponent it is not decisive on its own, but it teaches the whole idea of attacking: three pieces on one point.
How it goes together
Step through the moves, or press play.
Tap a move to jump to it. Arrow keys work once the board has focus.
Every move of the line, with reasons
| # | Black | White | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ▲７六歩 7g7f | △３四歩 3c3d | |
| 3 | ▲２六歩 2g2f | △８四歩 8c8d | The rook’s pawn goes first. |
| 5 | ▲２五歩 2f2e | △３三角 2b3c | White’s bishop has to guard 2d. |
| 7 | ▲３八銀 3i3h | △８五歩 8d8e | And the silver starts to climb. |
| 9 | ▲７七角 8h7g | △４二銀 3a4b | |
| 11 | ▲２七銀 3h2g | △３二金 4a3b | |
| 13 | ▲２六銀 2g2f | △６二銀 7a6b | Rook, pawn and silver on one file. |
| 15 | ▲１六歩 1g1f | △４一玉 5a4a | |
| 17 | ▲１五銀 2f1e | △５二金 6a5b | The silver steps to the edge, aiming at 2d from the side. |
| 19 | ▲２四歩 2e2d | △同歩 2c2d | The break. |
| 21 | ▲同銀 1e2d | △２三歩 P*2c | The silver lands on 2d, with a pawn in hand from the exchange. If the bishop takes it, the rook takes the bishop. White has to tap it away. |
| 23 | ▲１五銀 2d1e | △６四歩 6c6d | It steps back to the edge and waits. |
| 25 | ▲２四歩 P*2d | △同歩 2c2d | And comes again with a pawn from hand. |
| 27 | ▲同銀 1e2d | Same square again: the silver is back on 2d and the 2-file is broken open. |
The plan once you are set up
- Pawn first, silver behind it, rook behind both. Never the silver in front of the pawn.
- Break with the pawn when the silver is ready on 2f or 1e. The exchange on 2d costs nothing and opens the file.
- If the defender puts a pawn in front of your silver, step back to 1e and come again with a pawn from hand. Patience wins the file.
- Once the silver is established on 2d or 1d, the rook’s pawn promotes, or the bishop falls, or both. Do not rush the last step.
What to watch for
- Your own castle. The Climbing Silver uses the right side; the king must go left first, at least to a boat castle (king 7h, gold 5h, silver 4h).
- A ranging rook opponent leaves the bishop’s corner empty of targets. Against them the right silver climbs on a diagonal instead, 4h, 5g, 4f and on toward 3e: the diagonal Climbing Silver.
- A defender who exchanges the bishops early takes away the target. Then the same silver joins a Yagura attack instead.
What it is played against
A static rook that keeps its bishop on 3c. The line above is the primitive form, with white playing along; a strong defender gives ground earlier.
Play it against the bot.
The bot’s search levels, 9 to 12, open from a book that holds two of these openings, the Fourth File Rook and the Yagura; the Mino levels play the openings people play. Either way the review afterwards shows you where the game left the line. Try the line, then try the plan.