What is Leg Spe? A Strategy in Bishop Exchange Ranging Rook
The Leg Spe strategy in shogi revolves around three key steps: moving your rook, exchanging bishops, and constructing a solid Anaguma castle. Watch out for potential bishop drops during the process.
Setting Up the Leg Spe
Step 1: Bishop Exchange Ranging Rook Formation
Let’s start by examining the standard approach for attacking from a Bishop Exchange Ranging Rook setup. First, open the bishop’s diagonal, move your rook to the 6th file (the 4th from the left), and continue developing your pieces. When your opponent moves their king, proceed with the bishop exchange.
Step 2: Transitioning to the Anaguma Castle
In the Leg Spe strategy, the piece formation begins from a Bishop Exchange Ranging Rook setup and transitions into an Anaguma castle. The key is to advance ▲1-8 Incense (香車) to allow your king to retreat safely into the right side and complete the Anaguma structure. In Leg Spe, the fundamental approach is to firmly establish the Anaguma castle before launching your attack.
Repositioning the Rook to the Opposite Rook Setup
How to Attack with the Leg Spe
The first step in launching the Leg Spe attack is to reposition your rook to the Opposite Rook (Mukai Bisha) formation. This involves moving your rook from the 6th file to the 8th file, setting up your attack along the 8th file.
Why Not Start with the Opposite Rook Right Away?
You might wonder why not place your rook on the 8th file from the beginning. The reason is that doing so could provoke a response such as △4-5 Kaku (bishop to 4-5), which would lead the game into a more complex variation of the Opposite Rook opening. This variation can be tricky to manage, especially for beginners, so it’s better to avoid it if you’re new to this strategy.
Setting Up the Attack
Once your rook is on the 8th file, you can begin your Leg Spe attack. If your opponent is not actively defending, you can apply pressure with the move ▲8-6 Pawn, setting up a direct offensive. The goal here is to exchange rooks.
If the rook exchange happens, both players will typically drop their rooks into the opponent’s camp and launch attacks. At this point, the key is to leverage your strong Anaguma castle and the exchanged rook to launch an aggressive attack in the endgame.
Dealing with the Opponent’s Defense
If your opponent doesn’t exchange rooks, you should advance your silver and target the pawn on 8-5.
The strategy of breaking through the 8th file with your rook and silver is a hallmark of the Leg Spe approach. This is quite similar to the Reverse Climbing Silver strategy, where the silver is advanced more aggressively. If you’re interested, I recommend checking out the article on the Reverse Climbing Silver as well.
Points to Watch Out For: Dealing with a Bishop Drop
If your opponent drops a bishop into your camp when you push ▲8-6 Pawn, it can lead to a tricky situation. The best response is ▲5-8 Rook, as this defends both the rook and stops the bishop from promoting. However, moving the rook off the 8th file allows your opponent to capture the pawn with △8-6 Pawn.
Pulling your rook back to the ninth rank lets you capture the bishop, but this gives your opponent a chance to attack along the 8th file. While the Ranging Rook side gains a material advantage in this exchange, the rook becomes inactive, creating challenges in the position.
Activating Your Rook is Key
The game from here depends on how well you can utilize your rook. Finding the right moment to activate it while maintaining your position is critical.
