Tenjiku Openings

Demon Pawn - Quick Attack Opening.

1: P 7l-7k   2: SE 5d-3f    3: BG 6m-8k    4: P 4e-4f    5: Fi 7n-6k
The quick attack. The Fire Demon has three targets.
a: 9j then 14e or 9e b: 6h then 9e or 8e c: 2g winning the SE
6: P 10e-10f
Whites turn to play some forcing moves and try to cover the black threats. Variation Ln-7n
1: Ln 9o-7n   2: VG 9d-15j   3: K 9p-9o   4: VG 15j-14j   5: BG 11mx14j
6: GG 8dx14j   7: K 9o-9p   8: GG 14jx10n9: LH    9nx10n-11m   10: Ky 7b-5b
11: BG 8kx3f   12: WB 6cx3f   13: Fi 6k-2gx!1 14: LH 8c-6c   15: Fi 2gx3ex!5
16: DH 4c-1f
7: SE 12m-14k 8: BG 11d-9f
The same attack as black, covers a black frontal attack from 9j.
9: P 13l-13k    10: RG 7dx7m+
This opens a valuable square in defence and give 1 less piece to a Fire Demon attack
11: FE 8nx7m
Taking with the lion gives a flight square for the king but has less attacking value. Here the Free Eagle covers 7j and in some lines the Great General may want to check from 8n.
12: P 8e-8f
Now the Fire Demon can come to 7f to defend against black Fi-6h if needed.
The VG covers 6c.
13: BG 8kx3f One possible line.
(Not 13: Fi-2gx! WBx2g VGx2g VG-6c).
14: WB 6cx3f     15: Fi 6k-2gx!1     16: B 3c-2b
Black has a WB and SE for a BG.
Note if the Fire Demon takes the Kylin then the black Fire Demon burns first and the King survives!
VG-6c may be better than B-2b.

Demon Pawn - Four birds opening

1: P 7l-7k 2: SE 5d-3f 3: HF 4m-4k
This is intended to keep the white BG in check.
4: P 10e-10f White can try other routes here, such as 4:HF-13f
5: SE 12m-14k 6: P 9e-9f
Blocking the Horned Falcon as the Bishop General can't go to 9f, but it may be best to let the BG go and gain two moves. That exchange loss is not too great in the opening.
Variation 1. 1: HF 4k-3k (The sliding falcon (not good)) 2: P 8e-8f
3: HF 3k-2k 4: P 7e-7f Now black has a few options.
Variation 2. 1: HF 4k-1h 2: P 4e-4f 3: HF 1hx3f 4: WB 6cx3f
5: BG 6m-8k 6: LH 8c-6c and black has nothing.
7: SE 5m-3k - Attack the SE with SE now. Bringing the BG to 8k would produce a different opening.
8: P 4e-4f - If instead HF-4f then blacks HF-1h is strong.
Variation. 1: SE 3kx3f 2: WB 6cx3f 3: HF 4k-1h
White has many options, but NOT WBx1h
9: HF 13m-13k - Covers 8f and 9g "Four birds opening"
10: BG 11d-10e - May not be the best option Aiming at 13h to attack the Vice General and free the white Fire Demon.
11: P 9l-9k - Stops BG-13h. Variation. 1: BG 10e-13h (a blunder)
2: VG 8mx13h 3: VG 9dx13h 4: Fi 7n-12ix!1
12: HF 13d-13f
This is one possible white continuation. Any major piece development in the centre is now hampered by the black Eagle and Falcon's.

Demon Pawn - Edge Falcon

1: P 7l-7k   2: SE 5d-3f   3: HF 13m-13k   4: P 8e-8f
If 1: P 10e-10f 2: HF 13k-16k 3: BG 11d-10e 4: SE 12m-14k
(Not HFx10e when Fi-11dx! wins) 5: Fi 10c-11d 6: HF 4m-4k
5: P 9l-9k   Black could also try BG-8k or SE-3k;
1: BG 6m-8k 2: VG 9d-3j After P8f this is now the defence to the BG attack!   3: VG 8m-6m 4: HF 13d-13f - Good for white.
1: SE 5m-3k 2: P 4e-4f 3: BG 6m-11h (If BG-8k, SEx3k; Px3k, P-10f;
HF-16k, VG-11g. Aiming for 13i to for the GG and mate on 16h)
4: RG 7dx7m* 5: Fi 7n-6k 6: WB 6cx11h 7: Fi 6k-2gx!1 8: VG 9d-6c
6: P 10e-10f   7: HF 13k-16k   8: VG 9d-11g   9: VG 8m-12i

Vice Pawn Opening- First Line.

1: P 8l-8k 2: P 10e-10f    P-9f would be one alternative line here.
But not 2: SE 5d-7f This makes it easy for black...
1: SE 5d-7f 2: VG 8m-6k 3: P 4e-4f 4: Fi 7n-9k 5: SE 7f-9f (or P-9f)
6: Fi 9k-6h and Fix9e or 8e is nasty.
Another alternative is 2:SE 5d-3f...
1: SE 5d-3f ...
a). 2:VG-6k now would transpose into the main line.
b) 2: SE 5m-3k Trying to make VG-6k count
3: P 4e-4f Making sure VG-6k is a non forcing move.
4: SE 12m-14k In that case take the sting out of P-10f
5: P 10e-10f 6: P 13l-13k Not needed yet, but both sides are preempting
7: BG 11d-9f 8: VG 8m-7j - The VG here forms a shield for the black Fi-7k if wanted and stops whites Fi-11f
c). 2: VG 8m-10k Not a good move.   3: P 10e-10f 4: SE 12m-14k
5: BG 11d-9f 6: P 13l-13k 7: RG 10dx10k 8: P 10lx10k
9: Fi 10c-11f and white stands better.
d}. 2: VG-7j now Ln-8m is forced in reply to P-10f. If white then plays VG-13h to win the Fi, black plays VG-4i. Forking mate and taking a Fi in sente.
3: SE 12m-14k 4: BG 11d-9f 5: P 13l-13k
5: SE-16i Must be bad... 1: SE 14k-16i 2: Fi 10c-11f What does black do now? if... 3: P 13l-13k 4: Fi 11f-15jx!1 The Fi is safe 5: WB 11nx15j Makes matters even worse 6: VG 9dx15j mate
6: P 8e-8f
If instead.. 1: SE 5d-7f 2: VG 8m-6k 3: P 4e-4f 4: Fi 7n-9k
( SE-6f seems fine here)   5: VG 9d-11f (This is correct AFTER Fi-13i)
6: Fi 9k-6h Now white has big problems   7: RG 7dx7m+ Reducing the pieces to be burnt. 8: FE 8nx7m (Not Lnx7m, the 8n square is needed)
9: SE 7f-8f 10: Fi 6hx7ex!5 11: Fi 7cx7e 12: GG 9m-8n Mate
If this square was not free GG-8m would be met with Fix7lx!6
7: VG 8m-6k 8: SE 5d-3f 9: Fi 7n-9k   Var: HF 4m-4k
If instead.. 1: HF 4m-4k 2: BG 9f-10g 3: VG 6k-4h 4: P 4e-4f
5: VG 4hx8d* 6: Ky 7b-5b 7: Fi 7n-9k
10: RG 7dx7m+ 11: Ln 9ox7m 12: HF 4d-4f 13: Fi 9k-13gx!1   Var : Fi-7j
If instead.. 1: Fi 9k-7j (Main threat is Fi-4gx!3) 2: Fi 7c-7f   easily met.
14: VG 9d-11f 15: VG 6kx11f 16: Fi 10cx11f 17: Fi 13gx11fx!3
18: LH 8cx11f - White is happy with this.

Demon Pawn - Double doors

1: P 7l-7k 2: SE 5d-3f 3: P 9l-9k 4: P 10e-10f 5: SE 12m-14k
6: P 8e-8f White must not play BG-9f here e.g.
1: BG 11d-9f 2: VG 8m-14g 3: VG 9d-11d 4: VG 14g-13i
5: VG 11d-11g 6: VG 13i-15h 7: VG 11g-11d 8: Fi 7n-14g
9: VG 11dx15h* 10: Fi 14gx14ex!5
7: HF 4m-4k
Now White must play 8.BG-9f or 8.P-4f or something similar but not the original move given here, 8.HF 13d-13f ???
Black has a great answer to that (discovered by Guenther Mensching)
The original position is given as a problem below.

Centre Eagle Opening - Bishop General counter.

1: SE 12m-10k   2: P 10e-10f   3: P 13l-13k   4: BG 11d-10e
Mate threat. - Instead, white could play
1: SE 5d-7f 2: P 7l-7k 3: P 4e-4f 4: BG 6m-7l
5: SE 7f-6g 6: BG 7l-3h now 7: RG 7dx7m*
What if white takes this suicide exchange. (P-7f was best.)
8: Fi 7n-6m 9: HF 13d-13f 10: Fi 6m-9k Forks 13g, 9e and 6g.
or white could play 1: VG 9d-14i 2: SE 10k-12i
3: VG 14ix10m* 4: P 7l-7k 5: SE 5d-3f 6: VG 8m-4i Forked
5: SE 10k-11j Interesting defence, covers many vital points
6: BG 10e-14i To win exchange and trap the Fi or get a free move.
7: P 7l-7k   8: SE 5d-3f   9: P 10l-10k   10: SE 12d-14f
Stops GG-14h - Example to show the power of GG-14h.
1: Fi 10c-11d   2: GG 9m-14h Threatens mate on 14g, 15h and 1h.
3: VG 9d-13h No good but just for show   4: SE 11jx13h
5: SE 12d-14f 6: GG 14h-14g 7: SE 14fx14g 8: VG 8mx14g Mate
11: HF 4m-4k
If instead 1: BG 11m-6h (Too early) then 2: Fi 10c-11d
3: HF 4m-4k 4: Fi 11d-11g 5: BG 6hx10d+ 6: Fi 11g-11ix!1
7: +BG 10dx9d 8: FE 9cx9d 9: Ky 10o-12o 10: Fi 11ix9lx!5
11: LH 9nx9l 12: GG 8d-9c 13: K 9p-10o   14: GG 9c-10c
15: K 10o-9p 16: GG 10cx10n.
12: HF 4d-4f A tense game, unsettled.