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Gold has just captured a silver dog in f6, and several more captures could quickly follow. |
A race position occurs when both sides can make quick progress in different parts of the board. A race will slow or stop when one side chooses defense over offense. If too many captures occur, however, there will be few pieces left to use for defense. It is thus important to avoid or quickly exit a race that one cannot ultimately win.
In the position at right, each side left a home trap vulnerable. Silver has a strong attack on c3, but has already lost a dog in f6 and will lose his camel if he doesn't use two steps to save it. If Silver goes for an all-out race, he will immediately capture the c2 horse rather than save his camel. If Gold does indeed capture the silver camel, Silver will then capture the b2 dog or d2 cat. Gold could then exit the race by moving his elephant to the southwest to stop the cleanup in c3. In the actual game, Gold continued to race and predictably lost, as Silver's attack on c3 was too strong to be ignored. Had the gold elephant defended c3 after capturing the silver camel, however, Gold might have gotten strong threats on both wings, as his superior eastern forces could have advanced while his elephant threatened the western silver horse. Silver might then have regretted racing.
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This race centers around goal threats and trap control. |
A strong goal threat may change the course of a race. 37g and 38g of this game forced Silver to defend goal rather than continue a cleanup which might have soon forced a silver goal. On 38s, Silver had to stop the d6 rabbit; merely freezing it in place would not be enough, as Gold could unfreeze and unblock it with Dc7s rd7w, leaving two steps for goal. If Silver used his elephant to stop this goal, his own threats in the east would be gone. A strong 38s might have been mg6ww Rd6s me6w; this would preserve Silver's eastern threats, delay Gold's threats, and even threaten the c7 dog. Gold could respond with Eb5en md6e Ec6e, reasserting full control of the c6 trap. If Silver then captured the gold camel, Gold could capture the b6 horse and again threaten goal on the next turn. Silver's material advantage might still win out, however, as he can defend and attack simultaneously.
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Silver would have strong goal threats if the f2 silver horse were active; the gold elephant is thus restricted, and Gold's advanced pieces are at risk. |
While down two rabbits in this game, Silver saw a winning race. 21s mf7w dd7s me7w He6n threatened the gold camel and both gold horses. Due to potential silver goal threats, the gold elephant had to remain in the south until the f2 horse could be captured. By the time this happened, the board was rapidly clearing. The 30g camel capture was Gold's final mistake, as the gold elephant could not then stop Silver's eastern goal.
A race often begins with trap attacks. One losing such a race might exit it before any piece is lost; the elephant can defend at home, allowing for a slow counterattack.