Shogi glossary
Tapping pawn (tataki)
Japanese: 叩きの歩
In shogi, a tapping pawn (tataki no fu) is a pawn dropped directly in front of an enemy piece to attack it. The opponent must capture it, move away or lose the piece, and each choice can pull a defender onto a worse square.
A pawn dropped right in front of an enemy piece to force it to capture or move.
What tapping achieves
Tapping a gold or silver in a castle invites it to capture forward, away from its king. A piece pulled up one square leaves a hole behind it and may land where a knight or another drop can hit it. Tapping the king's head works the same way, drawing the king forward onto a square where a gold drop or another piece can mate it. A pawn drop that gives check is legal as long as it is not immediate mate.
Winning a trapped piece
Tapping also wins pieces that have nowhere to go. Suppose White's rook on 1b is boxed in by its own lance on 1a and pawn on 2b, and Black has a silver on 2d. A pawn dropped on 1c attacks the rook; it has no free square, and if it captures the pawn, the silver takes it. A one-point pawn wins a ten-point rook.
Check before tapping
Nifu applies, so the file must be free of your own unpromoted pawns. The captured pawn also joins the opponent's hand, so make sure that gift does not help their defense.
FAQ
Why is it called a tapping pawn?
The Japanese tataki means hitting or striking. The pawn hits its target from directly in front, on its head, usually as a deliberate one-pawn sacrifice.
I don't do defense. Hope you brought a castle!
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