Shogi proverbs

1 Gyoku/King

王手は追う手: Oote wa oote
Check your checks (lit. A check is a chasing move)
王手よりもばり（と必死）: Oote yori mo shibari (to hisshi)
Squeeze (and hisshi) first, check later
玉の守りは金銀三枚: Gyoku no mamori wa kin gin sammai
Defend the king with three generals
玉飛近すべからず: Gyoku hi chikasubekarazu
Don't put king and rook close to each other
玉と飛車は反対の位置へ: Gyoku to hisha wa hantai no ichi e
Move king and rook to opposite squares
玉は角筋を避けよ: Gyoku wa kakusuji o sake yo
Don't put the king on the bishop's diagonal
玉の早逃げは八手の得あり: Gyoku no hayanige wa hatte no toku ari
Early escape of the king gains eight moves
玉のコビンを狙え: Gyoku no kobin o nerae
Aim at the king's ears
玉は包むように寄せよ: Gyoku wa tsutsumu yoo ni yose yo
Approach the king by surrounding him
玉の退路を断て: Gyoku no tairo o tate
Cut off the king's escape route
玉は下段に落とせ: Gyoku wa gedan ni otose
Drive the king to the back rank
玉の腹から銀を打て: Gyoku no hara kara gin o ute
Drop a silver at the king's belly
居玉は避けよ: Igyoku wa sake yo
Avoid a sitting king (a sitting king is a sitting duck)
端玉には端歩: Hashigyoku ni wa hashifu
Against the edge king push the edge pawn
居玉には飛車より角: Igyoku ni wa hisha yori kaku
Against a sitting king the bishop is stronger than the rook
一段玉には二段飛車: Ichidan-gyoku ni wa nidan-hisha
Against the king on the first rank, the rook on the second rank
敵飛の位置を見て自玉を囲え: Tekihi no ichi o mite jigyoku o kakoe
Castle your king after seeing where the rook moves to

2 Fu/Pawn

一歩千金: Ichifu senkin
A pawn is worth a thousand golds
二歩千金: Nifu senkin
A double pawn is worth a thousand golds. (Apocryphal version of (1), from the cartoon 'Tokin no Shoo-chan' by Shintamo Atsushi.)
三歩持ったら継ぎ歩と端攻め: San-fu mottara tsugifu to hashizeme
With three pawns in hand, look for a joining pawns attack or an edge attack
歩のない将棋は負け将棋: Fu no nai shoogi wa makeshoogi
Without pawns (in hand) the game is lost
歩詰めに詰みあり: Fuzume ni tsumi ari
If there is a mate with a pawn drop, there is a legal mate too
仕掛けは歩の突き捨てから: Shikake wa fu no tsukisute kara
Start the fight with a pawn sacrifice
手のない将棋は端歩を突け: Te no nai shoogi wa hashifu o tsuke
If you're stuck for moves, push the edge pawn
端に手あり: Hashi ni te ari
There is always a move at the edge
中合に妙手あり: Chuuai ni myooshu ari
Interposing a pawn makes a splendid move
二枚換えなら歩ともせよ: Nimaigae nara fu to mose yo
Take two pieces for one even if they are pawns
と金のおそ早: Tokin no osohaya
The tokin is faster than you think
５三のと金に負けなし: Go-san no tokin ni make nashi
A tokin on 5c cannot lose
飛先の交換三つの得あり: Hisaki no kookan mittsu no toku ari
Exchanging the rook pawn has three advantages
金底の歩は岩より固し: Kinsoko no fu wa iwa yori katashi
A pawn-anchored gold is more solid than a rock
歩越銀は歩で受けよ: Fugoshigin wa fu de uke yo
Against the silver in front of its pawns, defend with a pawn
歩越銀は急戦、歩内金は持久戦: Fugoshigin wa kyuusen, fu-uchikin wa jikyuusen
Silver in front of its pawns -- quick attack, gold behind its pawns -- slow game
矢倉囲に端歩を突くな: Yaguragakoi ni hashifu o tsuku na
In the Yagura, don't push the edge pawn
矢倉囲に端歩を突くべし: Yaguragakoi ni hashifu o tsukubeshi
In the Yagura, push the edge pawn
横歩三年のわずらい: Yokofu sannen no wazurai
To take the side-pawn is to grasp the nettle (obs.)
横歩を取れ: Yokofu o tore
Just take the side pawn
角換わり将棋に５筋を突くな: Kakugawari shoogi ni go suji o tsuku na
In the Bishop Exchange, don't push the central pawn
公郷の位倒れ: Kuge no kuraidaore
A vanguard pawn is difficult to maintain (lit. The court noble can not live up to his rank)
５五の位は天王山: Go-go no kurai wa Tennoozan
The 5e vanguard pawn is the Tenno Mountain
合せ歩で位を奪還: Awasefu de kurai o dakkan
Recapture the vanguard pawn with the opposing pawn (tesuji)
美濃囲いには端攻め: Minoogakoi ni wa hashizeme
Against the Mino, an edge attack
矢倉には継ぎ歩攻め: Yagura ni wa tsugifuzume
Against the Yagura, the joining pawns attack
焦点に歩を打て: Shooten ni fu o ute
Drop a pawn on the focal point

3 Kei to kyoo/Knight and Lance

桂馬の高とび歩の餌食: Keima no takatobi fu no ejiki
The knight that jumps far falls prey to a pawn
桂馬は控えて打て: Keima wa hikaete ute
Drop the knight towards the rear
三桂あれば詰まぬことなし: San-kei areba tsumanu koto nashi
With three knights in hand, there must be a mate
香は下段から打て: Kyoo wa gedan kara ute
Drop the lance on the back rank
香は離して打て: Kyoo wa hanashite ute
Drop the lances at a distance

4 Kin to gin/Gold and Silver

金なし将棋に受け手なし: Kin nashi shoogi ni uke-te nashi
Without gold in hand there is no defence
金は止めに残せ: Kin wa todome ni nokose
Save the gold till the end (for the coup the grace)
金は斜めに誘え: Kin wa naname ni sasoe
Entice the gold diagonally forwards
金銀の逆形は無筋なり: Kin-gin no gyakukei wa musuji nari
With gold and silver reversed (gold standing above silver), you're bound to get in trouble
一段金に飛車捨てあり: Ichidan kin ni hishasute ari
With a gold on your back rank you can sacrifice the rook
銀は千鳥に使う: Gin wa chidori ni tsukae
Use the silver like a plover (moving zigzag)
壁銀を直せ: Kabegin o naose
Mend the wall-silver
桂先の銀定跡なり: Keisaki no gin jooseki nari
Silver at the head of the (opponent's) knight is the standard move

5 Hi to kaku/Rook and Bishop

大駒は近づけて受けよ: Oogoma wa chikazukete uke yo
Defend against major pieces by drawing them closer
大駒の捨てどころ肝要なり: Oogoma no sute-dokoro kanyoo nari
Don't be afraid to sacrifice major pieces
飛角の捨て場肝腎なり: Hi-kaku no suteba kanjin nari
Don't be afraid to sacrifice rook or bishop
序盤は飛車より角: Joban wa hisha yori kaku
In the opening the bishop is more important than the rook
竜は敵陣に、馬は自陣: Ryuu wa tekijin ni, uma wa jijin
The dragon to the enemy camp, the horse to your own
飛車の横利き受けに強し: Hisha no yokogiki uke ni tsuyoshi
The sideways action of the rook is strong in defence
飛車と玉はコビンが弱い: Hisha to gyoku wa kobin ga yowai
Rook and king are weak at the ears
飛車の手兵は銀: Hisha no shuhei wa gin
The rook's page is the silver
振飛車には角交換を狙え: Furibisha ni wa kakukookan o nerae
Against the ranging rook aim at bishop exchange
角には角で対抗: Kaku ni wa kaku de taikoo
Oppose bishop with bishop (Against bishop resist with bishop)
遠見の角に妙手あり: Toomi no kaku ni myooshu ari
With a watchtower bishop there is bound to be a brilliant move
持久戦には角が主役: Jikyuusen ni wa kaku ga shuuyaku
In a slow game the bishop has the leading role

6 Other

敵の打ちたいところへ打て: Teki no uchitai tokoro e ute
Drop where your opponent wants to drop
両取り逃げるに及ばず: Ryootori nigeru ni oyobazu
Don't run from a fork
両取り逃げるべからず: Ryootori nigerubekarazu
Don't run from a fork
遊び駒を活用せよ: Asobigoma o katsuyou se yo
Activate idle pieces
浮き駒を狙え: Ukigoma o nerae
Aim at floating pieces
離れ駒に手あり: Hanaregoma ni te ari
If there are loose pieces, you won't be stuck for a move
終盤（寄せ）は駒の損得より速度: Shuuban (yose) wa koma no sondoku yori sokudo
In the endgame (yose) speed is more important than material
攻めるは守るなり: Semeru wa mamoru nari
Attack is the best defence
攻めない将棋に勝目なし: Seme nai shoogi ni kachime nashi
Without attack, there is no chance of winning
攻めの足場を残せ: Seme no ashiba o nokose
Keep the foothold for the attack
勝ち将棋は鬼の如し: Kachishoogi wa oni no gotoshi
A won game is like a devil
うますぎる読み筋には注意せよ: Umasugiru yomisuji ni wa chuui se yo
Take heed of too skillful lines
悪手は悪手をよぶ: Akushu wa akushu o yobu
A bad move invites more bad moves
俗手に妙手があり: Zokute ni myooshu ga ari
A vulgar move may be brillian
岡目八目: Okame hachimoku
The bystander sees the best of the game (Lookers-on always see more than the players)
攻めは飛角銀桂: Seme wa hi kaku gin kei
Attack with rook, bishop, silver and knight
寄せは俗手で: Yose wa zokute de
In the endgame a vulgar move is alright
詰みより必死: Tsumi yori hisshi
Hisshi (brinkmate) is better than mate