waiting knight; knight placed to block the king's escape
A shogi tactic where a knight is positioned in advance to cut off the opponent king's escape route, often used in endgame mating sequences.
In the endgame, the waiting knight became the decisive move.
Compound of 待ち (machi, 'waiting') and 駒 (koma, 'piece'), referring to a knight placed in anticipation of the king's escape.