Practical Fischer glycosidation was effected at room temperature or 60℃ by using 5 to 10 equiv. of TMSCl. The anomeric propargyl group formed by this method was found to be a versatile new protecting group, being stable in neat TFA but readily cleaved by treatment with Co_2(CO)_8 and TFA in CH_2Cl_2 via the formation of an alkyne-Co complex.