Yagura opening

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Double Yagura variation
after 32 moves
☖ pieces in hand: –
987654321 
香桂     桂香1
 飛 銀  金王 2
歩  歩 金銀歩歩3
 歩歩角歩歩歩  4
         5
  歩歩歩 歩  6
歩歩銀金 歩銀歩歩7
 玉金角   飛 8
香桂     桂香9
☗ pieces in hand: –
A common variation. Both players' kings are fully inside Yagura castles. Black has advanced their right offensive silver to 37 while White's bishop is positioned on 64.

Yagura or Fortress (矢倉 or 櫓 yagura) is both a Static Rook opening (矢倉戦法 yagura senpō) and a castle in shogi.

A shogi opening is the sequence of initial moves of a shogi game before the middle game. The more general Japanese term for the beginning of the game is 序盤 joban.

In shogi, castles are strong defensive configurations of pieces that protect the king (玉).

Contents

It is usually played in a Double Static Rook opening, which is often a Double Yagura opening. However, it may also occur in different Double Static Rook openings such as Yagura vs Right Fourth File Rook.

The Yagura castle (矢倉囲い yagura gakoi), which is the defining characteristic of Yagura games, is considered by many to be one of the strongest defensive positions in Double Static Rook games. [1]

Yagura castle

Yagura or Fortress is a castle used in shogi. It is considered by many to be the strongest defensive position in shogi in Double Static Rook games.

The term yagura is the Japanese word for a tower-like structure in traditional Japanese castles.

Yagura (tower) Japanese word for tower etc.

Yagura is the Japanese word for "tower", "turret", "keep", or "scaffold". The word is most often seen in reference to structures in Japanese castle compounds but can be used in other situations as well. The bandstand tower erected for Bon Festival is often called a yagura, as are similar structures used in other festivals. Yagura-daiko is a traditional part of professional sumo competitions.

Double Yagura

Double Yagura
☖ pieces in hand: –
987654321 
香桂   王 桂香1
 飛 銀金 金  2
歩  歩  銀歩歩3
 歩歩角歩歩歩  4
         5
  歩歩歩 歩  6
歩歩銀金 歩銀歩歩7
  金角   飛 8
香桂 玉   桂香9
☗ pieces in hand: –

The most commonly encountered Yagura strategies occur in Double Yagura games where both players use a Yagura formation.

Historical Yagura

Earlier josekis for Yagura in the Edo period (usually spelled 櫓 at that time) were very different from the current josekis.

Edo period period of Japanese history

The Edo period or Tokugawa period (徳川時代) is the period between 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when Japanese society was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional daimyō. The period was characterized by economic growth, strict social order, isolationist foreign policies, a stable population, "no more wars", and popular enjoyment of arts and culture. The shogunate was officially established in Edo on March 24, 1603, by Tokugawa Ieyasu. The period came to an end with the Meiji Restoration on May 3, 1868, after the fall of Edo.

For instance, in one variation, it is White who delays pushing their rook pawn (whereas Black delays the rook pawn push in the modern era) and an early bishop trade occurs before both players' kings are moved into their castles.

vs Right Fourth File Rook

Yagura vs Right Fourth Rook
☖ pieces in hand: –
987654321 
香桂 金王金銀桂香1
   飛   角 2
歩 歩 歩歩 歩歩3
 歩  銀 歩  4
   歩     5
  歩歩歩  歩 6
歩歩  銀歩歩 歩7
 角金銀   飛 8
香桂  玉  桂香9
☗ pieces in hand: –

vs Snowroof

Yagura vs Traditional Snowroof
☖ pieces in hand: –
987654321 
香桂  角王 桂香1
 飛  金 金  2
歩   銀銀 歩歩3
  歩歩歩歩歩  4
 歩     歩 5
  歩歩歩    6
歩歩銀金銀歩歩 歩7
  金角   飛 8
香桂玉    桂香9
☗ pieces in hand: –
Position after move 32 in an Ōza match between Habu (Black) and Nakamura (White) on September 18, 2013.

The Snowroof strategy can be played against a Yagura opponent.

Modern Snowroof vs Yagura
☖ pieces in hand: –
987654321 
香桂   王角桂香1
 飛 銀  金  2
歩  歩 金銀歩歩3
  歩 歩歩歩  4
 歩     歩 5
  歩歩 歩歩  6
歩歩角銀歩銀桂 歩7
  金 金    8
香桂  玉  飛香9
☗ pieces in hand: –
Position after move 29 of Momoko Katou (Black) vs Daisuke Nakagawa (White) August 25, 2017.

vs White's Left Mino

1. P-76 P-84

2. S-68 P-34

3. P-66 S-62

4. P-56 P-54

5. S-48 G61-52

6. G49-58 S-32

7. G-67 P-44

8. S-77 G-43

9. B-79 B-31

10. P-36

See also

Related Research Articles

Shogi, like western chess, can be divided into the opening, middle game and endgame, each requiring a different strategy. The opening consists of arranging one's defenses and positioning for attack, the middle game consists of attempting to break through the opposing defenses while maintaining one's own, and the endgame starts when one side's defenses have been compromised.

Climbing Silver is a shogi strategy.

Static Rook openings in shogi typically have the player's rook at its start position, which is the second file for Black and the eighth file for White.

Left Silver-57 Rapid Attack or Left Silver-5g Rapid Attack or Left Silver-5g Quick Attack is a fast attacking strategy in shogi used with several different Static Rook openings often played by Black against Ranging Rook positions played by White. It is characterized by moving the left silver from its start position on 79 to the 57 square.

In shogi, Central Rook is a subclass of Ranging Rook openings in which the rook is positioned on the fifth (central) file.

In shogi, Fourth File Rook is a class of Ranging Rook openings in which the rook is initially positioned on the fourth file if played by White or the sixth file if played by Black.

In shogi, Retreating Rook is a variant of the Double Wing Attack opening and joseki in which Black's rook retreats all the way back to their camp after a pawn exchange in the eighth file allowing White to also exchange rook pawns.

The Double Yagura or Double Fortress is an opening in which both players construct Yagura formations.

In shogi, Snowroof or Snow Roof Fortress is a Static Rook opening that characteristically uses a Snowroof castle.

In shogi, Bishop Exchange Reclining Silver or Reclining Silver With Bishops Off or Bishop Exchange Sitting Silver is a Bishop Exchange opening that uses a Reclining Silver attacking formation.

In shogi, Spearing the Sparrow is one of the substrategies of the Yagura class of openings. The strategy is basically an edge attack on the first file if played by Black or the ninth file if played by White. The player's rook characteristically moves to the respective edge file to support an attack there along with the right knight, the edge pawn, the right lance, and the bishop.

In shogi, Morishita System is a Yagura opening.

In shogi, Waki System is a symmetrical Double Yagura opening.

In shogi, Central Rook Yagura is a Double Yagura opening.

In shogi, King's Head Vanguard Pawn or King's Side Vanguard Pawn is a Static Rook opening.

In shogi, the Yamada joseki is a joseki for a Rapid Attack Static Rook vs Fourth File Rook opening.

In shogi, Akutsu Rapid Attack Yagura is a Double Yagura opening.

References

  1. ↑ Fairbairn 1984.

Bibliography


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