Mino castle

The Mino castle (美濃囲い minō gakoi or 本美濃囲い hon minō gakoi) is a castle used in shogi.

Development

Mino castle is a defensive position that is considered easier for beginners, but still popular with professionals. (Mino is a historical province of Japan.) The King is placed in a safe position, while the three generals work well to back each other up. This is often used when a player chooses a Ranging Rook opening rather than a Static Rook opening.[1]

The Mino castle takes five steps to complete, not necessarily in this order:[2]

  1. Move the rook to the left side of the board. This move is often first.
  2. Move the king to where the rook started, three moves.
  3. Move the right-side silver up one space, so it is now adjacent to the king.
  4. Move the left-side gold diagonally up and right so that it is protected by the other gold general, which has not moved.
  5. (Optional) Move the first file edge pawn one square forward. This move, known as 懐 tokoro "(king's) inside pocket," gives the king an escape route in the endgame.[3]

In modern shogi against a Static Rook position, the preferred order (as in the Fujii System) is to push the edge pawn and build the castle first, before moving the king. If the Static Rook opponent considers Anaguma, then a Ranging Rook player has the option of making a rapid attack, while leaving the king on its initial square. If Static Rook chooses a rapid attack himself, then Ranging Rook will start moving the king into the castle.

Another common variant also advances the fourth file pawn to 46. This move reinforces the king's temple, the 37 square, from a bishop attack or defends from a knight being positioned on 55 also attacking the king's temple. It additionally makes way for a gold to advance to 47 in the development of a High Mino castle.

It is possible that a Mino castle can transition into a Right Yagura castle.

Incomplete Mino

Incomplete Mino
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        歩6
     歩歩歩 7
      銀玉 8
     金 桂香9
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Incomplete Mino or Half Mino (片美濃 kata Minō) is a Mino with the leftmost gold is missing.[2]

This is commonly seen as a transitional state when building a regular Mino since the leftmost gold is usually the last piece to move in the formation sequence.

However, an Incomplete Mino is also built for strategies (such as Opposing Rook) that use the gold on the other side of the board (where the rook is positioned). Also in Central Rook when the gold cannot move to the position that the rook is on.

High Mino

High Mino Advanced Knight
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     歩歩 歩6
    歩金桂歩 7
      銀玉 8
     金  香9
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The High Mino (高美濃 taka Minō) castle is a natural development from Mino castle when wanting to put pressure on a Static Rook opponent's castle or when being attacked from above as in a Double Ranging Rook game. Compared to a regular Mino, it allows the player a greater potential for offense on the right side of the board and is stronger at the top although somewhat weaker from the side.[4]

It is created from Mino, by pushing the 4th file pawn up to 46 (if it hasn't already) to make way for the gold that moves from 58. This strengthens the castle against attacks from the front and allows further piece development.

A common such development is having the 37 pawn also move up to 36 to allow space for the knight.[2] Moving the knight to 37 is optional but common. It's also possible to advance the fifth file pawn, which is defended by the 46 gold.

Silver Mino

A Silver Mino (銀美濃 gin minō) castle replaces the leftmost gold of a regular Mino castle with a silver.

When the leftmost silver is moved up from 58 to 47 as like the gold in a High Mino castle, this is also known as a Silver Mino. In this variant, the 38 is defended better, but the 58 square is now weaker.

As with the regular Mino, it's also standard to make an escape hatch for the king by advancing the first file pawn.

Silver Crown

The Silver Crown castle (銀冠 ginkanmuri) is often a further development from High Mino.

From a High Mino structure, the pawn above the king moves to 26 allowing the silver to position itself at the head of the king (27). Then, the gold on 49 moves to 38 to take the silver's former square.[2]

It is also typical for the knight to advance.

Silver Crown is stronger than both Mino and High Mino from above.[4]

Silver Crown Aerokin appears in the endgame when the king escapes to 17.

Silver Crown Aerokin
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     歩歩歩歩6
     金桂銀玉7
      金 香8
         9
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Silver Crown variants

A Silver Crown can also be built on the left side (Left Silver Crown 左銀冠 hidari ginkanmuri) for Static Rook positions.

A Left Silver Crown may also transition into a Left Silver Crown Anaguma (居飛車銀冠穴熊 ibisha ginkanmuri anaguma).

Edge King Silver Crown
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 歩歩      6
歩銀 歩     7
玉角金      8
香桂       9
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An Edge King Silver Crown (端玉銀冠 hashi gyoku ginkanmuri or hashi gyoku ginkan) has the king moved to the edge file. It is structurally similar to the Yonenaga King castle.

Kimura Mino

Yoshio Kimura

The Kimura Mino (木村美濃 kimura minō) castle was invented by player Yoshio Kimura.

In this variant, a gold 金 is positioned on 38 where the silver 銀 usually is and the silver is positioned where the gold usually is in a High Mino castle.

A Kimura Mino can be used with a Central Rook Silver Horns (ツノ銀中飛車 tsuno gin nakabisha) attacking formation.

Left Mino

Left Mino or Reverse Mino (左美濃 hidari minō) can be formed in a similar way to the right-side Mino with the king on 88.

Masuda Mino Silver Crown
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歩歩歩 歩    6
 銀 歩銀    7
 角金 金    8
香桂玉      9
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Castle Tower Mino

Tower Mino
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       角 2
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歩歩歩     6
 玉歩歩    7
 角銀 金    8
香桂 金     9
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There is also a common Left Mino variant known as Tower Mino (天守閣美濃 tenshukaku minō) that positions the king above the bishop's head, which allows the king to stay out of the diagonal of the opponent's bishop as shown to the right.[5]

Another reason for this 87 king position is because it is faster to create: the usual right-side Mino castle has the king positioned on the second file from the edge. However, on the left side this position is occupied by the bishop, so extra moves are required to move the bishop out of the king's way.

Four-Piece Mino

Four-Piece Mino
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歩歩歩      6
 玉銀歩歩    7
 角銀 金    8
香桂 金     9
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Four-piece Mino
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         1
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     歩歩 歩6
    歩 銀歩 7
    金 銀玉 8
     金 桂香9
☗ pieces in hand: –

Four Piece Mino (四枚美濃 yonmai minō)

Other Mino variants


  • Gold Mino (金美濃 kin minō)
  • Diamond Mino (ダイヤモンド美濃 daiyamondo minō)
  • Top Knot Mino (ちょんまげ美濃 chonmage minō)
  • Bald Mino (坊主美濃 bōzu minō)

Attacking Mino


See also

References

  1. ↑ Hosking 1997, pp. 49–50, Part 1, Chapter 8: Castles.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Hosking 1997, p. 50, Part 1, Chapter 8: Castles.
  3. ↑ Hodges, George, ed. (1977). Translated by Fairbairn, John. "Opening series: How to play the nakabisha, the central rook opening part 1". Shogi (6): 10–13.
  4. 1 2 Nishio 2014.
  5. ↑ Hosking 1997, p. 52, Part 1, Chapter 8: Castles.

Bibliography

  • Aono, Teruichi (2009) [First published in 1983]. Better Moves for Better Shogi. Translated by Fairbairn, John (2nd ed.). Ishi Press. ISBN 978-4-87187-999-6.
  • Fairbairn, John (1984). Shogi for Beginners. Ishi Press. ISBN 978-4-8718-720-10.
  • Hosking, Tony (1996). The Art of Shogi. The Shogi Foundation. ISBN 978-0-95310-890-9.
  • Kaneko, Takashi (2003). Storming the Mino Castle 200. Translated by Sams, Richard. Nekomado. ISBN 978-4905225058.
  • Kitao, Madoka (2011). Joseki at a glance. Translated by Kawasaki, Tomohide. Nekomado. ISBN 978-4-9052-2501-0.
  • Kitao, Madoka (2012). Edge attack at a glance. Translated by Kawasaki, Tomohide. Nekomado. ISBN 978-4-9052-2502-7.
  • Kitao, Madoka (2013). Sabaki at a glance. Translated by Kawasaki, Tomohide. Nekomado. ISBN 978-4-9052-2510-2.
  • Kitao, Madoka (2014). Ending attack at a glance. Translated by Kawasaki, Tomohide. Nekomado. ISBN 978-4-9052-2513-3.
  • 湯川, 博士 (2005). 振り飛車党列伝. 毎日コミュニケーションズ. ISBN 4-8399-1888-0.


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