Double Yagura (AiYagura-相矢倉)

Today i am going to give you a little info on Double Yagura opening.Yagura is a Static Rook opening and a castle as well.Usually when one player utilizes the Yagura,so does the second,but this is not "mandatory",as we can also see 4th-File Rook vs Yagura or even 3rd-File Rook Left Mino vs Yagura,Gangi vs Yagura etc.Though building a Yagura castle is considered best fro both sides since it gives interesting and beautiful games,while having a solid castle.It is not a surprise that in the shogi database  https://shogidb2.com/strategies Yagura is first in use as a battle pattern/plan so this indicates its importance and value to be used by both sente and gote.

In case of a Double Yagura this is the main formation that arises with whichever move order possible(New Yagura,Old Yagura): (Gote to move)

In Double Yagura both sides try to attack the central pawn of the 3 that are part of the Yagura Castle by firstly moving the knight to 3g for Sente and 7c for Gote and then pushing 4f,4e for Sente and 6d,6e for Gote.Also,another vulnerable point of the Yagura is the edge pawn of the castle which both players try to undermine,sometimes even with bishop sacrifices,moving or dropping the Knight on the e-row and forking the pawn and the silver,or even by utilizing strategies like Spearing The Sparrow,which means moving the Lance forward and then supporting it by moving the Rook on the edge behind it.

In a Double Yagura formation you have to remember that Sente is bound to attack while Gote is bound to defend,since due to the symmetry sente has the initiative.

Below i put some links in case you want to find more info:
http://mangafox.me/manga/81_diver/v13/c135/1.html (It says a little about Double Yagura)
http://dota2kupo.byethost32.com/openings/yagura/yagura.php
http://www.shogi.net/nexus/ukekata/part4.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdcMTPItiew(An analysis of a Double Yagura game between Satoshi and Habu)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yagura#/media/File:Funai_Castle_02.jpg (The structure that Yagura Castle was based on)

Right 4th File Rook (Migi Shikenbisha-右四間飛車)

Right Fourth File Rook (右四間飛車 migi shikenbisha) is a Static Rook opening/attacking formation which utilizes the power of the rook,the knight and the silver.
As the name suggests the rook is moved to the right 4th file,meaning 4th file for sente or 6th file for gote.In the attacking formation the knight is moved to 3g(sente) or 7c(gote) and the silver to 5f(sente) or 5d(gote).
Sente's aim is to attack the 4d square,usually by using the bishop as well.
This is a standard position:

It can be used with Left-Mino Castle,Left-Anaguma Castle mainly.
Furthermore,it is usually used versus 4th File Rook as a counter/defensive-offensive formation where both players usually form a Left-Mino Castle.


Here i provide some links of games you can find useful for more information on this opening:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RIaUZKVOU0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=towQQA_Wtu0
http://shoginyan.blogspot.gr/2014/12/right-side-fourth-file-rook-by-nyanko.html

Snowroof Castle (Gangi Gakoi-雁木)

Hello guys,this is my first shogi post/blogspot,so feel free to correct me if i am wrong or if i can make things better for you.
I decided to start things off with a little info about the Gangi castle in shogi.
Gangi or snowroof is a castle formation that resembles the roofs of houses.

(Here is a link to show you where it took its name from: http://l7.alamy.com/zooms/1a9b41a324464d1bb39c8f39763eb4d7/japan-koshinnetsu-region-niigata-prefecture-itoigawa-hakusan-shrine-ex8d96.jpg)

It is used as a castle formation in static rook openings.This is it's typical formation.

Some themes that may arise are:
1)The Bishop route:B7g-B5i-B2f/B3g which aims to attack an opponent's castled king towards it's rook side,so used against ranging rook opponents.
2)The Bishop opening:P6e opening the bishop's diagonal,which collaborates well with R4h and N3g,giving and almost Right 4th file rook formation,without the silver on 5e.Furthermore,the user can play P-4e,S-4f and N-3g for a more attacking scheme.
3)Another theme is that via the bishop route from 7g can end at 2f and then the rook can be moved to the 3rd file,adopting a sleeve rook formation.
4)P-8f,Gold General from 7h to 8g and B7g.Then the king can either stay at his initial gangi position(6i) or move in the front 7 or 6 h,having as protection a huge "shield" of pawns defended by generals and the bishop,or the player can try to pierce through with the help of the left gold general and the bishop,and reach the opponent's territory and make it harder to get mated.


Usually as the game progresses,when the bishop is moved to 7g,the king leaves 6i and goes to 7i or 8h.

The opening can take a more defensive formation in case the opponent goes for a ranging rook strategy,simply by swapping places between the king's position and the left gold general's position.
There is always the option of changing gangi and trying to build a silver yagura castle.

It is an opening that it is rarely seen nowadays,though there are games where it is used from time to time.For example a game from 2012-09-19 Sente: Habu Yoshiharu and Gote: Watanabe Akira, Oza.
Here Watanabe employed the Gangi Castle.


Below i will provide some links in case you want to find more info.

http://live.shogi.or.jp/ouza/kifu/61/ouza201309180101.html
http://www.shogi24.com/YB_2012.pdf
http://yamajunnshoginews.blogspot.gr/2009/09/shogi-game-record-unclssified-gangi.html
http://shogienespanol.blogspot.gr/2015/12/castillo-gangi.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowroof
http://japanesechess.org/gsdb/index.php?collection=first_40_moves (Kifu 58-60)
http://www.shogi-rule.com/category7/entry27.html
http://dic.nicovideo.jp/a/%E9%9B%81%E6%9C%A8%E5%9B%B2%E3%81%84

I hope it helps give you a glimpse of this shogi opening!!!