Gangi Castle Guide: Mastering the Formation (aka Snowroof)
| Your Strategy | Static Rook |
| Opponent’s Strategy | Static Rook |
| Pros | Strong against attacks from above. |
| Cons | Vulnerable to attacks from below. |
| Move count | 15 |
Unlike the Yagura formation, in the Gangi Castle, the silver general advances to 6-7 instead of 7-7. This keeps the bishop in its original position, allowing for immediate offensive potential. Although the king seems somewhat exposed outside the castle, the silver on 6-7 offers protection. In many cases, keeping the king on 6-9 can be safer than advancing it to 8-8, as the head of the king would otherwise be relatively vulnerable.
In the Gangi formation, the silver general leads the way, and the overall shape resembles an arrow pointing towards the opponent’s side. In English, this formation is sometimes referred to as the “Snow Roof Fortress” or “Zigzag.”
How To Build A Gangi formation
- Open the bishop’s diagonal and advance both silver generals.
- Position both gold generals on the second rank.
- Move the king into the castle.
- Finally, push the pawn to 6-5, opening up the bishop’s line for an aggressive push.
Typically, the king only moves one square to the left from its starting position, making the setup faster than Yagura, allowing for quicker offensive maneuvers.
One common approach is to use the Right Fourth File Rook (Rook on 4-8), which allows the right silver and knight to participate actively in the attack.
When under attack, the Gangi’s open king position provides escape routes in all directions (up, left, and right), allowing flexible responses based on the opponent’s moves.
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