KANI Castle Guide: Master the Unique Crab-Like Defense

The Kani Castle, named for its resemblance to a crab (the Japanese word for crab is “kani”), is a formation that is surprisingly effective despite its simplicity. It is easy to set up and offers strong defense with minimal risk of checks, while also allowing for easy piece movement.

You can either continue attacking with the Kani Castle or, if you have the flexibility, transform it into a Yagura formation. This formation is more commonly seen among advanced players than beginners.

How To Build A Kani formation

1. Open the bishop’s diagonal.
2. Move pawns up so that the silver generals can participate from either side.
3. Position both gold generals on the second rank.
4. Move the king into the castle.

One of the features of the Kani Castle is that the silver general can be used for both defense and offense. You can move the left silver general to the upper left if you want to use it for defense, or to the upper right if you want to use it for offense. This flexibility allows you to adapt your strategy based on your opponent’s tactics.

The Kani Castle is often used in fast-paced games due to its relatively quick setup. However, for a more solid defense, consider evolving into a more secure formation like Yagura or Gangi based on the opponent’s movements.

The lower rank is open and vulnerable to attacks from the sides. Be cautious when exchanging rooks! Also, watch out for attacks from the 1st file or 9th file, known as edge attacks.

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