Nakazumai: Central House Castle – Strong Against Aggressive Openings
| Your Strategy | Static Rook |
| Opponent’s Strategy | Static Rook |
| Pros | Can handle aggressive strategies. |
| Cons | Not suitable for prolonged battles. |
| Move count | The setup is created when the king moves to the 5th file, 2nd rank, and various configurations are possible. |
Nakazumai, also known as the “Central House,” is a formation where the king is positioned centrally in the player’s camp, specifically on the second rank of the 5th file. As the name suggests, this setup emphasizes keeping the king in a central location, allowing it to be completed in a minimum of 2 moves.
It is mainly used in response to aggressive openings such as the “Double Wing Attack” (相掛かり) and the “Side Pawn Picker” (横歩取り).
The Nakazumai offers both strength and simplicity in defense.
How To Build A Nakazumai formation
- Open the bishop’s diagonal.
- Place the left gold generals on top of the left silver generals to prepare for intense attacks from bishops and rooks.
- Move the king to the safe position at Central House(5-8).
- Advance the right silver general to the second rank and bring the right gold general to 3-8 to strengthen the position beside the king.
It is also acceptable to open the bishop’s diagonal after building the castle.
The key point of the Nakazumai Castle is placing the king on the second rank. This positioning maintains balance and makes it easier to resist attacks. By effectively utilizing the coordination of the gold and silver generals, rather than just strengthening the king, the setup ensures that the overall formation is balanced and free of gaps, making it less vulnerable to attacks.
While the direction of the opponent’s attack may vary depending on the game’s development, the king can escape to either side, allowing for relatively flexible resistance even after breakthroughs.
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