Funa Gakoi [Boat Castle]: Complete Guide

The Funa Gakoi / 舟囲い (aka the Boat Castle) resembles a king sitting in a boat. “Funa” means “boat” in Japanese.

At this stage, the castle is already formed, but it can evolve into various shapes from here. Will you use the right silver for offense? Or will you strengthen your defense? From this point, the direction of the game can branch into either a quick attack or a prolonged battle, with the choice of castle shape adapting accordingly to your strategy.

How To Build A Boat formation

1. Open the bishop’s diagonal.
2. Advance the right silver and make sure it is ready for use.
3. Move the king to the castle’s key position.
4. Move the right gold general to the second rank to strengthen defense against side attacks.

The basic principle of defense is to castle your king on the opposite side of your rook. This is because it places the king far from the battlefield. Additionally, if your opponent is playing Ranging Rook, it also keeps your king far from their rook. In Static Rook vs. Ranging Rook matches, building your castle on the left side makes a lot of sense.

Since you’ve chosen Static Rook, your next move will likely be advancing the pawn on the 2nd file. There are cases where you might opt for a rapid attack by deploying the right silver early, but in most situations, it’s better to develop your castle further before initiating battle. Observe where your opponent has positioned their rook and adapt your strategy accordingly.

In actual games, it’s common to develop into solid castles like Ibisha Anaguma, Left Mino, or Tenshukaku Mino. There are many options to evolve from the Boat Castle, allowing for flexible responses depending on the opponent’s moves. In recent years, shifting to the elmo Castle, which provides reasonable defense with fewer moves, has also become increasingly popular.

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