Left Mino Castle: How to Build and Use It
| Your Strategy | Static Rook |
| Opponent’s Strategy | Ranging Rook |
| Pros | Strong against attacks from the sides. |
| Cons | Weak against attacks from above. |
| Move count | 7 |
The Hidari Mino Castle / 左美濃囲い (aka Left Mino) is mainly used in Static Rook vs. Ranging Rook battles. It is strong against attacks from above but has a weakness against attacks from the side.
The term “Hidari” (左) in “Hidari Mino Castle” means “left” in English.
Does having a left option imply that there is also a right option? —The answer is yes! The Right Mino is indeed the most commonly chosen solid formation in Double Ranging Rook games.
The Left Mino is a Mino formation built on the left side for Static Rook vs. Ranging Rook games.
How To Build A Left Mino formation
- Open the bishop’s diagonal.
- Move the king closer to the castle.
- Move the right gold general to the second rank to strengthen defense against side attacks.
- Move the bishop up and bring the king into the castle.
- Move the left silver general up to the second rank to strengthen the position.
- Advance the edge pawn to secure an escape route for the king.
The Left Mino offers a good balance of move count, coordination between the gold and silver generals, and king safety. Depending on the situation, it can also be developed into even stronger formations like the Anaguma.
The GIF animation shows a direct way to build the Left Mino, but many players first set up the Boat Castle and then change it into the Left Mino.
You know that since shogi is a competitive game against an opponent, it is often the case that you cannot follow your planned moves exactly. In such situations, this flexibility is one of the advantages of the Mino castle system.
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