Fortress opening

Double Fortress variation
after 32 moves
☖ pieces in hand: –
987654321 
香桂     桂香1
 飛 銀  金王 2
歩  歩 金銀歩歩3
 歩歩角歩歩歩  4
         5
  歩歩歩 歩  6
歩歩銀金 歩銀歩歩7
 玉金角   飛 8
香桂     桂香9
☗ pieces in hand: –
A common variation. Both players' kings are fully inside Fortress castles. Black has advanced their right offensive silver to 37 while White's bishop is positioned on 64.

Fortress (矢倉 or 櫓 yagura) is both a Static Rook opening (矢倉戦法 yagura senpō) and a castle in shogi.

It is usually played in a Double Static Rook opening, which is often a Double Fortress opening. However, it may also occur in different Double Static Rook openings such as Fortress vs Right Fourth File Rook.

The Fortress castle (矢倉囲い yagura gakoi), which is the defining characteristic of Fortress games, was considered by many to be one of the strongest defensive positions in Double Static Rook games in the 1980s.[1]

The term yagura is the Japanese word for a tower-like structure in traditional Japanese castles.

  1. ^ Fairbairn 1984.