Castles · 天守閣美濃
Tenshukaku Mino.
The Left Mino with the king one floor up, on 8g above the bishop, like the keep on top of a Japanese castle.
How it goes together
Tenshukaku (天守閣) is the keep, the tower on top of a Japanese castle, and the king here stands a rank higher than in any other Mino. It starts like a boat castle: king to 7h, silver to 5g, gold to 5h. Then the 8g pawn goes up to 8f, the king climbs from 7h to 8g, and the left silver closes in on 7h. The bishop never moves; it stays on 8h, under the king.
Move by move
Black only, from the start position. The first seven moves are close to a boat castle; then the edge pawn, the pawn in front of the bishop, the king’s climb, and the silver.
Step through the moves, or press play.
Tap a move to jump to it. Arrow keys work once the board has focus.
Eleven moves. ja.wikipedia gives the reason for the odd shape: 玉が角筋に入るのを避けるため, to keep the king off the opponent’s bishop’s diagonal, which runs through 8h where a Left Mino king would stand.
What it is good against
Attacks from the side, and the ranging rook’s attack on the other wing: the king is as far from it as a Mino king can be. The source’s one-line verdict is 横からの攻めに強い, strong from the side.
Where it breaks
Attacks from above: the king has come up to meet them. That is why the castle is sometimes thickened with the other silver brought over to 7g, making a four-piece Mino.
When to build it
A static rook facing a ranging rook, when you plan to attack early on the right: the king is on the far side, out of the fight’s way.
Build it at the board.
The app’s lesson walks the king into a Mino one step at a time, and its review names the castle you were building when a game turned.