Shogi glossary
Anaguma (bear-in-the-hole)
Japanese: 穴熊
In shogi, the Anaguma ('bear in the hole') is a castle with the king in the corner on 9i, behind its own lance, sealed in by a silver on 8h and a gold on 7i. Few castles are harder to check.
A castle with the king in the corner behind the lance, surrounded by golds and silvers.
How to dig the hole
First move the bishop out of 8h, usually to 7g, and lift the lance from 9i to 9h. Then walk the king to 8h and down into 9i, and close the lid with the silver to 8h and the gold to 7i. Ranging Rook players can build a mirror version in the other corner, with the king on 1i and the lance on 1h.
Why players choose it
The king is so far from the fighting that very few checks reach it, so the Anaguma player can trade pieces freely and attack with everything. In the endgame race it often wins simply by being a move or two further from mate. Static Rook players frequently dig one against the Fourth-file Rook.
Its weaknesses
It is slow, so the opponent may strike before the lid is closed; finish the silver on 8h before counterattacking. Once the walls break, the king has no escape squares at all. The edge is the usual target: pawns and lances on the 9th file, or a tokin working its way toward the corner.
Try it · from “The Anaguma (Bear-in-the-Hole)”
Put the bear in its hole.
FAQ
Why is it called bear in the hole?
The Japanese word anaguma is written with the characters for hole and bear, and it is also the name of the badger, a burrowing animal. The king hides in its corner the same way.
I don't do defense. Hope you brought a castle!
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