Shogi glossary
Closing in (yose)
Japanese: 寄せ
In shogi, closing in (yose) is the endgame phase in which you attack the enemy king directly, combining checks, mate threats and brinkmates to drive it toward checkmate before your own king falls.
The endgame phase of attacking the enemy king toward mate.
Wrap the king, do not chase it
The central principle is to surround the king rather than push it around with checks. A string of checks often drives the king out of its castle into open space, where it becomes harder to mate. Better is to cover the escape squares from the sides and from behind first, so that when the checks begin the king has nowhere left to go.
Practical techniques
Drop the rook from a distance on the king's rank, where the king cannot capture it and it controls the whole line. Keep the king low, on its first ranks, by placing silvers and golds behind it. Bring enough attackers: a mating square needs one more attacker than it has defenders, so add a tokin, a knight or a drop before starting.
Yose versus tsume
Yose is the broader skill. A mate problem allows only checks, but real closing in also relies on quiet moves, and it always depends on the race: if the opponent can mate you first, you must defend instead.
Try it · from “Closing In: Wrap the King”
Mate in three moves (you, White, you). Drop the rook from a distance.
FAQ
When does the yose phase begin?
When one side's attack reaches the enemy castle and the question becomes how many moves each player needs to mate the other. From then on, speed counts for more than material.
Related
Terms:
Lessons: Closing In: Wrap the King · Mate Threats and Brinkmate · The Boat Castle and Breaking Castles
I don't do defense. Hope you brought a castle!
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