Snowroof (original) (raw)

In shogi, Snowroof or Snow Roof Fortress (雁木 gangi, lit. 'goose-wooden') is a Static Rook opening that characteristically uses a Snowroof castle. It is named after the covered sidewalks (雁木造) connected to buildings in Niigata Prefecture. Originating in the Edo period, the opening had been a less common one after World War II although it was popular in the prewar era. However, around 2017, the opening has become popular with professional shogi players. The Snowroof structure often appears in computer shogi games.