[Question] How to effectively use Anaguma Castle & Repair it?

The Anaguma Castle, as we all know, is one of the strongest 3-General Castles in the game. However, other than the demerit the King having no escape routes, the castle also:

• Takes very long to build
  
• Leaves more of your camp open for opponent's drops and promotions.
  

I only use this castle in situations of Static Rook vs. Ranging Rook, but my questions are:

• When is a good time to build this castle in a game, because often than not I get attacked sooner than the castle's completion, leaving me with an incomplete castle and a delayed attack.
  
• When the castle is attacked from the side/front, what are some effective drops that can be good repairs to the castle?
  
• What's the best way to deal with the Bishop's diagonal during and after the building process of a Left-Hand Anaguma?
  

Let me tell you my theories of anaguma being a ranging rook player.

If the opponent is playing ranging rook and is going for Fujii's system, don't do Anaguma of course unless you can pull off a rapid attack (which is very hard if you're doing Anaguma.) You need to build this castle as soon as you can, preferable before or during the time your opponent is castling.

Talking about effective drops, if you are attacked from the front, there's not a whole lot of good drops that you can make as the front is the weak point of Anaguma. It's much stronger to the side, where you can drop golds to repair your castle. Just using pawns can completely undo Anaguma from the front so if you are using Anaguma you need to make a faster attack than your opponent.

With left hand Anaguma the Bishop diagonal is a weakpoint, plain and simple. You'll probably have to keep your Bishop on that diagonal to lock it down.

These are simply my observations as a ranging rook player as Anaguma id an option for ranging rook. The above reasons is why I prefer Mino castle over Anaguma.

Well I know to not go for Anaguma during Fujii system. In fact, I usually settle for Boat Castle when opponent's using Fujii System.

Millenium castle is normal answer against Fuiji system.

And the most important thing after making faster attack... Don't let opponent's king run to your camp! All three defending generals are concentrated on one part of board so king definitely will run to the other side (which will be unprotected - all pieces went for an attack).

Repair? Don't do it, just mate opponent's king. ^^

Left side anaguma and B ... If you don't like that opened diagonal, don't play left side anaguma. I don't imagine how to play normal game with this diagonal closed.
Or... Maybe i'm just not enough experienced :]

And the best time for building castle... Maybe when opponent don't have a rapid attack?
The best strategy for anaguma is to exchange Rooks, because opponent's drop isn't very dangerous (anaguma strong from side). And for sure a lot of exchanges will be good for anaguma. It is hard to break, so opponent will take more time to create a good attack.

oneye wrote:Millenium castle is normal answer against Fuiji system.

And the most important thing after making faster attack... Don't let opponent's king run to your camp! All three defending generals are concentrated on one part of board so king definitely will run to the other side (which will be unprotected - all pieces went for an attack).

Well, first of all, I thought Millennium is a 4-General castle. That's what Koshiro-san used against Americankisei-san... Which, by the way, is another concern because there's often not enough power for offense without the last Silver attacking.

Repair? Don't do it, just mate opponent's king. ^^

Lol... Yeah, but longer time building castle = slower / later attacks...

Weaker/slower attack is the main problem in anaguma. Can't help it.

But anaguma is strong. I think that 3 generals' castle would die faster than anaguma (Slower anaguma's attack = 4 generals in defence?).

Millenium is builded in long time too.

Attack with anaguma... delayed but more powerful because you have many pieces in hand.

Thanks Oneye