General Strategy for the Attackers
In the control of an experienced player, the king is unlikely to fall carelessly into the attacker's hands. The attacker must therefore restrict the king's movement, while approaching him with assassins or herding him into a prepared ambush. This is done by forming blockades.
The Blockade
In games where the king exits at a corner, the edge of the board may itself be used as part of the blockade, as long as it leaves no route to either of the adjoining corners.
Closing In
As the attackers close in, forced moves can be used to expose defenders to capture, eventually reducing the defending forces to the king alone, or at least to isolate the king from his defenders. Once the king is alone, it is an easy matter to capture him. But as always, the attacker must be wary of forcing or allowing a draw.
Watching the Exits
These pieces must be put into place as quickly as possible, as the defender merely has to gain control of one gate to deprive this strategy of much of its power. In a small game of eight attackers, it is impossible to block all the exits, while in a game of sixteen attackers, most of the forces will be occupied in barring the exits leaving few to corner the king. But in larger and larger games the strategy becomes easier and more practical, as the number of attackers needed is fixed at twelve.
Next: Defending the King and Aiding His Escape
Comments
Why does it take 3 pieces? if diagonal movement isn't allowed, wouldn't two be enough to cover each exit?
Seton - 20:11, 26/02/2017
Two pieces would have to be placed immediately adjacent to the exits to block them. Most rules with a corner victory allow pieces to be captured against the marked corner squares. This makes a blocking formation with only two pieces vulnerable to easy capture.
Damian Walker - 14:42, 27/02/2017
In the "Closing In" example, if the defender was to move into the one available space and then the attacker move a piece down to where that piece was so that you have XOXOX, would the attacker take both pieces?
John - 17:55, 17/01/2018
Thanks for the query, John! Yes, in nearly all rules, in that example, both pieces would be taken.
Damian Walker - 07:55, 27/01/2018
With the berserk rules where the king can jump over normal attackers when directly beside them. How do you effectively trap him?
Joshua Newns - 05:16, 10/07/2018
if white have captured a black can use blockcade ?
giannis - 12:49, 24/08/2018
oh shit ,very good tacticsGerald - 16:16, 19/12/2023