Fourth File Rook

In shogi, Fourth File Rook (四間飛車 shikenbisha) is a class of Ranging Rook openings in which the rook is initially positioned on the fourth file if played by White or the sixth file if played by Black.

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information. (November 2016)

The earliest recorded shogi game was a Static Rook vs. Fourth File Rook game from 1607. Black was Sōkei Ōhashi I ^[ja] who played a Right Fourth File Rook position (Static Rook) against Sansa Hon'inbō's Fourth File Rook. Ōhashi won the game.

The opening starts by the usual 4-move sequence that characterizes Static Rook vs Ranging Rook games as shown in the first adjacent board position. (See: Normal Ranging Rook.)

The Fujii System is a set of Fourth File Rook strategies used against various Static Rook strategies (mainly Left Mino and Bear-in-the-hole Static Rook).

A Fourth File Rook opening created by amateur player Katsuki Tateishi, which awarded him the prestigious Kōzō Masuda Award in 2004.

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information. (March 2018)

King's Head Silver (玉頭銀) is a Fourth File Rook opening characterized by the left silver moving to 56, 45, and then to 34. There are versions for both quick fights and slow games.

Fourth File Rook against Black's King's Head Vanguard Pawn (玉頭位取り gyokutou kuraidori).

The Bishop-Exchange Fourth File is a Fourth File Rook opening in which the player's bishop diagonal remains open allowing for a bishop exchange to occur early in the opening.

The Leghorn Special (白色レグホン・スペシャル hakushoku reguhon supesharu or, most commonly, the abbreviation レグスペ regusupe) is an opening in which you build up a Bear-in-the-hole castle while you're simultaneously defending against an opponent's Bear-in-the-hole. It is a Bear-in-the-hole Bishop Exchange Fourth File Rook variation and is also famous as an opening to discourage Black from building of a Bear-in-the-hole. The name is said to have originated in the resemblance of this opening to the behavior of a white leghorn chicken that keeps attacking when surrounded by Bear-in-the-hole.^{[citation needed]}

The leghorn special consists mainly in castling the king in Bear-in-the-hole once the bishops have been exchanged in Fourth File Rook. It requires that the opponent is playing Static Rook, and that you're playing White. Following Black's K-68, White would go for the bishop exchange (Bx88), which leads to Black's Sx88, hence reducing the escape routes of Black's king and interfering with Black's castle formation. So, the Leghorn Special prevents (or at least slows down) Black's Bear-in-the-hole, while White can devote to building its own Bear-in-the-hole without problem.

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information. (March 2018)

Fourth File Rook positions are not often used in Double Ranging Rook games in professional play. When they are used, the positions often transition to Opposing Rook positions.

• Left Silver-5g Rapid Attack
• Fujii System
• Right Fourth File Rook vs Fourth File Rook
• Bishop Exchange Fourth File Rook
• Tateishi Fourth File Rook
• Ranging Rook

• Aono, Teruichi (1983). Guide to shogi openings: Unlock the secrets of joseki 将棋定跡のカギ: 和英 定跡問題集. Translated by Fairbairn, John. 山海堂. ISBN 4-381-00598-8.
• Fairbairn, John (1979). "The fourth file rook part 1". Shogi (22): 10–13.
• Fairbairn, John (1980). "The fourth file rook part 2". Shogi (23): 9–11.
• Hosking, Tony (1996). The art of shogi. The Shogi Foundation. ISBN 978-0-95310-890-9.
• Kiriyama, Kiyozumi (1980). "The counter fourth-file rook opening (centre-vanguard-pawn)". Shogi (24). Translated by Fairbairn, John: 6–9.
• Kitao, Madoka (2011). Joseki at a glance. Translated by Kawasaki, Tomohide. Nekomado. ISBN 978-4-9052-2501-0.
• Kitao, Madoka (2013). Sabaki at a glance. Translated by Kawasaki, Tomohide. Nekomado. ISBN 978-4-9052-2510-2.
• Ōuchi, Nobuyuki (1978). "Opening series: How to play the anaguma part 1". Shogi (12). Translated by Fairbairn, John: 13–15.
• Ōuchi, Nobuyuki (1978). "Opening series: How to play the anaguma part 2". Shogi (13). Translated by Fairbairn, John: 13–15.
• Ōuchi, Nobuyuki (1978). "Opening series: How to play the anaguma part 3". Shogi (14). Translated by Fairbairn, John: 12–13.
• Ōuchi, Nobuyuki (1978). "Opening series: How to play the anaguma part 4". Shogi (15). Translated by Fairbairn, John: 2.
• Yebisu, Miles (2016). Comprehensive shogi guide in English: How to play Japanese chess. Laboratory Publishing.

• How to Defend in Shogi: Basic Formation 3: Shikenbisha
• YouTube: HIDETCHI's Shogi Openings:
  • S6-5g Rapid Attack (against 4th-file Mino Defense)
  • Left S-4f Strategy #1
  • Left S-4f Strategy #2
  • Left S-4f Strategy #3
  • Left S-4f Strategy #4 (P*3f variation)
  • Left S-4f Strategy #5 (P*3g variation)
  • Left S-4f Strategy #6 (B-2b variation)
  • P-4e Rapid Engage #1
  • P-4e Rapid Engage #2
  • P-4e Rapid Engage #3
• Shogi Shack:
  • The First Example: Ibisya And Furibishya
  • Fourth File Ranging Rook
  • Playing Fourth Rile Rook Against Right Fourth Ranging Rook Archived 2016-12-26 at the Wayback Machine
• Shogi Opening: 4th File Rook vs Akutsu Semi Rapid Attack Archived 2017-02-02 at the Wayback Machine
• Yet Another Shogi Site: Basics of Gote Fourth File Rook