Fourth File Rook.

Ranging rook · castles into Mino · 四間飛車 shikenbisha

The idea

The most played opening among amateurs in Japan, and the one most teachers recommend first, because it is a system: you make the same dozen moves almost regardless of what the opponent does, and every one of them has a reason. The rook swings from its home file to the file in front of the left silver (the fourth file counting from the left, hence the name), the king walks right into a Mino castle, and then you wait. A static rook opponent has to attack a solid position; when they do, you counter along the file your rook is already sitting on.

How it goes together

Every move of the line, with reasons

#	Black	White	Why
1	▲７六歩 7g7f	△８四歩 8c8d	Open the bishop’s diagonal.
3	▲６六歩 6g6f	△３四歩 3c3d	Close it again: this pawn stops the bishops being exchanged and makes room for the silver.
5	▲６八飛 2h6h	△６二銀 7a6b	The rook swings to the sixth file. From here the shape is set.
7	▲７八銀 7i7h	△４二玉 5a4b
9	▲４八玉 5i4h	△３二玉 4b3b	The king starts walking the other way.
11	▲３八玉 4h3h	△５四歩 5c5d
13	▲２八玉 3h2h	△５二金右 6a5b	Home. Three king steps.
15	▲３八銀 3i3h	△８五歩 8d8e	The silver stands beside the king.
17	▲７七角 8h7g	△７四歩 7c7d	The bishop guards 8f against the advancing pawn.
19	▲５八金左 6i5h	△４二銀 3a4b	The gold steps up: the Mino is complete.
21	▲６七銀 7h6g	△３三銀 4b3c	The left silver supports the centre and the rook’s file.
23	▲１六歩 1g1f	△１四歩 1c1d	An escape square for the king.
25	▲４六歩 4g4f		Room for the silver to come to 4g or 5f later. The setup is finished; now you wait.

The plan once you are set up

• Do not attack first. Finish the castle, then improve: silver to 5f or 4g, the edge pawn to 1f, the knight to 7g when the moment comes.
• When the static rook player attacks down the 8th file or with a silver on the 3rd, answer on the 6th: push the pawn to 6e, exchange, and let the rook and bishop come alive. This is sabaki, getting the pieces out with tempo.
• Trade the bishops when it helps you and not before. The 6f pawn is there so the choice is yours.
• In the endgame the Mino’s side walls are strong. Let the opponent come at your king from the front and use the time to attack theirs.

What to watch for

• A knight landing on 3f or a pawn on 2f is aimed at the head of your castle. Meet it early.
• The Climbing Silver against your left side: keep the 6g silver and the 7g bishop coordinated and do not let the silver sit on 7e.
• Anaguma. Against a king buried in the corner, waiting no longer works; you have to make something happen on the sixth file before they finish.

What it is played against

A static rook: the rook stays on the right and the king castles on the left, often in a boat castle or a Yagura.