Third File Rook

In shogi, Third File Rook (三間飛車 sankenbisha or sangenbisha) or Silver Rook (銀飛車 ginbisha) is a class of Ranging Rook (振り飛車) openings (戦法) in which the rook (飛) is positioned on the third file if played by White (後手) or the seventh file if played by Black (先手).

It can be called a silver rook because the rook moves to the file which initially the silver is.

Types

There are two basic forms for Third File Rook. The first form is similar to other traditional Ranging Rook openings such as Fourth File Rook. Here, the bishop is moved to the 7g square (Black) or the 3c square (White) often in order to prevent a Static Rook opponent's pawn exchange on the eighth (or second) file.

The other Third File Rook form is known as Ishida. In contrast, the seventh file pawn (Black) or the third file pawn (White) is pushed up to the middle rank. This gives an option for the Ishida Third File Rook player's rook to be positioned on the 7f square (Black) or the 3d square (White).

Furthermore, Third File Rook positions can be categorized by whether they keep the player's bishop diagonal open or closed. Traditional non-Ishida Third File Rook and normal Ishida Third File Rook close their bishop's diagonal. Quick Ishida is an aggressive variant of Ishida can keeps the bishop diagonal open allowing for a bishop exchange at an opportune timing.

Traditional Third File Rook

3. ... R-3b. White shows their intent to play Third File Rook.

4. P-2e. Pushing their rook pawn up to the middle rank is an important move if Black wants to prevent White from forming an Ishida formation and thus limit White's range of possible future attack strategies. After the pawn push, White must protect their 2d square with their bishop in order to prevent the pawn exchange.

If Black makes a different move (such as 4. S-4h, for instance), then White will likely aim for the Ishida structure by pushing their third file pawn up and then moving their rook up to the d rank. The elevated rook can then defend the d rank and prevent Black from making a pawn exchange on the second file.

4. ... B-3c. White uses the bishop to protect the second file.

Ishida

Slow Ishida

Ishida Style or Ishida Plenary Formation (石田流 Ishida ryu)

The Third File Rook Ishida openings are named after the 17th century shogi master Kengyo Ishida.

Quick Ishida

Quick Ishida (早石田 haya Ishida) is a Third File Rook opening characterized by an early advancement of Black's seventh file pawn (or White's third file pawn).^[1][2][3]

Quick Ishida is related to the slow variant of Ishida in that both openings advance their seventh file pawn to the e rank.

The strategy initially has White aiming to attack Black's bishop head and Black aiming to break White's camp on the seventh file with the threat of several different bishop drop positions.

The Quick Ishida position can lead to a number of traps if the opponent does not defend properly.

See also

• Quick Ishida
• Ranging Rook
• Shogi opening

References

Bibliography

• Hosking, Tony (1997). The art of shogi. The Shogi Foundation. ISBN 978-0-95310-890-9. 
• Kiriyama, Kiyosumi (1979). Translated by Fairbairn, John. "The counter third-file rook opening (tai-sangenbisha)". Shogi (21): 13–16. 
• 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 (1979). Translated by Fairbairn, John. "The third file rook". Shogi (20): 4–7. 

External links

• Annotated amateur Static Rook vs Third File Rook game · published in the Dutch shogi magazine 81 from Bernhard Maerz
• Shogi Shack: Third File Rook
• Yamajunn's Basic Shogi Opening:
  • Sente Sanken Bisha
  • Gote Sanken Bisha
  • Sente Ishida-ryu
• Shogi Opening: 3rd File Rook: Regular 3rd File Rook – Pawn-45 Rapid Attack