Sleeve Rook

Sleeve Rook (袖飛車 Sodebisha) is an opening in shogi in which the rook is moved to the third file from the right from the perspective of the player. Alternatively it was translated to Sidestepped Rook in The Art Of Shogi.

It is generally known as part of Static Rook opening category but can be used in Swinging Rook as well. It is a standalone opening, though some opening variations can include lines with this move.

Some sources claim that the inventor of this strategy is said to be Sankichi Sakata (坂田三吉), yet others say:

"The most spectacular advances in opening technique can be atributed [sic!] to the 4th Lifetime Meijin, Ohashi Sokei, at the tail end of the 17th century, but the Central, 4th-file, 3rd-file, Opposing and Sleeve Rook openings had all made their appearance as early as 1600."

• An example of Ohashi's (初代大橋宗桂) game might be a match played in 1615. (Diag.1)
• One example of Sakata's game is a match played on 13 April 1913, Sankichi Sakata vs Kinjiro Sekine (関根金次郎). (Diag.2)

Diag 1. - Ohashi ☖ pieces in hand: – 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1   香 桂   金 王 金   桂 香 1   飛           角   2         銀 銀   歩 歩 3 歩   歩 歩 歩 歩 歩     4   歩               5 歩   歩 銀 歩 歩 歩     6   歩 角 歩   銀   歩 歩 7     金       飛     8 香 桂     玉 金   桂 香 9 ☗ pieces in hand: – Until ☗R-38

Diag. 2 - Sakata ☖ pieces in hand: – 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1   香 桂       金   桂 香 1   飛   銀 金 王 銀 角   2 歩     歩       歩 歩 3     歩   歩 歩 歩     4   歩               5     歩 歩 歩   歩     6 歩 歩 角 銀 銀 歩   歩 歩 7     金       飛     8 香 桂     玉 金   桂 香 9 ☗ pieces in hand: – Until ☗R-38

In both cases ☗P-36 ~ ☗R38 were played without pushing the rook pawn once.

Sakata's game specifically is a Gangi opening with Reclining Right Silver's attack, which may be what some resources are calling Sakata's Style Sleeve Rook.

Name Origin

The name comes from the fact that the rook moves to one square to the left from the main position - like a sleeve is next to an arm.

Classification

The definition of Sleeve Rook opening is very vague. Unlike other openings where the rook moving early in the opening may indicate a certain strategy (like rook on 4th file is 4th File Rook), Sleeve Rook can be played early or much later in the middlegame. It can be a part of another opening e.g. Static Rook vs 3rd File Rook, where Static Rook plays R-72 to counter 3rd File head on. In that case it would not be called a Sleeve Rook opening, but could be considered a Sleeve Rook formation.

Against Static Rook

In Double Static Rook opening it may be used with Yagura, Gangi and others. The point of the strategy is that the rook targets the opponent's king's head directly. Usually the right silver will join the attack on the third file. An example of such attack is in a match played on 14 April 1922 between Chotaro Hanada and Sankichi Sakata.

Diag. 3 - King's head targetted

☖ pieces in hand: –

9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
香	桂		金	王	金		桂	香	1
		飛							2
歩	歩		歩		銀	角	歩	歩	3
		歩	銀	歩	歩	歩			4
							歩		5
		歩		歩		歩			6
歩	歩	銀	歩		歩			歩	7
	角	玉		金	銀		飛		8
香	桂		金				桂	香	9

☗ pieces in hand: –

Until ☗R-72

Sleeve Rook makes appearances in more modern professional games played by Kunio Naito (内藤國雄), Manabu Senzaki (先崎学), Akira Watanabe(渡辺明), Keita Inoue (井上慶太), Masakazu Kondo (近藤正和) and others..

Kunio Naito, who was a disciple of Sakata’s disciple ("grand-pupil" 孫弟子), published in a 1982 edition of Shogi Magazine 将棋マガジン a lecture about Sleeve Rook based on Sakata's Style. Unlike Diag. 2 he suggested that ☗B-77, which defends the rook pawn exchange, should be omitted. Instead one recommendation was from Diag.4 ☖P-44, ☗S-46 ☖G-43, ☗P-35 ☖Px, ☗Sx ☖S-33, ☗P*34 ☖S-24 (defensive tactic), but ☗Sx24 ☖Px, ☗S*35 ☖S*23, ☗B-79.

Diag. 4 - ☗B-77 omitted

☖ pieces in hand: –

9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
香	桂				金		桂	香	1
	飛		銀	金	王	銀	角		2
歩		歩	歩		歩		歩	歩	3
				歩		歩			4
	歩								5
		歩	歩	歩		歩			6
歩	歩		銀	銀	歩		歩	歩	7
	角					飛			8
香	桂		金	玉	金		桂	香	9

☗ pieces in hand: –

Until ☗R-38

Naito uses this strategy in his professional matches, like on 10th August 1971, 10-Dan Tournament Eliminations vs Kiyozumi Kiriyama (桐山清澄) or 7th February 1975, NHK Cup Shogi Tournament vs Hifumi Kato (加藤一二三).

Gote's Sleeve Rook

On move 2. ☖P-74 and 4. ☖P-74 Strategies

A very specific example of Sleeve Rook is Gote's ☖P-74 on the 2nd move.

Immediate ☗B-55

☗P-76 ☖P-74, where worth mentioning is Sente's move ☗B-55. Gote won't back off ☖P-34, ☗Bx88+ ☖Sx, ☗S-88 leads to ☖B*95! A difficult to defend check: ☗R*87 or ☗R*77 - Sente is forced to drop the rook from the hand. A mistake would be ☗S-77 because of ☖Bx(95), ☗Nx ☖Bx+ leads to two for one exchange.

Which makes ☗R-76 ☖P-74 ~ ☖R-72 a possible strategy for Gote.

This strategy was first played by Osamu Nakamura. There is also example of ☖P-74 on the 4th move played by Inoue in an official match.

Habu style Sleeve Rook

Habu style (羽生流 Habu Ryu or 羽生式 Habu shiki) is a shape that came up in 2018 Kiousen title match game 3, where Yoshiharu Habu faced Masayuki Toyoshima. From the initial position: ☗ P-26 ☖G-32, ☗P-25 ☖R-72.

[diag.5-6]

As shown on diagram 6, after taking 7th file vanguard pawn, Habu pulled his rook into a Floating Rook position. The point is that Sente is not able to open their bishop's diagonal, making it difficult for them to utilize the bishop.