In shogi, Fourth File Rook is a class of Ranging Rookopenings in which the rook is initially positioned on the fourth file if played by White or the sixth file if played by Black.
History
The earliest recorded shogi game was a Static Rook vs. Fourth File Rook game from 1607. Black was who played a Right Fourth File Rook position against Sansa Hon'inbō's Fourth File Rook. Ōhashi won the game.
Fourth File Rook vs Static Rook
Normal Fourth File Rook
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.
King's Head Silver 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.
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.
Leghorn Special
The Leghorn Special 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. 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, 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 Black's Bear-in-the-hole, while White can devote to building its own Bear-in-the-hole without problem.
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.
