Sakata Opposing Rook



In shogi, Sakata Opposing Rook (阪田流向かい飛車 or 坂田流向かい飛車 sakata-ryū mukai hisha) is an Opposing Rook opening.

It refers to the case in a Double Static Rook situation in which Gote (White) switches energetically to an Opposing Rook variation. The origin of this strategy is dated back to the Edo period, but it was after a famous match that shogi Master Sankichi Sakata (1870-1946) played against Ichitarō Doi in May 1919, that it became popular and the opening started being named after him.

Overview
In a Double Static Rook situation following 1. P-76, P-34, 2. P-26, G-32, 3. P-25, Gote (White) opposes with ...B-33, 4. Bx33+, Gx33, and then by moving the rook along the 2nd. rank. There are strategies for both early fight and slow games, but still the emphasis is on constraining ( osaeru) rather than on exchanging pieces (sabaki) which makes it easy to handle in the center.

While counter-attacking by attacking Black's rook pawn is plain and simple, when in combination with Wrong Diagonal Bishop and others, it carries a big destructive power.