Takodori's Entrance to Shogi World

I found Nintendo branded shogi sets are on sale on eBay.

Here it is.

+ Kyoto Nintendo Wooden Board Game SHOGI Japanese Chess - eBay (item 120381651027 end time Mar-02-09 19:26:39 PST)

frannsis is the winner again - PlayOK tournament #2978976

Frannsis is the winner of the captioned on-line shogi tou rnament held on February 21, 2009. Here is the link to the result. You can replay the games by clicking each point in the table on the linked page. Since the page will disappear in 6 months from the tournament date, I'm uploading the screenshot of the result below;

PlayOK.com - tournament #2978976 (shogi)

Shogi boardlives today

Today is the day for LPSA's one day tournament called Kisaragi Cup.

Semifinal 1 - Kitao Madoka vs Fujimori Natsuko (started at 14:00)
Semifinal 2 - Funato Yoko vs Takojima Akiko(started at 14:00)

Final - Takojima vs Kitao(started at 16:00) | Ustream Live!(game won by Takojima) - My impressions, comments etc.., on this game can be found in my twitter.

Allotted thinking time is 30 minutes per player and less than 30 seconds per move after consuming it.

The quarter finals(1st round) were already done. Here are the links to the gamerecords. The first player is Sente.

Funato Yoko(winer) vs Ooba Miki
Kitao Madoka(winner) vs Kanda Mayumi
Yamashita Kazuko vs Takojima Akiko(winner)
Fujita Maiko vs Fujimori Natsuko(winner)

 

Release about Shogi intution research in English

Today I found the following two articles. 3 mohths has passed since it's released in Japanese.

• RIKEN and Fujitsu host symposium on ‘shogi intuition’ research

• RIKEN and Fujitsu host symposium on ‘shogi intuitio...

I hope a documentary film based on the research results will be made someday. In Western chess world, such documentary film already exists linked below;

My Brilliant Brain - Make Me A Genius

News about DSiWare in Japan

Chotto Asobi Taizen will be released on February 25 in Japan. It narrows the 42 games in Clubhouse Games(42 All-Time Classics in Europe, Daredemo Asobi Taizan in Japan) to the five such as Hanafuda, Shogi, Gomoku, Hasami Shogi and Reversi. I really hope this will be released overseas as well as Clubhouse Games(42 All-Time Classics) has been.　I also hope the new software does not require to play other games beforehand to unlock to play shogi like Clubhouse Games does.

• Two new Art Style games lead Japan's February DSiWare lineup - Joystiq [Nintendo]

• IGN: Nintendo Unveils Third Round of DSiWare Titles for Japan

Habu tied the score in 2-2, the forth game of 58th Osho-sen 4-win match

On February 18 & 19, the 4th game of 58th Osho-sen 4-win match between Osho Habu and Challenger Oui Fukaura was held at Beppuwan Royal Hotel in Beppu City, Oita prefecture. Habu was Sente player this game. The opening strategy was Gote's itteson Kakugawari. My focal point of this game was as I decribed in my twitter linked below;

Twitter / takodori: Whether Fukaura's taking v ...

Whether Fukaura's taking vanguard position on 3rd file will succeed or not will be a focal point in this game.

Twitter / takodori: Due to the P-3e, It got le ...

Due to the P-3e, It got less easy to activate Sente's right kNight while the Pawn on 3e is a floating piece now.

Twitter / takodori: Due to the P-3e, It got le ...

Due to the P-3e, It got less easy to activate Sente's right kNight while the Pawn on 3e is a floating piece now.

Twitter / takodori: Habu is trying to make 34. ...

Habu is trying to make 34.P-3e bad and Fukaura is making it good.

I think Habu's Bishop drop on 5f punished Fukaura's 34. P-3e successfully to break through the 2nd file. He won the game in 107 moves.

The diagram below is the resignation one where Sente dropped his Lance on 8c. Gote's King would be in brinkmate in a few moves like below;

Kx8c R-8a+ S*8b B-6a+ K-9c P-9e S*8c Px9d Sx9d +Bx9d(mate, replayable by clicking the arrow in the right direction under the diagram)

Kx8c R-8a+ S*8b B-6a+ K-9c P-9e Px9e Lx9e(mate)

Kx8c R-8a+ K-9c B-6a+ S*9b +B-7a(mate)

K-9b R-8a+ K-9c B-6a+ S*8b Lx8b Sx8b P-9e Px9e S*9d(mate)

K-9c Rx9a+ S*9b B-6a+ S*8b Lx8b+ Sx8b +Bx9d Kx9d +Rx9b S-9c P-9e(mate)

frannsis is the winner - PlayOK tournament #2978950

Frannsis is the winner of the captioned on-line shogi tournament held on February 18, 2009. Here is the link to the result. You can replay the games by clicking each point in the table on the linked page. Since the page will disappear in 6 months from the tournament date, I'm uploading the screenshot of the result below;

PlayOK.com - tournament #2978950 (shogi)

Shimizu led the score in 2-1, 3rd game of 35th Joryu Meijini-sen three-win match

On February 18, the 3ｒd game of 35th Joryu-Meijini-sen 3-win match between Joryu Meijin Yauchi and Challenger Joryu Osho Shimizu was held at Tokyo Shogi Kaikan of JSA in Tokyo. Shimizu was Sente player. The opening strategy was Shimizu's unusual Mukaibisha(opposing Rook). Shimizu won the game in 149 moves.

The diagram below is the resignation one where Sente took the Pawn on 8f by Sx8f. After the position in the diagram, there will be no mate or even threatmate for Sente's King while Gote has no defense. Here are some possible variations after the diagram.

Px1f P*1e Kx1e Lx1f Kx1f G*2g K-1e R-1h Kx2d Bx3c+(mate, replayable by clicking the arrow in the right direction)

Px1f P*1e Kx2d Bx3c+ K-1c G*1d(mate)

Nx8f Bx3c+ S*7h B*2c Sx2c +Bx2c(mate)

Nx8f Bx3c+ G*1c B*2c Sx2c Px2c+ B*7i N*8h Gx2c G*2d Gx2d +Bx2d(mate)

Gote was hopeless at that position and Yauchi had to resign the game.

 

Boardlive today and tomorrow - 4th game of 58th Osho-sen 4-win match

Today is the day for the 4th game of 58th Osho-sen 4-win match between Habu Yoshiharu(Osho, second poto in the page) and the challenger Fukaura Koichi(Oui, first photo) at Beppuwan Royal Hotel in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture.  It started at 9:00 am. Habu is Sente Player. The opening strategy is Gote's Itteson Kakugawari(Bishop exchange with Gote's one tempo dealy).  Before the game, the score was 2-1 led by Fukaura.

Kifu for Flash

Official Blog(in Japanese)

The allotted thinking time per player is 8 hours and less than 60 seconds per move after consuming it. The game is expected to end in the evening of tomorrow(based on Japan Time).

I'm writing my impressions, comments etc.., about this game in my twitter page from time to time. If you are interested, please follow it.

Boardlive today - 3rd Game of Joryu Meijini-sen 3-win match

Today is the day for 3rd game of Joryu Meijini-sen 3-win match between Joryu Meijin Yauchi Rieko vs Challenger Joryu Osho Shimizu Ichiyo. It started at 10:00am at Tokyo Shogi Kaikan of JSA, Tokyo, Japan. Shimizu is Sente in this game. The allotted thinking time per player is 3 hours and less than 60seconds per move after consuming it. You can watch and replay the game through the linked Kifu for Java board below;

Yauchi vs Shimizu

Shimizu's Opening is a bit peculiar. She seemed to choose Ibisha(Static) rook since she took vanguard position on the 2nd file. But she also took vanguard position on the central file and transferred her Rook to the 8th file.