Takodori's Entrance to Shogi World

Shogi has been added to the line of Kurnik.org

According to kurnik blog, shogi has been added to the line of its online realtime games. Kurnik.org is a Polish site. I hope this will increase the number of shogi players especially in Poland. In addition, it supports multilanguages so I hope it will serve potential shogi players in various countries who are not so good at English outside Japan.

Here is the information about how to choose symbolic(westernized) or kanji pieces. After logging in, you click to SHOGI to the entry screen of shogi. Then you can enter any room of the choice. After that, you will see the following screen.

Click the button of preferences on the upper right. Then you will have a smaller screen. Delete checkmark if you like to use Kanji pieces and press ok. Kurnik.org shows symbolic(westernized) pieces as a default.

I play there from time to time under the nickname of takodori. I will be glad if you play a game with me there.

1 move tsume problem - 002

  This is a 1 move tsume problem with extra pieces in hand for novices. In a real game of shogi, you usually have several kinds of pieces in hand in the endgame and so you often have to choose an appropriate piece to move or drop. In the diagram, you have a Rook, a Gold, aSilver and a Lance in hand. What do you think is the correct move to checkmate with your Pawn on 5c?

Tip - There is a shogi proverb. "Use a Gold in the end.(Kin ha Todome ni Tsukae)"

The answer will show up in the comment section later.

Title Match Result - 2nd game, Kurashiki Tohka

On November 27, the 2nd game of 13rd Kurashiki Tohka-sen was held between Kurashiki Tohka Shimizu and Challenger Yauchi Lady 4 dan at Kurashiki city in Okayama prefecture. Yauchi made a first move. Shimizu won the game with 124 moves and she has defended the title with the score of 2-0. you can replay the game here.

After the resignation of the move 124 of +Nx7f, the possible variation would be as follows;

Kx7f B-6g+ K8f Rx8e K-9g P9e(Upper Diagram)

After the diagram, if Black took the pawn with Px9e, then

S*9f Kx9f Lx9e(mate)

or

S*9f K-8h Rx8g+ K-7i +R-7h(mate)

If black responded to 124 +N-7f with K-9g, then Rx8e(Lower diagram)

If black defended by N*8f, S*8f or B*8f from the diagram, then Rx8f Px8f N*8e Px8e S*8f K-8h S-8g+ K-7i B-7h+(mate).

If black defended by N*7i to protect the square of 8g, then Rx8g(!) Nx8g S*8f K-8h Sx8g+ K-7i B-7h+(mate).

If black defended by S*8h or G*8h to protect the square of 8g, then P9e would be a decisive move.

In any case, Yauchi would be hopeless. So she resigned. Congratulation on Shimizu's defending the title.

Basic shogi information in English available on Internet(2)

With this entry,  I am focusing on shogi technical volumes in English available on Internet(Last update - April 26 2015).

<General>
HIDETCHI's video series - Lessons of How to play Shogi --- These are excellent video series available to watch on Youtube for novices/beginners.(added on October 25, 2008)

<Commentary/Annotated Games/Q&A>

HIDETCHI's Famous Shogi Games - HIDETCHI's showing many historic professional shogi games with annotations. (added on March 23 2009)

HIDETCHI's Shogi Exercise --- HIDETCHI is presenting many Shogi problems to you. Solve them and learn many tactics!(added on March 23 2009)

HIDETCHI's Shogi Openings --- HIDETCHI is explaining many Shogi Opening Strategies and the Jouseki (standard sequences) for them.(added on March 23 2009)

Shogishak - Site to help you play shogi more confidently - The reason for the autohr to have this site is to share some info on Shogi techniques so that you quickly "graduate" from the novice stage to more advanced stage. (added on December 7 2007)

Quest of the lost systems　- This is the translation of the book titled "Kieta Senpo no Nazo" by Takako Tombo Noda. The original book was written by Katsumata 5 dan and published in 1995 in Japan. According to Kisho Michelin(Japanese shogi book review site), the book has been ranked S(highest) and considered good for dan players.

Shogi kakugen - This is the translation of the book titled "Shogi Kakugen Mame Jiten" by Takako Tombo Noda. The original book was written by Urano 7 dan and published in 1999. According to Kisho Michelin, the book has been ranked S(highest) and considered good for beginners/intermediates.

How to defend in Shogi - This is a contents of Patrick Davin's Shogi Nexus and the translation of the book titled "Shogi no Ukekata" by Yoshinori Sawada, Randy Andrews and Patrick Davin. The original book was written by Great Oyama 15th permanent Meijin. and published in 1966. According to Kisho Michelin(Japanese site), the book has been ranked B? and considered good for intermediates/dan players. I am afraid Translation efforts seem suspended.

Yamajunn's Basic Shogi Opening - This is a shogi-lover's personal website with easy-to-read diagrams. It contains "Shogi Opening for Beginner", "Shogi Opening", "Opening moves index", "Kakoi" and "Opening Traps" I think it is good for beginners/intermediates. His new project started here named Wikishogi by yamajunn.(Wikishogi information was added on September 1 2008)

Joseki Essence by Yoshiharu Habu - This is the translation of the Japanese contents, provided by Habu with 4 crowns, by ISC members. It contains commentary on the three openings such as "Side Pawn openings - 33Keima(knight) tactics", "Exchange Bishop - Climbing Silver tactics" and "Yagura - 35pawn tactics, 37silver tactics & Morishita system". I think it's good for beginners/intermediates.

Better Moves for Better Shogi - This is the ISC's online effort of reprinting the book with the same title written by Aono 9 dan and translated by John Fairbairn. It was published in 1983. It's good for beginners/intermediates. Java-capable browser is required to read the contents.

Guide to Shogi Openings - This is another ISC's online effort of reprinting the book with the same title written by Aono 9 dan and translated by John Fairbairn. It was published in 1983. Java-capable browser is required to read the contents. You can learn the openings such as Primitive Climbing Silver, Wing attach reclining Silver, Side pawn 45Boshop tactics, Quick-Attack Line vs Ranging Rook, Yagura Basics 37 silver tactics and Yagura 37 knight tactics with answering a lot of problems. Java-capable browser is required to read the contents.

Tips by Yamato Takahashi - This is the ISC's translation of the articles in the weekly shogi paper, Shukan Shogi written by Yamato Takahashi ex-lady pro. You can learn a lot of tactful moves with answering the problems there. Java-capable browser is required to read the contents.

Professional Games with Comment - This is the Reijer Grimbergen's long-lasting effort of translating the commentaries of title matches published in the weekly shogi paper, Shukan Shogi into English. It is absolutely good for intermediates/dan players. ISPS is updating Opening strategy Index for you to get to a commentary with your favorite opening easily. 

Lightning Speed Endgame Technique - This is the ongoing translation of Tanigawa 9dan's book titled "Kosoku no Shuban Jutsu" by Richard Sams who is a professional Japanese - English translator and likes shogi. Tanigawa is very famous for his sharp approach to his opponent's King in the endgame and he has unveiled his secret how to play in the endgame in the book. According to Kisho Michelin, the book has been ranked S(highest) and considered good for dan players. I hope translation effort will be restarted.

Handicap Series by Larry Kaufman - Larry is Ama-5dan and won US championship many times. Now his articles from 6 piece handicap to Bishop handicap are available to read in English as well as French with easy-to-read diagrams. I think this is good for novices/beginners/intermediates.

Kifu by Opening Strategy - This blog is to help for English readers to utilize Kifu Database(棋譜でーたべーす）which is a Japanese website and contains lots of professional shogi gamerecords for learning and/or appreciating the art of shogi(shougi,Japanese chess). It's maintained by myself. Kifu-for-Java capable browser is needed to read the pages there.(Now stopped updating)

Shogi Joseki - Dropbox Folder  - This folder is to share Joseki(Opening Standard moves) with anyone who can access to the Internet. You can download many specific .kif files to learn Joseki by yourselves. (The volume of this folder is to be increased gradually.)

<Tactics>

Takodori's Shogi Tactics - One of the ongoing initiatives by myself

<Mating (Tsume) problems, Tsume positions, Hisshi>

HIDETCHI's Famous Mate Problems - .HIDETCHI is showing many brilliant classic mate problems with annotations.(added on March 23 2009)

Mating Problem - There are 17 basic mating problems which is very good for novices/beginners. In addition, 71 problems created by Tanigawa 9dan, one of the greatest pro players, are available.

Take & Drop - 3 move tsume practice - There are forty problems which are suitable for beginners. You will unconciously learn that you may drop a piece effectively soon after you take it through solving them. Repeating to solve them until you solves all of them without fail is recommended. (Added on February 2 2008).

Atamakin Tsume Practice - There are twenty-four problems to learn what Atamakin is. Atamakin is an tactical move of dropping a Gold ahead of the opponent's King in a mating situation.

Tsume Shogi World by All-or-Nothing - There are 16 practical problems. I think they are  good for dan/players.

Tsumeshogi Challenge Warmups - This is a content of Patrick Davin's Shogi Nexus. There are 40 problems. I think they are good for intermediates/dan players.

Tsumeshogi Challenge - This is also a Patrick Davin's Shogi Nexus. There are 80 problems, I think they are good for intermediate/dan players.

Try Tanagura Tsumeshogi/Shooting Star's Shower - Both pages are the contents of Kouhei's Tsume-Shogi Web. The former contains 20 tsume problems in the playable boards. You can select the piece you would like to move or drop by clicking it, and can move or drop it to your desirable square. Please give it a try. The latter is extraction from Kouhei's tsumeshogi book "Shooting Star's Shower" published in 1990. If you are interested in the puzzling aspect of Tsumeshogi, this is the site for you.(revised on November 22, 2006)

Tsume in 9 or less from pro games - This is not a "tsumeshogi" collection but a collection of the positions where tsume exist extracted from games played by professionals. Annotations are together with them.

Tsume from actual games -a  81SUF's thread.

Hisshi - a 81SUG's thread

1 move tsume problem - 001

This is a 1 move tsume problem with extra pieces in hand for novices. In a real game of shogi, you usually have several kinds of pieces in hand in the endgame and so you often have to choose an appropriate piece to move or drop. In the diagram, you have a Rook, a kNight and a Lance in hand. What do you think is the correct move to checkmate?

Tip - Theoretically, there are 6 checks as a next move such as +P-6b, +P-5b, +P-4b, R*5b, N*4c and L*4c. The right answer is on of these six moves.

Title Match Result - 3rd game, Ryuoh

On November 18, the 3rd game of 18th Ryuoh Title Matches was ended with Ryuoh Watanabe's victory with 142 moves. The score is 3-0 after the game and another win will let Watanabe defend the title for the first time of his professional shogi career.

Here is the resignation diagram when Watanabe dropped his kNight on 7c. Challenger Kimura 7dan resigned to see it. At the diagram, if it is White's turn, mate exists such as Lx9e Kx9e +Rx8e(mate). But black has no effective defence for that. If he defends the pawn on 9e with R-9b+, then G-7e will be a decisive threatmating move with next Gx8e. If black defend it with N-7g, then mate exists such as Gx8f Gx8f B*8g K-9g P*9f K-8h +R-7h(mate). In this line, White will run out of all the pieces in hand. Around the 120 moves, I do not know which to win at all. In the end, Watanabe's approach to Kimura's king was turned out to be excellent.

The full game record is replayable at here(Java capable browser is required).

The 4th game will be held on November 29 and 30.

YSS won World Championship of Computer Shogi

On November 16 and 17, World Shogi Championship were held at Computers and Games Research Unit of Japan Advanced Institute of Technology according to the sources in Japanese.. YSS, Gekisashi and TACOS participated in the tournament. The results are as followings. You can replay how the games have gone by clicking the links(Java capable browser is required).

Round 1, Gekisashi(b) vs TACOS(1-0)

Round 2, TACOS(b) vs YSS(0-1)

Round 3, YSS(b) vs Gekisashi(1-0)

Winner:YSS

YSS won this following to the tournament held in the 3rd International Shogi Forum by Japan Shogi Associaition on October 22 and 23.

3rd game of Ryuoh-sen started today

The 3rd game of the 18rd Ryuoh-sen title matches between Ryuoh Watababe and Challenger Kimura just started at 9:00(JST) in Ichinoseki city in Iwate Prefecture. Kimura's first move was P-2f(Photo).You can watch and replay the game here. If you can read Japanese, Ryuoh-sen blog will be valuable to track what is going on the game. The winner will be decided tomorrow.

Russian localization has been done in BrainKing.com

According to "What is New" of the BrainKing.com, Russian localization has been done there. If you go to the top page of Brainking.com and click the Russian flag on the upper right corner, then you will alter it in Russian. I hope this will encourage more Russian speaking people to come to that site. It has added Shogi(Japanese chess) to their wide variety of game line since this August.

5th Italian Open Shogi Championship

According to shogi-l, the 5th Italian Open Shogi Championship will be held on December 10 & 11. If you are interested, please read the announcement of the event for more details.