Takodori's Entrance to Shogi World

Boardlive in the morning and the afternoon - 2nd Asahi Trophy Shogi Open

Today three games of 2nd Asahi Trophy Shogi Open are taking place. You may replay and watch the following games..

Started 10:00am, Sato Yasuhimtsu(Sente, Kio) vs Miura Hiroyuki(8 dan) - Kifu for Flash | Kifu for Java (won by Sato)

Started 10:00am, Matsuo Ayumu(7 dan) vs Akutsu Chikara(Sente, 6 dan) - Kifu for Flash | Kifu for Java (won by Akutsu)

Started at 2:00pm, Sato Yasumitsu(Sente) vs Akutsu Chikara  - Kifu for Flash | Kifu for Java (won by Atutsu)

The thinking time per player is 40 minutes and less than 60 seconds per move after consuming it. It will end in one hour and a half or so from the start.

 

Racine is the winner - PlayOK tournament #2818297

Racine is the winner of on-line shogi tournament held on January 7, 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 #2818297 (shogi)

 

Boardlive today - 34th Kio-sen challenger determining match

Today is the day for 34th Kio-sen chellenger determining match between Kimura Kazuki(8 dan) vs Kubo Toshiaki(8 dan). The winner will challenge against Kio Sato Yasmitsu. As a result of Furigoma, Kubo became a Sente Player. It started at 10:00 in Kansai Shogi Kaikan. The opening strategy is Sente's gokigen Nakabisha. The thinking time per player is 4 hours and less than 60 seconds per move after consuming it.

Kifu for Flash | Kifu for Java (The game was won by Kubo in 115 moves to be the challenger against Kio Sato Yasumitsu)

The official blog of 34th Kio-sen plus(in Japanese) is linked below;

http://kifulog.shogi.or.jp/kiou/

Lesson #34 became available - Video series of How to play Shogi by HIDETCHI

Lesson 34 of HIDETCHI's video series of  How to play Shogi is now available to watch on Youtube. It is about situation evaluation.

YouTube: How to play Shogi(将棋) -Lesson#34- Situation Evaluation

The following playlist is handy to watch the previous lessons up to #33.

Playlist:How to play Shogi

Boardlives Today

Today is the preliminary C & D block tournament of Tenga-sen. Here are the links to the replayable boards. The players who gain 2 wins will pass it while those that lose 2 games will not be able to go further in the tournament.

1st Round - C Block(started at 10:00am)

Nakakura Hiromi(Joryu sho dan) vs Kano Tamao(Joryu Sho dan) - won by Nakakura in 83 moves)
Narita Miho(ama, Joshi ama oui) vs Funato Yoko(Joryu 2 dan) - won by Narita in 123 moves

1st Round - D Block(started at 10:00am)

Ooba Miki(Joryu Shodan) vs Shimai Saori(Joryu sho dan) - won by Shimai in 134 moves
Kitao Madoka(Joryu sho dan) vs Fujita Maiko(Joryu 1 kyu) -
won by Kitao in 105 moves

2nd Round - C Block(started at 2:00pm)

Narita Miho vs Nakakura Hiromi　- won by Narita in 141 moves.
Kano Tamao vs Funato Yoko - won by Funato in 148 moves

2nd Round - D Block(started at 2:00pm)

Shimai Saori vs Kitao Madoka　- won by Shimai in 109 moves
Ooba Miki vs Fujita Maiko　- won by Fujita in 118 moves

3rd Round to compete for final seats - C&D united(Started at 5:00pm)

Fujita Maiko vs Funato Yoko - won by Funato in 116 moves
Nakakura Hiromi vs Kitao Madoka - won by Kitao in 118 moves

As a result, Narita, Shimai, Funato and Kitao got entitled to go further in this tournament. Narita is a junior high school student. It's amazing she beat two professional players in a row.

For those who are interested in female professional system in genral, HIDETCHI's following video will be of help.

YouTube: How to play Shogi(将棋) -Lesson#24- Shogi World (Woman Professional and Amateur Players)

 

Lesson #33 became available - Video series of How to play Shogi by HIDETCHI

Lesson 33 of HIDETCHI's video series of  How to play Shogi is now available to watch on Youtube. It is about Endgame Speed Tactics. The endgame in shogi is fairly different from International chess. If you also a chess player, you can tell one from the other through this and previous video.

YouTube: How to play Shogi(将棋) -Lesson#33- Endgame Speed Tactics

The following playlist is handy to watch the previous lessons up to #32.

Playlist:How to play Shogi

Lesson #32 became available - Video series of How to play Shogi by HIDETCHI

Lesson 32 of HIDETCHI's video series of  How to play Shogi is now available to watch on Youtube. It is about Speed Calculation and the Concept of "Z" in the endgame of shogi.

YouTube: How to play Shogi(将棋) -Lesson#32- Speed Calculation and "Z"

The following playlist is handy to watch the previous lessons up to #31.

Playlist:How to play Shogi

HIDETCHI uploaded two classic tsume problems at the end of 2008

YouTube: Famous Mate Problems - Shogi Musou #16

YouTube: Famous Mate Problems - Shogi Musou #70

HIDETCHI uploaded these two videos about the famous classic tsume problems last year. These two problems are available to replay move by move in Tsumeshogi Hakubutukan(Tsmeshogi Musium). Here are the links(Java-capable browswer is needed to replay them);

#16 is the third right diagram from the top.

#70 is the right diagram at the bottom

Hamshogi Walkthrough Video on Youtube - 10pc Handicap

Here is the one beting Hamster in 10 piece handicap.

YouTube: ハム将棋　ハム10枚　短手数

This is the line from the start to the end with some comments of mine.

Handicap: 10 pieces

  1. ...   K-4b   

*The first move of K-4b is protecting the square of 3c preparing for your opening Bishop's diagonal line.

  2.P-7f   

*You opened your Bishop's diagonal line. Please confirm it goes to the square of 3c.

K-3b     3.P-2f   

*Second, you advanced Rook pawn. In shogi, Rook and Bishop are called Ohgoma(Major pieces). It is generally important to activate these major pieces to win a game.

P-7d     4.P-2e   

*You advanced your Rook's pawn again to make it possible to float to 2f.

P-5d     5.R-2f   

*You moved your Rook from 2h to 2f. The aim is to slide it to 3f to attack the square of 3c with two major pieces such as your Rook and Bisohp.

P-9d     6.R-3f   

*Please confirm that the 2pieces such as your Bishop and Rook can go to the square of 3c while it is protected by only one piece such as your opponent's King. You have numerical advantage on the square of 3c.

K-2b     7.Rx3c+ 

*Your Rook took the pawn on 3c with getting promoted. It's also check. Since the Bishop on 8h supports the promoted Rook, then the King cannot take it.

K-1b     8.+R-2b 

*Checkmate. The king cannot take the promoted Rook since the Bishop on 8h still supports it.

resigns

Kifus of Final and semi-finals of ISF tournament 2008 in Tendo

The games were played on November 9, 2008 in Tendo Japan as the main event of International Shogi Festival 2008 in Tendo. The thinking time per player is 20 minutes and less than 30 seconds per move after consuming it. For those who has trouble with Kifu for Java, click the KiFLA links.

Semifinal - Arend van Oosten vs Sergej Korchitskij(win) | KiFLA

Semifinal - Alan Baker vs Tang Shunjie(湯順傑 win) | KiFLA

Final - Tang Shunjie(湯順傑 win) vs Sergej Korchitskij | KiFLA