Takodori's Entrance to Shogi World

I added the two tickers to the top area of this blog.

As you may be already aware, I added the two tickers on the top area of this blog. Here are the explanation of what are to be shown there.

• "Attention!" is to show the recent 10 bookmarked pages of my shogi-attention.
• "New Kifus" is to show the recent 10 games of my KifubyOpeningStrategy.

If you click a ticked headline, then you will jump to the linked page of the headline to read and/or watch.

An article in USCF(United States Chess Federation)

Here is the link to an article titled Hilton on Foxwoods: Shulman, Shogi and Imitating Becerr. The author played a chess against Moriuchi 9 dan at the 6th round of Foxwoods 2009 chess tournament. You can replay the game on the linked page.

The United States Chess Federation - Hilton on Foxwoods: Shulman, Shogi and Imitating Becerra

 

Shogi event on April 11 & 12 in San Francisco

Here are the information about the shogi event to be held on April 11 & 12.

Consulate to Present Computer Games, Shogi at Cherry Blossom Festival | HOKUBEI ONLINE

The Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco is sponsoring a variety of events during the first weekend of the Cherry Blossom Fetival (April 11-12) in Japantown.

• Shogi Festival. In conjunction with 2009 U.S. Shogi Championship, the Shogi Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days on the second floor of the Japan Center’s Kinokuniya Building, Post and Webster streets. Professionals from Japan will be in attendance, including Hisashi Namekata, 8th dan; Akio Ishikawa, 7th dan (U.S. shogi master); Hirotaka Nozuki, 7th dan (San Francisco Branch master); Akira Nishio, 5th dan; and Yusuke Tohyama, 4th dan. They will give a free shogi lesson, provide professional tips and demonstrate a professional blindfolded game.

Consulate-General of Japan in San Francisco The Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco Related Events at the 42nd Cherry Blossom Festival

This year the Consulate General of Japan is proud to be a sponsor of the SHOGI Festival at the 2009 Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival to be held in conjunction with 2009 US Shogi Championship. Professionals from Japan will be in attendance including Mr. Namekata 8th dan, Mr. Ishikawa 7th dan (US Shogi Master), Mr. Nozuki 7th dan, Mr. Nishio 5th dan and Mr. Tohyama 4th dan. They will hold a free shogi lesson, provide professional tips and demonstrate a Pro's Blindfold Game.

WHEN: Saturday, April 11 & Sunday,  April 12
10:00-4:00 p.m.

WHERE: Kinokuniya Bookstore 2F
San Francisco Japan Center

Here is the Flyer of the shogi event.

SHOGI FESTIVAL

 

36th Shogi Award for Fiscal year 2008

According to JSA's annoucement on April 1, the following players have been awarded.

• Most Excellent Player --- Habu Yoshiharu
• Excellent Player --- Watanabe Akira
• Fighting Spirit Award --- Kubo Toshiaki
• New Face Award --- Sato Amahiko
• Special Award --- Nakahara Makoto
• Played most games Award --- Kubo Toshiaki(73 games)
• Winningest player --- Kubo Toshiaki(49 wins)
• Highest winning percentage --- Miyata Atsushi (0.757)
• Longest consecutive win --- Kanai Kouta (11 consective win)
• Most excellent female player --- Shimizu Ichiyo
• Female player award --- Satomi Kana
• Tokyo shogi jounalist award --- Ouchi Nobuyuki
• Masuda Kozo Award --- Kubo Aoshiaki, (R-7e at the 11th move of 2nd game of 34th Kio-sen)
• Masuda Kozo Special Award --- None
• Splendid game Award --- 7th game of 21st Ryuo-sen between Ryuo Watamabe and Meijin Habu
• Splendie game special Award --- None

"Japanese Chess:The Game of Shogi " by Trevor Leggett is revived

The book titled "Japanese Chess:The Game of Shogi" is revived on April 10(It seems available to buy already). It's apparetly a revival edition of "Shogi Japan's Game of Strategy" published in 1993.

Product Details: Japanese Chess --- This page is the publisher(Tuttle Publishing)'s site                                            
Japanese Chess: The Game of Shogi --- By Yellow Mountain Imports                                            

Amazon.com: Japanese Chess: The Game of Shogi: Trevor Leggett, Alan Baker: Books

 

 

An exclusive interview with the 19th Perpetual Meijin Yoshiharu Habu

ISPS translated to publish the captioned interview into English and Chinese.

English Version

Chinese Version

Toyota Tsusho's aid for cultural activity includes shogi

Here is the links to a China Daily article about Toyota Tsusho which mentions to their cultural activity in China including shogi.

Toyota Tsusho targets cultural understanding for growth in China

The company sees investing in cultural initiatives, aimed at improving relationships and understanding between China and Japan, as a key measure in developing its business in the country.

It has recently sponsored a number of programs aimed at fostering cross-cultural wellbeing - including training in how to play the erhu (a traditional Chinese two-stringed lute-style instrument), lessons in Chinese calligraphy and instructions on how to play Shogi (a form of Japanese chess).

Front Page Column of Mainichi Newspapers mentioned to Nakahara's retirement

The front page column of Mainichi Newspaper which mentioned to Nakahara's retirement has been translated into English to publish on The Mainichi Daily News as below.

Shogi master announces the end of a legendary career - The Mainichi Daily News

"When I saw the move, my eyes, for some reason, filled with tears. 'What a lucky guy I am,' I thought," wrote the novelist Sakae Saito in an account of a shogi match he wrote for the Mainichi. It was 1979, the fourth game of the Meijin championship between Meijin Makoto Nakahara and Kioh Kunio Yonenaga.

The move, denoted in shogi as S-5g, has since become the stuff of legend, often talked about as a brilliant gambit made in the final stages of the match. "He went out of his way to make a move that allowed his opponent to take his silver general. But because of that, Nakahara's king could not be mated," Saito explained.

Nakahara, the 16th Honorary Meijin, is said to have been expressionless as he made the move, after staring at the board for about two minutes. However, he admitted 30 years later that "I played the move thinking that it may make history," at a press conference announcing his retirement from professional shogi.

Nakahara beat 15th Honorary Meijin Yasuharu Oyama in 1972 to become the youngest Meijin in history, winning nine consecutive Meijin championships and twice later. He was still recovering after suffering a brain hemorrhage last summer, but after making the decision to end his professional career, he declared, "I have enjoyed competing on the grand stage to the fullest. I have no regrets."

Yasuo Harada, a ninth dan (grade) player, describes Nakahara's style as "'Shizen-ryu' that wins the game before anyone knows it." "Shizen-ryu" or "natural style" was the perfect name for a style that appeared rational, effortless, and dignified -- but from Nakahara's point of view, aggressive.

"I wouldn't win if I played 'naturally,'" he said. To those of us who watched on the sidelines, his desperate maneuvers were strong enough to seem like they merely flowed naturally.

The S-5g has been hailed as the most significant move of Nakahara's illustrious career. The shogi gods who guided Nakahara at that moment are now probably plotting clever stratagems to be played by young shogi players. The torch -- one for a shogi hand that will bring tears to the eyes of those watching -- has been passed on to the next generation. ("Yoroku," a front-page column in the Mainichi Shimbun)

The legendary S-5g is annotated in the video by HIDETCHI. Here it is.

YouTube: Famous Shogi Games: NAKAHARA vs YONENAGA (Apr. 26th & 27th, 1979)

 

 

Veteran shogi champion Makoto Nakahara to retire - The Mainichi Daily News

Here is the link to the captioned article in The Mainichi Daily News.

Veteran shogi champion Makoto Nakahara to retire - The Mainichi Daily News

Makoto Nakahara, a veteran player in professional shogi, announced Wednesday that he will retire at the end of the month.

The 61-year-old Nakahara, who is the 16th Honorary Meijin (the most prestigious title in shogi) in the game, had been hospitalized and missed tournaments since he suffered a brain hemorrhage after a match in August last year.

"I have been receiving rehabilitation treatments, but it's hard to completely recover," Nakahara said during a press conference in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward. "After a 43-year professional career, I thought it's time to retire."

Nakahara, from Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture, turned professional in 1965 and won his first Kisei title in 1968. After becoming the youngest Meijin in history at the age of 24 in 1972, he won the title nine consecutive times and twice later. In November 2007, Nakahara became the 16th Honorary Meijin.

Nakahara, who is known for his own style of playing called "Shizen-ryu," dominated the shogi world by defeating longtime champion and 15th Honorary Meijin Yasuharu Oyama. Nakahara has the third record number of titles, 64, following Oyama's 80 and Meijin Yoshiharu Habu's 71.

Nakahara also has the second largest number of wins ever, with 1,308 wins and 782 losses, following Oyama's 1,433 victories.

Nakahara served as the chairman of the Japan Shogi Association between 2003 and 2005.

"Honorary Meijin" is Mainichi's translation of 永世名人(Eisei Meijin) which I usually translate it as "Permanent Meijin". Only professional players who holds 5 or more terms of Meijin in total will be entitled to be called Eisei Meijin. Meijin title is to be competed annually in the form of 4-win match between the current Meijin and the winner of the top professional players' league called A Juni-sen.

 

16th permanent Meijin Nakahara will retire from professional tournament at the end of this month

According to Nihon Shogi Renmei's announcement, 16th permanent Meijin Nakahara Makoto will retire from the professional tournaments on March 31. The link below is the announcement in Japanese.

http://www.shogi.or.jp/news/2008/main.html#0311