Takodori's Entrance to Shogi World

Yamakuzushi - children game before learning shogi using pieces and a board

Yamakuzushi is a Japanese children game by using shogi board and pieces often before they learn shogi. Children can get familiar with shogi pieces through this game. Habu mentioned to this game in the interview linked below;

Yoshiharu Habu in conversation with Fumio Yamada, shogi journalist and
broadcaster (April 2002) 

Habu: Yes, a friend in the same class who lived nearby taught me.
It was just one of the many games we played. We started with "mawari shogi"
and "yamakuzushi,"* then advanced to shogi proper. At first I was around the
same strength as my classmates, but then I got stronger and started going to
a shogi club so I could play against adults.

* Mawarishogi: The players race their golds around the shogi board from the
outside to the center, throwing dice to decide the number of squares they
move.
Yamakuzushi: The pieces are spilled onto the shogi board from the box,
forming a "mountain." The players have to move each piece from the mountain
to the edge of the board with their forefinger without making a noise. A
player who makes a noise must leave the game.

The remark of Yamakuzushi above is a little obscure. Yamakuzushi is to be played plural players.　The "Noise" means the sound generated from the "mountain" only and does not include　the sound generated by slipping a shogi piece on the board and by getting a piece out of bounds. When one player makes a "noise", then his/her turn is over and another player's turn comes. This circulation is to continue until the final piece is got out.  Here is an example of Yamakuzushi. It is played by three players in the video. The video was taken on March 22 2008 on the opportunity of Kids School event hold in Tokyo by LPSA(The Ladies Professional Shogi -players' Association of Japan)

Big news from Vietnam

I read an amazing news today linked below;

Int’l chess institute to be built in south Vietnam(Thanh Nien Daily)

A chess institute will be built in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau to train players from around the Asian region, the provincial Department of Sports announced.

Under an agreement between Vung Tau authorities and World Chess Federation (FIDE) Secretary General Ignatius Leong, the chess center will offer training in three kinds of chess, including chess, Chinese chess and shogi, or Japanese chess.

Vung Tau authorities have agreed to grant a 6,000-square-meter plot ofland for the institute.

Kurnik changed its name to PlayOK on April 5

Here is the announcement. The reason why it changed the name is not revealed. My guess is the new name is to aim at increasing the access from USA.

PlayOK.com - PlayOK = Kurnik

AISEP 2008 - Shogi-like Game Cultural Exchange Opportunity

AISEP is an apprevation of Asian Intellectual Shog Exchange Program. It is the fieldwork and discussion program gathering Asian students who are interested in Shogi or other kind of Shogi such as xiangqi or Janggi. This program offers a mutual understanding of Asian cultures through Shogi-kind games. Then it aims to create Asian Youth Network of Shogi.

If you are an Asian student, it's worth while thinking about applying for the event of AISEP 2008. It's to be hold in Beijing on May 30 through June 2. The application deadline is April 13, 2008.

For more information, please visit the link below;

AISEP

Garry Kasparov – taking up [email protected]

The English version of ChessBase.com covered the story which was unveiled in ChessBase.de in German as Kasparov als Shogi-Spieler in last December. So, it's not an April fool in spite of the date of the article.

ChessBase.com - Chess News - Garry Kasparov – taking up Shogi?

Shogi Grand Awards for FY2007

The 35th Shogi Grand Awards for FY2007 was unveiled. According to the page in NSR(in Japanese), the list of prize-takers are as below;

Most Excellent Shogi Players --- Habu Yoshiharu
Excellent Shogi Players --- Sato Yasumitsu
Fighting Spirits --- Fukaura Koichi
New Face --- Murayama Yasuaki
Special --- (No one entitled)
Most games --- Habu Yoshiharu
Winningest --- Habu Yoshiharu
Highest Winning Percentage --- Murayama Yasuaki(.783)
Consecutive victories --- Sasaki Makoto, Sato Kazutoshi (13 wins in a row)
Most excellent Lady player --- Shimizu Ichiyo
Excellent Lady Player --- Yauchi Rieko
Tokyo shogi journalists award --- Manabe Kazuo
Masuda Kozo Award --- Imaizumi Kenji(R-3b at the second move)
Special Masuda Kozo Award --- Manabe Kazuo
Masterpiece Game --- Seventh game of 48th Oui-sen between Habu and Fukaura

"To spread Shogi over the World" was updated

"To spread Shogi over the World" was updated yesterday.

[shogi]Report of Shogi society in March 2008

Taylars College in Malaysia seems to have an Intectual Club

I read the following blog written by a person in Malaysian Weiqi association today.

Promoting Go in Taylors College

The scond photo in the page linked above shows "Some Shogi guy explaining some Shogi stuff to someone interested in Shogi."
 

 

Dramatization of "81 Diver"(shogi manga)

I did not expect this news were covered in English, but the fact is that two blogs covers it so far.

81diver Manga Dramatized in Live-Action TV Series

"81diver" drama series announced starring Mizobata, Naka

I'm not so familiar with how much subbed J-drama is watched now. But you may have a chance to watch it when the series start in May in Japan.   

 

All the classes of 66th Juni-sen finished

All the classes of 66th Juni-sen finished on March 14. Here are the summary of the players who will upgrade/downgrade in the next term from April 2008 to March 2009. The winner of the A-Juni-sen(league) is to be a challenger against Meijin. Habu Yoshiharu is the one this term.

B1 -> A

Suzuki Daisuke(8 dan)
Fukaura Koichi(8 dan)

B2 -> B1

Yamasaki Takayuki(7 dan)
Yashiki Nobuyuki(9 dan)

C1 -> B2

Akutsu Chikara(6 dan)
Toyokawa Takahiro(6 dan)

C2 -> C1

Murayama Yasuaki(5 dan)
Sasaki Makoto(5 dan)
Takano Hideyuki(5 dan)

A -> B1

Kubo Toshiaki(8 dan)
Namekata Hisashi(8 dan)

B1 -> B2

Shima Akira(8 dan)
Nakagawa Daisuke(7 dan)

B2 -> C1

(Nobody)

C1 -> C2

Chuza Makoto(7 dan)

C2 -> Free Class

Nakao Toshiyuki(5 dan)
Takeichi Saburo(7 dan)