Takodori's Entrance to Shogi World

Boardlive of the first games of Asahi Open Cup today

On July 7, the first games of Asahi Cup open (knockout) tournament  are being held in Japan. 10 games between professionals(4 dan) and Top ama players are scheduled and to be on boardlive. You can watch and replay these 10 games through the webboards below(Kifu for Java capable browser needed). Thinking time per both players is 40 minutes + 60 second byoyomi.

*These 4 games started at 10:00AM(Japan Time)
Taichi Nakamura(4 dan) vs Yukio Kato(ama) Sente=Nakamura

Shoji Segawa(4 dan) vs Yoji Yamada(ama) Sente=Segawa

Shingo Ito(4 dan) vs Atsutomo Yamada(ama) Sente=Yamada

Amahiko Sato(4 dan) vs Tsuyoshi Sagara(ama) Sente=Sato

*The following 6 games will start at 2:00PM(Japan Time)
Kouta Kanai(4 dan) vs Takashi Kiriyama(ama)

Makoto Tobe(4 dan) vs Satoshi Inaba(ama)

Issei Takazaki(4 dan) vs Kouki Kikuta(ama)

Yusuke Toyama(4 dan) vs Masaki Endo(ama)

Tetsuro Itodani(4 dan) vs Hirobumi Nakamura(ama)

Masayuki Toyoshima(4 dan) vs Koji Kaihara(ama)

Today's Boardlive(July 6, Japan time)

We have two boardlives today. One is 78th Kisei title match. The 4th game between Kisei Sato and Challenger Ryuo Watanabe. The other is 20th Ryuo-sen. Habu(3 crowns) vs Fukaura(8 dan). Both games are expected to end this evening in Japan.

You can watch and replay the 4th game of Kisei title match through this page. Click the button with "LIVE" in the lower part of the page like the image. Then you will have a smaller window of live board(using Kifu for Java). Watanabe is a Sente player.

The 20th Ryuo-sen game between Yoshiharu Habu(3 crowns) and Kouichi Fukaura(8 dan) is now on boardlive. You can watch it through this page. Click the following button in the page.

Then you can watch or replay the game. The browser which can allow Kifu for Java is required.

The left side of the picture  in the page is Habu while the right side is Fukaura. As a result of Furigoma, Fukaura is a Sente player.

You can replay other games by clicking the botton to begins with the image of Osho pieces like above through the page.

Ryuo-sen Boardlive today

The 20th Ryuo-sen game between Yusuke Ina(5 dan) and Daisuke Katagami(5 dan) is now on boardlive. You can watch it through this page. Click the following button in the page.

Then you can watch or replay the game. The browser which can allow Kifu for Java is required.

The left side of the picture  in the page is Ina while the right side is Katagami.

You can replay other games by clicking the botton to begins with the image of Osho pieces like above through the page.

Link to the gamerecord of Segawa's memorial victory against Kubo 8dan

Some days ago, I had a question in the comment field of this blog that how how many amateur shogi players have beat top ranked pros not like habu san level players but 9,8,7 dan pros. I replied. "I thought only Segawa 4dan who used be an ama player beat the said level of pro player. He won a game of Ginga-sen against Kubo 8dan when he was an ama." I found the gamerecord is available on the Net. It was a first round of Ginga-sen final tournament held in the year 2004 and played on July 22 then. Ginga-sen is a TV shogi match broadcasted by Igo-Shogi Channel. Here is how to reach the gamerecord;

Open the page of Ginga-sen

You can see the buttons as you see in the left. Click the third button from the bottom.

Then you can see the tournament tree. In the center of the tree, you can find the paring in the right.

Click the icon of the small shogi board on the top of the paring. The left is Segawa-san who used to be an amatuer player and the right is Kubo 8dan.

Now you will see the replayable gameboard. The desdcription of the buttons below the board is as follows.

First button from the left --- Automatic replay

Second --- Slow automatic replay

Third --- Last move

Fourth --- Next move

Fifth --- Initial position

Sixth --- Resigning position

As a result of Furigoma, Kubo 8dan made a first move. The opening strategy was Kobo's Fujii sysytem. Segawa won the thrilling game with 136 moves.

shogi

Miyakozume(Mate in the capital(5e)) in a real professional game

On May 21, 2006, NHK(Japan Broadcasting Corp.) aired Tsukada 9dan vs Yamazaki 6dan and the game was ended with Miyakozume(Mate in the capital) which is very rare in a real game. In Tsumeshogi, Miyakozume is one of the themes of creation. Miyako means the capital. Since the square of 5e is the very center of the shogi board which is associated with the capital, a mated King on 5e is called Miyakozume.

The first diagram is the position when the first player Yamazaki dropped his Silver on 4c as the 111st move. This was a threatmate with his rich pieces in hand such as a Bishop, three Golds and a lance . If Gote(White, upper player of the diagram) neglect it, then there were mate to begin with Sx3b= or Sx3d+ as followings;

Sx3b= Sx3b G*2b Kx2b S*3a Kx3a G*4b K-2a Gx3b Kx3b B*4a K-2a S*3b K-1b G*2c(mate)

Sx3b= Kx3b G*4c K-2a S*3b Sx3b Gx3b Kx3b B*4a K-2a S*3b K-1b G*2c(mate)

Sx3b= Kx3b G*4c K-2c Gx3c Kx3c G*4c K-2b G*3c K-2a B*3b Sx3b Gx4c-3b K-1b S*2c(mate)

Sx3d+ Kx3d L*3e K-2c B*3d K-2b G*2c Sx2c Bx2c+ Kx2c S*3d K-1b G*2c K-2a G*2b Sx2b Gx2b Kx2b Sx3c+ K-2a S*3b K-1b +S-2c(mate)

The real proceeding of the game  was like this.

P-5g+ Gx5g S*2e(2nd diagram)

S*2e prevented Gote's King from being mated to begin with Sx3d+ only. So Gote's King should have been mated to begin with Sx3b=. But because of Gote's pawn sacrifice of P-5g+, Sente got a refreshing sequence with Bishop sacrifice to mate Gote's King. After the second diagram, the real proceeding was like this.

Sx3b= Kx3b G*4c K-2c G-3c Kx3c Bx4d(3rd diagram)

Without Gote's pawn sacrifice of P-5g+, Sente's Gold should have stayed on 5h and Sente's pawn on 6f should have been floating. This impressive Bishop sacrifice should have been impossible without it. After the 3rd diagram, the real proceeding was like this.

Kx4d G*4c K-5e G*5d(mate, 4th diagram)

Yamazaki won the game with 125 moves at the 4th diagram. Tsukada did not resign until his king was mated on 5e. Professional players usually resign a game several moves before their King is mated. I think Tsukada intended to show Miyakozume on TV when he saw he had no hope to win the game around the first diagram and that's why he sacrificed his pawn by P-5g+ which enabled for Gote's King to be mated on 5e.

shogi

Result of 24th Asahi Open Championship Final

Fujii 9dan beat Goda 9dan with 88 moves in the game of 24th Asahi Open Shogi Championship today. you can replay the full game. The left is the resignation diagram when Fujii dropped his Silver on 9i to check Goda's King. Fujii played Gote(upper side) and had a Gold, kNight, Lance and a pawn while Goda had two Bishops, a Gold, Silver, kNight, and four pawns. After the diagram, Sente's King would be easy to be checkmated. The possible lines are followings;

K-9h G*8h(mate)

Kx9i G-8i K-9h G*8h (mate)

What would happen if Sente's king was not in check? Could you see the mating line for Gote's King? Just for your reference, I'm writing how Gote's king to be mated unless Sente's King is in check.

S*9c Kx9c +Rx9a P*9b G*9d(mate)

S*9c Lx9c B*9a K7b(K-9b G*8b, mate) B*8a(mate)

N*9d instead of S*9c would cause to mate Gote's King as well. Please think of the variation if you are interested. The resignation diagram is a typical example of a shogi game with one-move difference.

The Winner Fujii will challenge Asahi Habu It will be a three wins match and the first game will be held in the coming April.

24th Asahi Open

Today is the day for the final match of 24th Asahi Open Championship between Goda 9dan and Fujii 9dan. The winner will challenge Asahi Habu in the coming April. You can watch and replay the game at here. Goda played Sente(Black).

There are several games of Asahi Open Championship which are available to replay.

Miyata 5dan vs Meijin Moriuchi - Played on Oct. 28, 2005, Miyata won. Both Ibisha.

Fukaura 8dan vs Sugimoto 6dan - Played on Dec 2, 2005, Fukaura won, Ibisha anaguma vs Sangenbisha(3rd file rook).

Kisei Sato vs Shinya Sato 5dan - Played on Dec.2, 2005, Shinya Sato won. Both Yagura.

Goda 9dan vs Yamazaki 6dan - Played on Jan. 26, 2006, Goda won, Kakugawari(Bishop Exchange)

Morishita 9dan vs Naruyuki Hatakeyama 7dan - Played on Jan. 27, 2006, Morishita won, Ibisha Anaguma cs Sangenbisha(3rd file rook)

Fujii 9dan vs Ryuo Watanabe - Played on Jan. 27, 2006, Fujii won, Quick attack vs Shikenbisha(4th file rook)

Miyata 5dan vs Goda 9dan - Played on Feb 13, 2006, Goda won, Aigakari

Morishita 9dan vs Tanigawa 9dan - Played on Feb 17, 2006, Tanigawa won, Both Furibisha

Miura 8dan vs Goda 9dan - Played on Feb 23, 2006, Goda won, Both Yagura

Asahi Open Championship is sponsored by Asahi Shimbun If you can read Japanese, you may be interested in reading the shogi top page in www.asahi.com.