Amateur Convention (by nyantaro)

  There are held amateur conventions from a small to a big in all over Japan.
 The form of conventions are various. For example, level difference, leading shogi by professional shogi player for losers in a convention.

In regard to the amateur convention that a scale has a big for celebrity, it is held primary convention to select the representative of each Prefecture.

It was held primary "Shogi Meijin match" in Saitama Prefecture January 18th.
(participation condition: Prefecture resident)

There are a lot of amateur great skill player in Saitama Prefecture, so this convention was very high level. (Maybe, almost paticipants have 4-dan over.)
This convention winner gets right to appear national convention.

After shogi game, paticipants talked about the shogi game with opponent studiously.
Amateur great skill players are good defence and timing to attack.

I was observer, I enjoyed this time.

Frank and Misako visited my home (by nyanko)

Mr. Frank and Mrs. Misako visited my home in Japan.

Frank is the president of  Federation of Euoropean Shogi Associations and a good shogi and chess player.

We enjoyed conversation about shogi and daily life, and playng chess and shogi.
(Nyantaro and Nyanko like also chess.)
I learned a lot from playng with a good player.

I made okonomiyaki for dinner, which is popular Japanese food and ocassionally be said it's equivalent of pizza in Japan.
If you will have a chance, please try to have it.

Omiya shogi center (by nyantaro)

I went to Omiya shogi center in Saitama Prefecture in January 4.
This day was a holiday, so this center was crowded.

 

There were a lot of people who played shogi.

This day, I played 5 games, 2 win 3 loss.

 

This center holds daily tournament, beginner class, rating match, normal game and professional lecture regularly.

 

This center is managed by Kazuhiro Kojima who was amateur grand champion.

He has taught me end game.

 

Even if amateur experts coming to the center play a lot of shogi games, they are very fine.

I am going to go to Omiya shogi center regularly.



Turn the bad game around, induce opponent's mistake (by nyanko)

In shogi game, when you are in bad position, there are some trick.
In order to turn the bad game around, it is often said that, it's important to keep your castle solid and make the opponent's castle not solid, or keep it possible for the opponent's king to be checked.
It gives pressure to the opponent, therefore occasionally induce the opponent's mistake and succeed in turnover.
Here, I introduce the game which I turned the bad game around.

Fig. 1 is the endgame position (the end move is S*6g), available time is 30 sec per move.

(Fig. 1)

In this position, my castle is thin and the opponent's Mino-castle is very solid, so I felt quite bad and difficult to win this game.
If the Bishop would escape (like Bx3d), my castle will attacked one-sidely and the chance of winning will vanish completely.
In the position Fig. 1, I moved Lx8c+ to make the opponent's king easy to be checked for turnover.
The game developed as Sx8c, Bx8c+, Kx8c, S*8d (Fig. 2).

(Fig. 2)

S*8d is tactical move.
If the opponent would move Kx8d, it will develop as R*8b, L*8c, +B6f, K-7d, +B7e (mate).
After S*8d, the real game developed as, K-7b, S*8c, K-6b, R*8b, L*7b, P*5c, Gx5c (Fig. 3).
S*8d and S*8c is for the purpose of making around 8 file solid rather than attacking, because it is expected my king will escape to around there.
I moved so as not to make my castle easy to mated and waited the chance of turnover.
In fact, the opponent's move Gx5c is not good and shorten the lead of position.
In Fig. 3, which move do you do?

(Fig. 3)

In Fig. 3, it is seemed that my king is in danger.
However, I calculated my king won't be mated, so I moved Rx8a+, which has a purpose later.
It is important to judge by calculating concretely, not only through seemingly.
After Rx8a+, the real game developed as, B*7i, K-7g, Sx7h+, K-8f, +R-4e (Fig. 4).

The opponent's move +R-4e is seemingly normal move which aims mating my king, but in fact this is also mistake, furthermore losing move.
I succeeded in inducing opponent's mistake, then won from the position in Fig. 4.

Q: Can you find how to win in this position (Fig. 4)?

(Fig. 4)

Hint: I mated the opponent's king. The purpose of former move +R8a is mating.

Happy New Year (by nyantaro)

Happy New Year! In this year thanking you in advance.

This picture is my work of the flower arrangment.

Japanese white pine and Sarcandra glabra(senryo) which is "New Year flower".

 

Kadomatsu

Japanese decorate the front door of shops, company buildings and houses with a pair of "Kadomatsu" during the New Year. "Kado" means a gate and "Matsu" means a pine tree. "Kadomatsu" is a decoration consisting of bamboo and pine branches and symbolizes longevity and prosperity. It is said that this is the appropriate way to welcome gods.