European/World Open Shogi Championship diary (nyanko)

ESC/WOSC (European Shogi Championship and World Open Shogi Championship) is held at once annually.
ESC is limited to European, but WOSC is open to anyone around the world.
I participated WOSC 2012, held in Krakow, Poland.
This event includes many tournaments and had held for four days.

(This picture is sited from http://shogi.pl/finish-of-esc-wosc/)

Teaching game with professional Takada-6 Dan.

I joined team tournament, Blitz, Kyoto shogi tournament and WOSC.
Although I had not know the rule of Kyoto shogi, a player taught me gently on site.
This is also fun.

 

 Kyoto shogi
(sited from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_shogi)

I enjoyed shogi and interaction with players.
I won a second prize with team tournament and Kyoto shogi tournament.

 

(Photo: Misako I.Rövekamp)

Second prize cup of Kyoto shogi. I was placed under investigation about this at airport (^^;).

After the games, many players went dinner together. We enjoyed playing shogi there, too.

I went sightseeing around Krakow.
Krakow is a safe place and very beautiful city. (it's like Kyoto for Japan)

In city.

Salt mine (underground).

Auschwitz.

Furthermore, you can see the movie of the event in youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmeaNftTTAo

My hobby is shogi and sightseeing, so I could enjoyed both and had a great experience in this travel.

This year's ESC/WOSC will take place August 20 - 23, 2015 in Prague, Czech Republic.
It must be very fun.
(Information: http://shogi2015.eu/ )

Edge attack by Swinging Rook (nyanko)

Figure. 1 is one position of my actual game with 5-dan player (I'm sente).
What do you move in this position (turn of swinging rook)?

figure. 1

In Figure. 1, the left side of the opponent's camp is guarded by G7b.
So, P-1e is good technique (figure. 2).

figure. 2

Edge attack is standard tactics in shogi.
In many cases, it's practiced by static rook side (for example, when attacking Mino castle).
However, edge attack by swinging rook is occasionally effective when the edge of opponent's camp is unguarded, such as figure. 1.
This is useful to know.

If the opponent will move Px1e, I will move P*1b, then L*1b, R*1a.
This attack is very severe.
From figure. 2, the actual game advanced as P-8f, Px1d, P*1b (figure. 3).
The opponent intend to endure by P*1b, but I had a means for continuing to attack moreover.

figure. 3

I moved P+1c in figure. 3, this is also technique (figure. 4).

 figure. 4

After figure. 4, the actual game is advanced as Px1c, P*1b, L*1b, P*1d, Px1d, R*1a (figure. 5).

 figure. 5

This attack is very sever and it's difficult for gote to defend.
If gote don't defend, the gote's king is mated by beginning with B*2a. And, if gote move K2b, I can take the gold by R+4a.
Additionally, if gote will defend by dropping major piece with B*2a or R2b, I will move P*1c(figure. 6). This is so powerful. In fact, my move Px1d between figure. 4 and figure. 5 is a means for enabling me to move P*1c, and this is technique again.

It's difficult for gote to defend and, in addition, my castle is still so solid.
Therefore the opponent judged as having no chance of winning, so resigned in the position of figure. 5.
The edge attack in the position of figure. 1 was vital.

 figure. 6

As said above, edge attack by swinging rook is occasionally very effective. If you know this, you will have chance to practice this and win someday.

London stay and playing shogi (by nyantaro)

I visited in London a week.
There were many beautiful buildings.

 

 

 

While I stayed, I played shogi with an amateur shogi player in London.

 

 

I played various type of opening strategy in a games.

Opposing Rook, Central Rook, 4th-file Rook, Static rook, and Right-hand 4th-file Rook.

When I played rapid engaging game, I immediately lost.
I have to study rapid engaging game and how to do slow game by myself.

While I played shogi, a passing child saw a game.
If this child take an interest in shogi, I am glad.

I came back in Japan yesterday.
I enjoyed staying in London.