From: Kawada FHI-BERLIN MPG DE> Date: 21 jun 1994 Subject: Some comments on the Meijin title match Hi, I found several professional player's comments on this Meijin title match, in Weekly Shogi Magazine of Jun. 15. "I think his situation of now winning Meijin title is similar to my situation when I got Meijin. He has five major titles out of seven, while I had owned three out of five. I couldn't expected that they made Yagura castle only in one game in this title match. Mr. Habu used 'Nakahara-style opening' (used against Side Pawn opening) in the fourth game, though, he was deadly beaten... I wish he would have played better. (laugh)" Nakahara, permanent holder of Jyudan title. (He has ever kept Meijin for the total period of more than ten years. He will be called permanent Meijin XVI when he retires.) "When I got Meijin at first, I had no other major title. He has already had several other major titles, so his situation is similar to Mr. Nakahara's (written before). In this title match they didn't play in severe endgame except in the second game, so I could not see Mr. Habu's strength. Rather than that, I think Mr. Yonenaga couldn't show his ability. Perhaps competitors to Mr. Habu may be Mr. Sato and Mr. Moriuchi in the same generation, but of course I will also make it." Tanigawa, Ohsho title holder. (He got Meijin at first at his age of 21, and has kept it for the total period of four years. If he gets Meijin title one more time, he will be called permanent Meijin.) "Because it needs many years to get Meijin, this was the last and the greatest target for new generation players. And now we can say that they have dominated perfectly the Shogi world. As I expected a player in generation of Mr. Habu would become Meijin, his smooth progress is super. Before the match started, Mr. Habu had declared 'I don't play in joseki.' Normally it never goes in such a way, but he dared to fight in a 'bog endgame' where the former Meijin is well known to play at his strongest. The player who will be able to beat Mr. Habu might be in the same generation, I suppose. Shima, 8 dan. (He had organized a Shogi analysis group with Habu, Sato and Moriuchi when they were yet in a preparatory course to professional players.) "The generation having had a hard time and persisted right after the war, was beaten by the generation who has grown comfortably later than them. It is pitty that 'justice' would be defeated today.(laugh) Tanaka, 8 dan. (When Mr. Tanigawa had owned Meijin, he criticized weakness of Meijin.) "Mr. Yonenaga lost the games by a narrow margin, in spite of his tenacity to Meijin. I hoped dead heat once more in the match. Anyway Mr. Habu got it. It's wonderful." Itoh, 6 dan. (He is not only a professional player but also well known as a composer of Shogi-problem.) "People supported Mr. Yonenaga, because the elder generation has been in a hard time against the stronger younger generation. Mr. Yonenaga (with Meijin title) was encouraging to them. On the other hand it is wonderful Mr. Habu was making effort and show it in the games. Moreover he got the title, it's great. Anyway, thinking of the former Meijins, Ohyama, Nakahara, Tanigawa and Habu, it is in such a way that people firstly regarded as they would become Meijin and then they become." Mushano, 6 dan. (His nickname is 'super Mario', a video game character, because of his features. He was a member of Junisen Reformation Committee.) "Mr. Habu has already been leading the Shogi world. Now he got Meijin as his fifth major title, and proved that he is the strongest both in name and reality." Kiritani, 6 dan. (His Shogi is called 'massaging' because he attacks enemy's attacking pieces and make them idling.) "Having Habu Meijin, we found not only the beginning of the new era and the alternation of generations, but also the change of strategy or tactics in Shogi. I wonder where a boy who will beat habu in future lives and what he is." Kawaguchi, 6 dan. (He is not only a professional player but also a Shogi journalist and the president of Shogi Pen Club.) All comments above were translated from an article in Weekly Shogi Magazine, Jun. 15.) In the top page of the magazine, there was a picture of Yonenaga and Habu in the closing party of the title match, sitting next to each other and making 'Banzai' (hurrah) together. Is Yonenaga glad to hand over the most honorable title to Habu? Hiroki Kawada * "After being defeated Abt. GR, Fritz-Haber-Institut * valuable time starts." der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, * Yonenaga, the former Meijin Faradayweg 4-6, Dahlem, * 14195 Berlin Deutschland * E-mail adress: * "Shogi teaches me." kawada fhi-berlin mpg de * Shima, 8 dan