From: Reijer Grimbergen ETL GO JP> Date: 3 jul 1996 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no.642, July 3rd 1996) This week the Oi challenger was decided. Red group winner Fukaura played White group winner Maruyama for the right to challenge Habu. For both players it would be their first appearance in a title match. Fukaura is slightly more experienced in playing big games (he is a former Zen Nihon Pro Champion), but has thus far been unable to claw his way out of C2, despite his good winning percentages every year. It showed in this game between two players who both entered the Shoreikai in 1984. Maruyama tried something knew in the Bishop Exchange opening, but it never quite worked out for him. To avoid a strategic loss, he had to play a very unusual attack, which resulted in a very complicated middle game position. Fukaura found the only way to punish a slight error of judgment and never looked back. So Fukaura know has a go at Habu and at least he is not (yet) intimidated. He sees possibilities to beat Habu and has the score to back up that claim (Habu and Fukaura are even at 2-2). Shukan Shogi expects a hot summer :-). In the B1 junisen another round was played. In this class there is an all play all system with 13 players, so they have to play every three weeks to end in time. Quite a busy schedule for such important games. In the past, B1 has usually had a runaway winner followed by a close pack of players fighting for the second A class ticket. This year might be different in the sense that all players will stay close together until the final rounds. Of course it is still too early to be sure, but after two rounds only Tanaka and Takahashi have managed to win both games. Both Tanaka and Takahashi were among the pre-season favourites to return to the A-class, so it may be that B1 is decided already :-). In the Ryu-O the line-up for the challenger knock-out has been decided by the win of Moriuchi in group two. However, probably because of lack of space, Shukan Shogi does not yet give it, so it is also not on my home-page yet (sorry). However, Mr.Yamada of the Yomiuri Shimbun (the sponsor of the Ryu-O) made the keen observation on Igo Shogi Weekly that Takahashi (36) is the oldest player left in the biggest professional tournament in the world. Bad times for the veterans. Flag bearer of the "dinosaurs" has been Mori lately. After winning his first game in the A Junisen last week, this week he beat Kansaki to reach the best four of the Oza challenger knock-out. He has just reached 50 and he is now only two wins away from a rematch against Habu. That's all for this week, Reijer -- Reijer Grimbergen Electrotechnical Laboratory Palcious Tsukuba 302 1-1-4 Umezono 1-24-8 Ninomiya Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken 305 JAPAN 305 JAPAN E-mail: grimberg etl go jp Tel: 0298-59-1606 WWW: http://www.etl.go.jp:8080/etl/suiron/~grimberg Tel: +81-(0)298-54-5080 extension: 67431 Fax: +81-(0)298-58-5918