From: Manabu Terao - Nihon Sun RM Advisory Staff
Date: 17 feb 1997
Subject: Forced mate or brinkmate(hisshi)

Dear Shogi-fans,

Here is a Hamlet's question.

This diagram is derived from the endgame between Sato(8 dan)
and Yashiki(7 dan) on the air by NHK on Feb 16, 1997. Sato
is Black and Yashiki is White.

Yashiki is in a definite winning position. If you were White
Yashiki, what next move would you take to win?  Would you try
a longer beautiful forced mate or would you steadily brinkmate
the Black's King? If you are interested, please challenge to
read both forced mate and brinkmate from here. I will send what
next move Yashiki took next week. For your reference, Yashiki
had to move within 30 seconds under 'byouyomi' in this situation.

They say stronger players tend to prefer forced mate to brinkmate
when there are both ways, even if the forced mate sequenece is
longer and brinkmate lets their opponents to resign earlier.

The diagram is where Black moved his King from 8g to 7g
against the White's check of B*6i.

   9    8    7    6    5    4    3    2    1
+--------------------------------------------+       White in hand:
|+bP |    | wK | wG |    |    | wS |+bB | wL |  a   +------------------+
+--------------------------------------------+      | 2 Golds          |
|    |    | wS |    |    |    |    |    |    |  b   | 1 kNight, 1Pawn  |
+--------------------------------------------+      +------------------+
|    | wP |    |    |    |    |    | wP | wP |  c
+--------------------------------------------
| wP |    | wP | wP |    |    | wP |    |    |  d
+--------------------------------------------+
|    | bG |    |    |    |    |    | bP |    |  e
+--------------------------------------------+
|    | bP | bP | wN |    |    |    |    |    |  f
+--------------------------------------------+
| bL |    | bK | bS |    |    | bP |    | bP |  g
+--------------------------------------------+      Black in hand:
|    | bS |    | bP |    |    |    |    |    |  h   +------------------+
+--------------------------------------------+      | 1 Rook, 1 kNight |
|    |+wR |    | wB |    |    |    | bN | bL |  i   | 1 Lance, 3 Pawns |
+--------------------------------------------+      +------------------+

Regards
Manabu Terao(one of the ISPS members)