From: Takako Noda JA2 SO-NET OR JP> Date: 14 nov 1997 Subject: "QUEST" yagura (10) 1-3-4 Let me recapitulate the suzume-zashi history here. It began with a powerful Black suzume-zashi, which was then countered with White bo-gin, which was tamed by R-2i formation, which was succeeded by the Morishita System, which was finally defeated by White suzume-zashi. History repeats itself. I talked with Mirishita-8 dan privately. Here is what he said: It was when I was playing with Awaji-8 dan and then Aono-8 dan that the idea dawned on me. They were playing with the similar notions, which I found quite promising. I put those ideas together, so to speak. Based on the R-2i formation, which was rather weak in the offensive, I made it into something more playable in actual games. The reason why I stopped playing it? The direct cause was the game I played against Yonenaga sensei. If I'd placed my B once again onto 4f from 6h, it would have checked White's attack, but I couldn't bring myself to do so because it meant loss of time. Now I have no intention of adhering to the Morishita System. (*)I've come to think that investigations are meant for passive strategies. In actual shogi games, stronger players win in the end. Now that I think about it, the game with Kunio Yonenaga brought about a change in me. I now play the Black S-3g formation which I didn't like before. I think I'm playing with less preoccupied notions now. (*)The original sentence was totally ununderstandable. I may be wrong to put it this way. (End of Sec.3) **************************************************************************** The Last Bit about Masuda A few years later, there came another pupil: Yasuharu Oyama. They lived together under the same roof for some years. Since Masuda was some years older, he played uwate (upper hand) to Oyama in the beginning. When their handicap was reduced to hisha-ochi, Oyama one day boasted to a barber nearby, "I'm strong enough not to lose to Msuda-san in hisha-ochi anymore." On learning this, Masuda got infuriated. As soon as he got home, he called Oyama to sit in front of him, and lectured, "When a shita-te (under-hand player) makes a good move or two, the uwate player wants to encourage him so he could be a better player. In such a case, shitate's win is a boon. But you don't seem to understand this at all. I'll see to it that you can't brag of what doesn't deserve you from now." Then he beat Oyama in hisha-ochi, then hisha-kyo-ochi, and finally ni-mai-ochi (handicap with hisha and kaku), which reduced Oyama to tears. You may not be surprised by this, but to anyone who knows Oyama in his prime days, it's certainly amazing. That Oyama burst out into tears!!! Many years later, when Oyama was terminally ill with cancer and his days were numbered, he was reported to have said, "If only one wish is fulfilled now, I'd like to play Masuda-san once again. And not only one game, but in best of seven, or best of ten games." There was mutual trust between them, no matter what. So that's it for Masuda's anecdotes. I confess that I didn't much care for him before reading his autobiography, but on reading it I became a big fan of his. Though I couldn't help sensing, as a woman, a touch of sexism in his remarks, it would be certainly absurd to dismiss him for that. He was a genius and such an amiable person that you can't help loving him. His autobiography contains gem-like game records of his with his own commentaries, which I wish I could translate for you. In order to do that, I guess I have to negotiate with the publisher or Mrs. Masuda (Is she still alive? I don't know) for the right to translate it, the way my friend, Yoshinori Sawada did. Well, I'm just a dumb old country girl, but I'll see what I can do. Takako Noda