From: Andrew Okun ENI NET> Date: 29 apr 1998 Subject: Re: 1998 U.S. Championship Mr. Kaufman,

It would probably increase attendance at an event like this if an earlier and more thorough announcement were to be made on this discussion list.  The only announcement I saw included only a phone number that was not answered the several times I tried to call it and an address in Los Angeles, but no starting time.  Lacking any more information about it and having children who need to be entertained, I wound up not going.

Just something to be considered for the future.

Andrew Okun
Los Angeles


At 05:38 PM 4/29/98 -0400, you wrote:
>=A0=A0=A0=A0 The 1998 U.S. Championship (also known as U.S. Amateur Ryu-= o tournament) was held April 25-26 in Little Tokyo Towers, Los Angeles.=A0 Nearly forty players participated in the various events, which included the main tournament, a handicap tournament for those failing to qualify for the main event, individual and simultaneous games with five attending Japanese professional players, and a round robin team tournament with four five man teams representing Los Angeles, New York, Washington, and all other cities combined.=A0 The 22 players who qualified for the main tournament included four five dans, eleven four dans, and four three dans.=A0 The four five dans took the first four places in the event, winning every single game against the other players in every event!=A0 The total record of five dans versus four dans was 17-0, which speaks well for the accuracy and uniformity of US ranks, but also emphasizes the tremendous difference in strength between the higher ranks.
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>=A0=A0=A0=A0 First place went to Makoto Kotera 5 dan of Washington, D.C.= (but soon to return to Japan).=A0 He has been a graduate student here for about two years and will be graduating in May.=A0 He was in the Shoreikai (training organization to become professional Shogi player) for a while as a teenager but reverted to amateur status.=A0 He lost one game (to Inoue 5 dan) in the prelims, but won all other games in all the events.=A0 Second place went to this writer, Larry Kaufman 5 dan of Washington D.C. area, who defeated Inoue 5 dan in the semi-final but lost to Kotera in the final.=A0 Third place went to Toru Inoue 5 dan, also of Washington D.C. area (expected to return to Japan at year's end), who defeated Seiji=A0 Kawaberi 5 dan of San Diego California in a playoff to decide third/fourth place.=A0 Inoue earned the distinction of being the only amateur to defeat a professional (Ishikawa 5 dan) on this year's visit without a handicap (although it was in a three board simul).=A0=A0 Finishing fifth t!
>hru eighth (in alphabetic order) were George Fernandez 4 dan (recently relocated from Washington to New York), Shigetaka Ogihara 3 dan of New York, Mr. Ohno 4 dan of Los Angeles, and Mr. Y. Suzuki 4 dan of New York.
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>=A0=A0=A0=A0 The handicap tournament held concurrently with the main eve= nt was won by Mr. Koike 3 dan of Los Angeles.=A0 The tournament for those who lost in the main event prior to the quarter finals was won by Mr. Tsuruoka 4 dan of Indiana, with Mr. Ito 3 dan of Los Angeles second.=A0 In the team event, Washington D.C. won all three matches, Los Angeles won two, New York won 1, and the "other" team went winless.
>These events are all being rated in the D.C. Shogi club rating list, which essentially functions as the national rating system for the United States.
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>=A0=A0=A0=A0 As for the professional players, Mr. Ishikawa 5 dan, Mr.= Ono 6 dan, Mr. Nozuki 4 dan, Mr. Kitajima 4 dan, and Mrs. Nakai (ladies professional 5 dan) each played two dozen or more games against the amateurs in Los Angeles plus in some cases additional games in other cities.=A0 Among those who defeated the professionals at least once were Inoue 5 dan (even game with Ishikawa in Washington), myself (bishop game head to head with Mr. Ono), George Fernandez (bishop game with Ishikawa in 3 board simul in New York), F. Bekele 1 dan of New York (Rook game with Nozuki in three board simul, a huge upset for his rank), and my son Raymond Kaufman 1 kyu (Two Piece game with Mrs. Nakai, head to head).=A0 I am sure there were other wins by some of the Japanese players but these were the only ones brought to my attention.
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>=A0=A0=A0=A0 In addition to the serious events, there were fun events, including team relay games (where the players on a team take turns making moves with no consultation).=A0 Washington again emerged victorious in one such event, while in another Mrs. Nakai, myself, and a rotating third player defeated Mr. Kitajima, Mr, Fernandez, and a rotating third player.=A0 There was also one pro-pro quick play game.
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>=A0=A0=A0=A0 Everyone enjoyed the event immensely and we are most= greatful to the many sponsors and organizers who made this possible.=A0 Chicago is being offered first chance at=A0 organizing next year's championship; we shall have to wait to see if this will come to pass.
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>=A0=A0=A0=A0 Best wishes, Larry Kaufman
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