From: Larry Kaufman <lkaufman <at> WIZARD <dot> NET>
Date: 6 dec 1998
Subject: No Subject

     Report on D.C. Fall handicap tournament, by Larry Kaufman

     The Washington D.C. Shogi Club held its Fall handicap shogi tournament
today (Dec. 6) at Gallery K in Washington.  What the tournament lacked in
numbers (only 8 participants) it made up for in strength (five of the eight
players were 4 or 5 Dan).  I emerged the winner with 4 out of 5, losing only
to Toru Inoue 5 Dan.  Martin Koyama 4 Dan and H. Egoshi 4 Dan shared second
at 3 1/2 (each having taken a half point bye for the first round).  Toru
Inoue 5 Dan and Raymond Kaufman 1 kyu were next at 3, K. Wachi 1 Dan had 2
points, J. Yoshinari 4 Dan had 1, and E. Motohashi 1 kyu was scoreless.
Toru Inoue was the victim of his astronomical rating (well into the 6 dan
range), losing twice when he had to give rook handicap to two  4 Dan
players, something even many professionals find difficult to do.  He will be
returning to Japan at year's end, and will be sorely missed.  Washington has
had by far the strongest club in the world outside Japan in recent years,
but with the departure of Mr. Inoue and the earlier departure of M. Kotera 5
Dan and George Fernandez 4 Dan, we are left with only four players of 4 Dan
or better, so it is possible that Los Angeles now may claim to be the
strongest club outside Japan.
     Of the nineteen games played, the higher rated player won 15.  Of the
handicap games, the odds-giver won 11 out of 14.  As we set the maximum
handicap at four piece some of these games were under-handicapped according
to our system; if we exclude all underhandicapped games the score was just 7
out of 10, about what the system predicts.  I do have the impression that
the handicap values and ranges should really be higher in the upper range
and lower in the lower range, rather than uniform as at present.  This is
logical as an extra piece has more meaning with skillful players than with
unskillful ones.  Perhaps we will address this issue in the future.
       Thanks to Mr. Wachi for the use of his gallery for the event.