From: Larry Kaufman WIZARD NET> Date: 1 sep 1999 Subject: European events This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_000E_01BEF454.4B0B1400 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable In response to Marco D.'s request, here is a short summary of the = recent shogi events in Europe, from which I have just returned. I'll = leave it to others to provide detailed reports on the events. I won the Mind Sports Pan-Atlantic Shogi Championship in London, = with Stephen Lamb taking second. My score was 9 out of ten, including a = win over professional shodan and Yokohama Amateur Meijin Sato (who won = his other eight games to take the top prize in the category of = non-westerners). Lamb scored 7 out of 10. My son Raymond took the = junior medal with 5 out of 9. Hans Segers defeated George Fernandez in = the playoff for third place. There were 23 players. The U.S. defeated = Europe by 11-5 in the team match. In the special games against computer = program "Shotest", Lamb won giving rook handicap, and I won giving rook = and bishop. Next, over in the Netherlands (Leiden), Pro shodan Sato won the = speed (7 min.) tournament; I took second. In the European closed = (limited to European residents), A. Van Oosten was the winner, defeating = Stephen Lamb in the playoff (both are 4 dan). In the European Open, I = won all my games to take first (I don't have the other results as I had = to leave before the prize ceremony, but my son Raymond received the kyu = prize, although he is already ranked as shodan in the U.S. and in = Japan). The events were very well run, but unfortunately the = format/schedule did not provide time for a playoff between the closed = and open champions. Now that there has been quite a bit of play between Europeans and = Americans, we can say with some confidence that the ratings on both = sides of the Atlantic are quite comparable, at least for Dan players, = which should make a unification of the two systems easier to achieve. For me the high point was my win over Sato, as he is the strongest = player I have ever defeated in an official (non-handicap)tournament = game. I got a poor opening, but gradually recovered and somehow turned = the game around in the endgame. While most of my other games were = fairly easy and/or one-sided, my two games with Lamb (split 1-1) were = very difficult indeed. Larry Kaufman, Amateur 5 Dan ------=_NextPart_000_000E_01BEF454.4B0B1400 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

In response = to Marco=20 D.'s request, here is a short summary of the recent shogi events in = Europe, from=20 which I have just returned. I'll leave it to others to provide = detailed=20 reports on the events.

I won the = Mind Sports=20 Pan-Atlantic Shogi Championship in London, with Stephen Lamb taking=20 second. My score was 9 out of ten, including a win over = professional=20 shodan and Yokohama Amateur Meijin Sato (who won his other eight games = to take=20 the top prize in the category of non-westerners). Lamb scored 7 = out of=20 10. My son Raymond took the junior medal with 5 out of 9. = Hans=20 Segers defeated George Fernandez in the playoff for third place. = There=20 were 23 players. The U.S. defeated Europe by 11-5 in the team = match. =20 In the special games against computer program "Shotest", Lamb = won=20 giving rook handicap, and I won giving rook and bishop.

Next, over = in the=20 Netherlands (Leiden), Pro shodan Sato won the speed (7 min.) tournament; = I took=20 second. In the European closed (limited to European residents), A. = Van=20 Oosten was the winner, defeating Stephen Lamb in the playoff (both are 4 = dan). In the European Open, I won all my games to take first (I = don't have=20 the other results as I had to leave before the prize ceremony, but my = son=20 Raymond received the kyu prize, although he is already ranked as shodan = in the=20 U.S. and in Japan). The events were very well run, but = unfortunately the=20 format/schedule did not provide time for a playoff between the closed = and open=20 champions.

Now=20 that there has been quite a bit of play between Europeans and Americans, = we can=20 say with some confidence that the ratings on both sides of the Atlantic = are=20 quite comparable, at least for Dan players, which should make a = unification of=20 the two systems easier to achieve.

For me the high point was = my win over=20 Sato, as he is the strongest player I have ever defeated in an official=20 (non-handicap)tournament game. I got a poor opening, but gradually = recovered and somehow turned the game around in the endgame. While = most of=20 my other games were fairly easy and/or one-sided, my two games with Lamb = (split=20 1-1) were very difficult indeed.

Larry = Kaufman, Amateur=20 5 Dan

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