From: Larry Kaufman <lkaufman <at> WIZARD <dot> NET>
Date: 11 jan 2000
Subject: Re: Moscow Shogi OPEN 2000 and Kyu-Dan Test

At 10:12 PM 1/10/00 +0100, you wrote:
>> Hello, Shogi friends !
>> We have Japanese Delegation visit, here in Moscow.
>> Today Moscow Shogi OPEN and Kyu-Dan Test finished.
>
>How good to hear about the progress in expanding Shogi in Russia.
>
>I'll look into what can done about using the results to give you a
>rating number.  One posibility is to "save" this results until some of
>you have played some games against other European players.  My
>questions are:
>
>The grades listed on the Russian players (1 Dan - 13 kyu), where did
>they come from?  My guess is that the Japanese guests gave it as an
>evaluation of your strength after they had played some games with you.
>But I'd like to know.
>
>What is the kyu test?
>
>Regards
>Asle Olufsen
>

     In case you didn't notice, two of the Japanese players who played in
Russia also played in London last summer, and so have ratings.  So there is
some (small) basis for rating the Russian event.
     As to the "kyu test", read the below letter from Mr. Nosovsky:
Kyu-Dan Test
First, Tatsutomi, Muro and Moro played equal games against each player
(sometimes two players).
Those who get ranks 10,11,12, 13, 14, 15 kyu played only Mr. Tatsutomi, Muro
and Moro.
After that they recomended some player (who  get better then 10 kyu rank to
play with Mr. Nakao (6 Dan Pro).
Mr. Nakao have played with 3 players semulatively and gaves kyu from 9-8 .
All Mr. Tatsutomi, Moro and Muro have played games against Nikonov and say
that he is rather strong.
Two players Mr. Nikonov and Mr. Shpilev were selected to play with Mr. Nakao
equal game one by one , and then he say that they have to play again.
Nikonov against Shpilev and Mr. Nakao sitting near and write their game.
He will show this game to Japanese Shogi Federation.
After Nikonov won , and Mr. Nakao decided that he is above 1 kyu-1 Dan ,
then 4 Japanese players discuss it and decided about 1 Dan.
Mr. Kisluk was recognized as 5 kyu during 1-st International Tournament in
Japan (you probably have met with him).
Japanese played with him and upper him 1 kyu.
Regards Nosovsky

     Finally, back to our Pan-Atlantic list, I wonder if you might try a
run using floating-point numbers.  It shouldn't matter much if everything
is rounded, but if fractions are being truncated it could cause a serious
bias.  I think something must be wrong, because the value of bishop in the
free-floating run seems lower to me than makes sense from the data; perhaps
this is the problem.  I know that with floating point numbers the ratings
on the first run will never completely converge, because some players lost
every game, but this won't matter as those players won't influence the
handicap values, which is all that matters on the first run.

     Larry