From: "'Shigeki Masui'" <smasui <at> BANET <dot> NET>
Date: 26 may 2000
Subject: Shogi World Championship -Swiss or Knockout

Highly appreciate the comments made by Larry Kaufman and some others
alternative system for the tournament formula.
The tournament committee simulated many systems to adopt to this largest
tournament with a limited time schedule.
Knowing the merit of the Swiss system, we dared to adopt knock out
system for the 2nd day of the tournament.  As every participant noticed
the committee used Swiss system for the classification match, through
which 2 wins (2-0 or 2-1) were classified to A-Class. The fact is that
All Participants except invitees actually enjoyed Swiss system for
classification.
The tournament wanted to honor the invitees as seeded players and gave
them a bye to A-Class without classification match knowing that many of
the invitees would be knocked down to B or C Class should they go
through the classification match under the Swiss system.
The tournament thought it would not be a good courtesy to treat these
invitees coming from long distance same as the other general
participants and gave them an opportunity to play 3 rounds of serious
matches against Pros with $1,500 stakes.
Please look at the result of Pros'  51 wins and 6 losses, the 4 top
players of the tournament actually won against Pros with Kakuochi
(without Kaku). Chiaki Ito and Takushi Asada each won 2 games and K.
Egoshi and Kisao Ichihara won one each. K. Egoshi and C. Ito won through
the tournament to the final.

The tournament committee thought that it would be a great experience for
many invitees to play against Pros.
Pros too told us on many occasions that they worked very hard and
serious and enjoyed the Pro/Am very much.

Dear Larry and others, we invite your offer of the system (format) and
time schedule that could fit to this tournament with following
conditions.
1) Total Numbers of the players between 70 and 80. (Most of them are Dan
Players)
2) Time Allowance:
May 20, Saturday 09:15 - 18:00 (Lunch break one hour)
M ay 21, Sunday 09:00 - 15:00 (Lunch break one hour) and the
Championship Match begins at 15:30.
3) Awards ceremony 17:30 and Dinner party : 19:00 - 21:30
4) To make a program that all participants including Pros can enjoy.
Pros go back home saying that it was a great tournament and they want to
come back again.
5) There were 20 invitees (actually 19 due to visa problem of Mr.
Nikonov from Russia) who won the qualifying tournaments but their level
of skill is various between 5 Dan to 6 Kyu.
6) Do not use any Dan, Kyu, Ratings for the classification.

The committee worked hard to find the best formula and reached to the
program as you enjoyed.
However, the committee will be very pleased to receive any proposal of
alternative formula that could fit to the this tournament with the above
conditions.
Commenting the system will be easy but it must be practical to such a
tournament with large participants of very competitive level within the
limited time table.

Dear Larry,
Please show us a practical time schedule with your alternative system,
which could fit to this tournament.
The tournament is willing to use any alternative system if there is
better one fitting the limited time schedule.
Best Regards,
Shigeki Masui,
Executive Director of the Tournament.