From: Larry Kaufman COMCAST NET> Date: 4 apr 2002 Subject: Re: US Shogi & 2002 U.S. Shogi Championship announcement ----- Original Message ----- From: "George I. Fernandez" MINDSPRING COM> To: TECHUNIX TECHNION AC IL> Sent: Sunday, March 03, 2002 6:00 AM Subject: Re: US Shogi & 2002 U.S. Shogi Championship announcement > Prepared in part by Mr. Ogihara (NY Shogi Club) > 1) > > This year's U.S. Shogi Championship Tournament will be held > on the weekend of April 27-28 in Los Angeles. Several pro's are coming to > the tournament from Japan. > Rooms are booked for the participants at The Hotel New Otani in downtown > LA where the tournament will be held. The rate for double-occupancy is > about $90. Therefore, if you stay 2 nights and room with another player, the total for each person would be about $90. > Players will be attending from the NY and Washington DC shogi clubs and other players at-large. > The tournament will be the qualifying event for the 2nd Shogi Forum, to be held in Japan in October 2002. Three players will be selected. > > 2) > Announcement on the U.S. Shogi Championship Tournament > and the Second International Shogi Forum in Japan > > (March 2002) > > The U.S. Shogi Championship Tournament will be held in Los Angeles on April 27 & 28 this year. Thanks to the efforts of Mr. Ohno of the Los Angeles Shogi Club, we have secured the Hotel New Otani in downtown L.A. (in Little Tokyo) as the location of the event. You should made hotel arrangements with Mr. Ohno as soon as you can, so that you can book your room at special rate. > > The last time we held the U.S. Shogi Championship Tournament in Los Angeles was 5 years ago. This tournament takes place every year in different cities and circulates around the country in 5 years. Adopting the format of the Amateur Meijin Tournament of Japan as a model, this tournament has a preliminary and the main tournament. In the preliminary, all participants will be randomly divided into groups of four players and play preliminary games among the four. Those with 2 wins or more will be advanced to A Class and all others will be classified as B Class. The player who wins the A Class league is the U.S. Champion of the year. Prizes are awarded to many people such as Top Kyu-class player, Top 3-Dan and runners -up in each league, among others. > > Not only that, this year's tournament is also the tournament to determine who will be invited to the Second International Shogi Forum to be held in Japan this October! Three players will be selected as representatives from the U.S. in accordance with the Tournament Guidelines provided by the Nihon Shogi Renmei, as follows: > > Player #1 is the top Qualifying Player in the A Class league, regardless of his/her Dan level. > > Player #2 is the top Qualifying Player in the A Class league among Sho-Dan, 2-Dan and 3-Dan players. > > Player #3 is the top Qualifying Player in the B Class league among Kyu-level players. > > (The "Qualifying Player" means a player who is a U.S. citizen who resides consecutively in the U.S. at least for the past 12 months.) > > If you have any questions or concern, please contact Mr. Hayashi of the New York Shogi Club by e-mail at nyshogi rcn com . Thank you. > --------------------------------------------------- > > George I. Fernandez > President > United States Shogi Federation Just some additional information from the announcement circular (I don't guarantee accuracy of anything!): 1. Contact person is Masatoshi Ohno, 213-996-7249. 2. Alternate contact: Mac Ito, 626-458-1266. 3. Starting time 9 a.m. Saturday, but registration from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday night (I presume that advance registration is possible if you won't be there then, but I'm not certain). 4. Fee: $80 (includes lunch both days). 5. There is a "Friendship dinner party" Saturday night after play ends (due to end at 6 p.m.). 6. Time limit 20 minutes plus 30 seconds byoyomi. 7. Sunday play begins 9 a.m., due to end 5:30 p.m. 8. Awards ceremony 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. Sunday. 9. Eliminated players may play handicap games with pros. Note that since only the top 4 places in a standard elimination event are defined, we need to clarify how the qualifiers for Japan will be selected if no American makes it to the final four (in each category). When this is decided, I'll post it. Larry Kaufman, USSF Chairman