From: Larry Kaufman COMCAST NET> Date: 12 dec 2002 Subject: Proposal This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --Boundary_(ID_BrnF2G7FNb69CrUhRoo6DQ) Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT With all the recent talk about ranks, ratings, tournament fairness, etc., I'd like to make a proposal. I think it's time to settle the questions of who is the top European and/or Western player by actual play, not by talk. So here is my idea. At present there are four serious contentenders (based on rating and on recent tournament accomplishments) for the title of top European player: Gert Schnider, Eric Cheymol, Boris Mirnik, and Stephen Lamb (I exclude Reijer as a long time Japanese resident). Why not organize a quadruple round robin of these four players, at a time and place convenient to all, for the title of "Absolute European Champion"? Not being a European myself, I'll leave it to others to discuss expenses and other details, but I think such a twelve round event should answer the question rather decisively. If Stephen Lamb is unavailable due to living in Canada, FESA would select the most suitable replacement. This would be rather like the way the World Chess Championship was organized back in 1948, when the recognized champion had died. Since all of the players except Lamb live fairly close together, expenses should not be excessive. If such an event is held, I would make a commitment to travel to the winner's home country, at my own expense if necessary, for the purpose of playing a long match for the Pan-Atlantic Championship or some other similar name. The winner could then defend his title every year or two against a worthy challenger, just as is done in chess (at least until recently). I think such events could stir up more interest in shogi in the West, and perhaps we could even get backing from Japan. Larry Kaufman, amateur 5 Dan --Boundary_(ID_BrnF2G7FNb69CrUhRoo6DQ) Content-type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
    With all the recent talk about ranks, ratings, tournament fairness, etc., I'd like to make a proposal.  I think it's time to settle the questions of who is the top European and/or Western player by actual play, not by talk.  So here is my idea.
     At present there are four serious contentenders (based on rating and on recent tournament accomplishments) for the title of top European player: Gert Schnider, Eric Cheymol, Boris Mirnik, and Stephen Lamb (I exclude Reijer as a long time Japanese resident).  Why not organize a quadruple round robin of these four players, at a time and place convenient to all, for the title of "Absolute European Champion"?  Not being a European myself, I'll leave it to others to discuss expenses and other details, but I think such a twelve round event should answer the question rather decisively.  If Stephen Lamb is unavailable due to living in Canada, FESA would select the most suitable replacement.  This would be rather like the way the World Chess Championship was organized back in 1948, when the recognized champion had died.  Since all of the players except Lamb live fairly close together, expenses should not be excessive.  
     If such an event is held, I would make a commitment to travel to the winner's home country, at my own expense if necessary, for the purpose of playing a long match for the Pan-Atlantic Championship or some other similar name.  The winner could then defend his title every year or two against a worthy challenger, just as is done in chess (at least until recently). 
     I think such events could stir up more interest in shogi in the West, and perhaps we could even get backing from Japan. 
 
     Larry Kaufman, amateur 5 Dan
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