From: DANERUD MARTIN TELIA COM> Date: 29 jul 2002 Subject: Goteborg 1 Swedish Shogi Team Champions Dear shogi friends, During the weekend, the historic first ever Swedish Shogi Team Championship has been successfully played. We played outdoors in brilliant weather at the Café Horsalen in central Norrkoping, some 200 kilometres south of Stockholm. At an outdoor scene with a roof six four men teams played a round robin event. Three rounds were played on Saturday and two rounds on Sunday. Since two of the teams had one substitute each and rotated with one free round each, the competition had a total of 26 participants, which is a record for shogi in Sweden. At the prize giving ceremony everyone agreed that this place has to be revisited by this yearly event. The café owner, who was also very satisfied with the event, expressed his hope that we would choose Café Horsalen next year as well. Before the start of the competition, Stockholm´s team 1 was regarded as favourites. They had the ruling Swedish Champion Thore Angqvist, the Japan traveller Nils Carlsson, Christer Hartman, who were to be the top scorer at board three, and the ESC participant Jan Rabe. It was also supposed that Goteborg´s team 1 was to become the main challenger. Round 1: Stockholm 1-Stockholm 2 4-0 Thore Angqvist-Farhad Rouhani 1-0 Nils Carlsson-Jan Peter Palmblad 1-0 Christer Hartman-Joakim Andersson 1-0 Jan Rabe-Stefan Svahn 1-0 Goteborg 1-Goteborg 2 4-0 Carl Johan Nilsson-Mikael Jansson 1-0 Martin Danerud-Tor Gammelgard 1-0 Anders Vidal-Rikard Nordgren 1-0 Jonas Ahlqvist-Rikard Skotnicki 1-0 Trollhattan-Norrkoping 4-0 Robert Soderberg-Niklas Jonsson 1-0 Bo Flood-Henrik Hellberg 1-0 Daniel Wredenberg-Andreas Qwillbard 1-0 Bjorn Tjallgren-Pars Poulaki 1-0 All results in the first round were expected according to rating, but of course it is never easy to win a game on command. The game Danerud vs Gammelgard may serve as a good example. Gammelgard was 2 to 1 in mutual rating games, was recently in Japan and showed 1-dan strength, and he also got a favourable variation in the opening of this game. In games like these, scoring really takes the best out of oneself. Rond 2: Stockholm 1-Goteborg 2 3-1 Thore Angqvist-Mikael Jansson 1-0 Nils Carlsson-Tor Gammelgard 0-1 Christer Hartman-Rikard Nordgren 1-0 Jan Rabe-Rikard Skotnicki 1-0 Goteborg 1-Norrkoping 4-0 Carl Johan Nilsson-Niklas Jonsson 1-0 Martin Danerud-Niklas Henriksson 1-0 Andreas Vidal-Pars Poulaki 1-0 Jonas Ahlqvist-Andreas Qwillbard 1-0 Stockholm 2-Trollhattan 4-0 Farhad Rouhani-Robert Soderberg 1-0 Jan Peter Palmblad-Bo Flood 1-0 Joakim Andersson-Daniel Wredenberg 1-0 Stefan Svahn-Rikard Skotnicki 1-0 There were two surprises in this round. Gammelgard displayed a good feeling for the opening, when he let the rook float in a mutual ibisha game. The rook was then positioned in an Ishida shape for some third line initiative. The king was protected in a Crab castle. Carlsson´s generals were not at home when the final attack started. Soderberg had to surrender to the come back man Rouhani, who brought his Stockholm 2 to a surprisingly big victory. Rond 3: Stockholm 1-Norrkoping 4-0 Thore Angqvist-Henrik Hellberg 1-0 Nils Carlsson-Andreas Qwillbard 1-0 Christer Hartman-Pars Poulaki 1-0 Jan Rabe-Niklas Henriksson 1-0 Goteborg 1-Trollhattan 4-0 Carl Johan Nilsson-Robert Soderberg 1-0 Martin Danerud-Bo Flood 1-0 Anders Vidal-Daniel Wredenberg 1-0 Jonas Ahlqvist-Bjorn Tjallgren 1-0 Goteborg 2-Stockholm 2 3-1 Mikael Jansson-Jan Peter Palmblad 0-1 Tor Gammelgard-Joakim Andersson 1-0 Rikard Nordgren-Tord Juntti 1-0 Rikard Skotnicki-Stefan Svahn 1-0 In this round, the "bronze match" between the second teams from the bigger cities was in focus. Mikael Jansson´s successes lately halted this Saturday. The Swedish Shogi Federation secretary, Palmblad, took his second victory in the two last rounds, but he was the only one who could make enough resistance against the somewhat more experienced Goteborg team. Rond 4: Stockholm 1-Trollhattan 4-0 Thore Angqvist-Robert Soderberg 1-0 Nils Carlsson-Bo Flood 1-0 Christer Hartman-Daniel Wredenberg 1-0 Jan Rabe-Bjorn Tjallgren 1-0 Goteborg 1-Stockholm 2 4-0 Carl Johan Nilsson-Farhad Rouhani 1-0 Martin Danerud-Joakim Andersson 1-0 Anders Vidal-Tord Juntti 1-0 Jonas Ahlqvist-Stefan Svahn 1-0 Goteborg 2-Norrkoping 4-0 Mikael Jansson-Pars Poulaki 1-0 Tor Gammelgard-Niklas Henriksson 1-0 Rikard Nordgren-Andreas Qwillbard 1-0 Rikard Skotnicki-Henrik Hellberg 1-0 In the fourth round, we encountered the surrounding world. Before the start of the round, the local newspaper wanted to get an interview. The journalist got a lot of material related to shogi and Japanese culture, and the photographer got a lot of fine pictures. After the tournament, we also provided the newspaper with the final results. Towards the end of the round, a small orchestra for Christian music entered the scene for a planned concert. We knew about this, but the starting hour was one hour earlier than previously decided! However, in total agreement we resolved the potential conflict by moving the shogi sets for the games Nilsson vs Rouhani and Angqvist vs Soderberg indoors into the café, where they were finished. The procedure worked well, considering the fact that the shogi boards display no stiffness whatsoever. Thus Goteborg 1 had scored the maximum 16 points before the start of the final round. Stockholm 1 had 15 points. In the deciding match, Stockholm would have to win at least by 3 to 1 in order to take the title. Rond 5: Goteborg 1-Stockholm 1 3-1 Carl Johan Nilsson-Thore Angqvist 1-0 Martin Danerud-Nils Carlsson 1-0 Anders Vidal-Christer Hartman 0-1 Jonas Ahlqvist-Jan Rabe 1-0 Goteborg 2-Trollhattan 3-1 Mikael Jansson-Robert Soderberg 1-0 Tor Gammelgard-Bo Flood 1-0 Rikard Nordgren-Daniel Wredenberg 0-1 Rikard Skotnicki-Bjorn Tjallgren 1-0 Stockholm 2-Norrkoping 4-0 Farhad Rouhani-Pars Poulaki 1-0 Jan Peter Palmblad-Niklas Henriksson 1-0 Tord Juntti-Henrik Hellberg 1-0 Stefan Svahn-Niklas Jonsson 1-0 Final table: Team Points 1. Goteborg Shogi Society 1 19 2. Stockholm Shogi Club 1 16 3. Goteborg Shogi Society 2 11 4. Stockholm Shogi Club 2 9 5. The Gold Generals Trollhattan 5 6. Norrkoping Shogi Association 0 The final match turned out to be the expected furious battle. Christer Hartman destroyed Anders Vidal´s position in the difficult but popular Yokofudori opening. Thus Stockholm 1 had 1 to 0. Nils Carlsson took the opening initiative against Martin Danerud, who seemingly has to get a slightly worse position in order to win important games. With one promoted rook each on the board and one silver general and a handful of pawns in each hand the endgame was played close to Carlsson´s king, and thus the match was a 1 to 1 draw. The Goteborg team was a little worried about the fourth board game. Carl Johan had prepared Jonas for the game against Jan Rabe. Jonas followed the instructions and won a safe victory. Thus Goteborg was already the champions! In the game on the first board between the two best and the two highest ELO rated Swedes at the moment, Carl Johan Nilsson succeeded to win against Thore Angqvist, who thereby lost his only game in the tournament. Thore tried the Shikenbisha, and after two hours Carl Johan had got the initiative on that fourth line using a lance and a rook. Thereby Angqvist´s traditionally well defended position was compressed, and he did not have any counter measures against Carl Johan´s final attack. The best scorers: Board 1: Carl Johan Nilsson, Goteborg 1 5 points Board 2: Martin Danerud, Goteborg 1 5 points Board 3: Christer Hartman, Stockholm 1 5 points Board 4: Jonas Ahlqvist, Goteborg 1 5 points Sincerely yours, Martin Danerud President of the Swedish Shogi Federation