From: "Stouten, Pieter [R&D/0467]" PHARMACIA COM> Date: 26 feb 2003 Subject: FWD: Habu Happening The attached message is forwarded on behalf of Gerald Laabs inter net>. > From: Gerald Laabs inter net> > Date: Tue Feb 25, 2003 10:55:33 AM Asia/Tokyo > To: The Shogi Discussion List TECHUNIX TECHNION AC IL> > Subject: Habu Happening > > Speaking of good players... The following appeared in today's edition > of the Japan Times. The day when some shogi champ will be challenged > by Big Fujitsu (ala mode Big Blue) can't be too far away. :) Enjoy. > > 'Shogi' icon claims landmark victory > > The Associated Press > > Yoshiharu Habu, one of Japan's top-ranked exponents of the ancient > chesslike game of "shogi," has captured his 800th win, becoming the > youngest ever person to reach this milestone. > > Habu, 32, is only the 11th player to claim 800 victories. > > Decked in a traditional robe, Habu, a "ryuo" ranked player, beat the > lower-ranked Takeshi Fujii on Sunday. > > The pair faced off over a wooden table board for a grueling two rounds > lasting a combined 16 hours. > > Although Habu's 800 wins and 283 losses give him the best win-loss > ratio of any professional player in Japan, he has his sights set > higher. > > "I want to reach 1,000 wins while I'm still in my 30s," he told a news > conference. > > Since turning pro at 17, Habu's rise has been meteoric. > > He has a huge following and his championship rounds, which see players > deliberate for an hour or more before moving a piece, are regularly > televised and covered by major national newspapers. > > Koji Tanigawa, another top-class pro, was six months older than Habu > when he reached 800 wins. > > Habu is also the first shogi player ever to have held all seven top > titles: "meijin," ryuo, "kio," "oza," "kisei," "oi" and "osho." > > Shogi's rules and strategies are similar to chess, with the objective > to checkmate an opponent's "osho," or king. > > Pieces won from an opponent can, however, be used again by their > captor. > > The game is believed to have been imported from China in the eighth > century. > > The Japan Times: Feb. 25, 2003 > ---------- ---------- > > On Tuesday, February 25, 2003, at 01:55 AM, Larry Kaufman wrote: > >> This weekend we had two shogi sessions of the D.C. shogi club >> with the Japanese Amateur "Grand Champion", Mr. Toru Shimizugami. He >> is touring the US, having already visited NY (where he won all his >> games, but I'll leave it to a New Yorker to report on that) and is >> enroute to Chicago. Despite giving the handicaps that are normal for >> a six Dan (I played with only first move, everyone else took bishop >> or more), he won all his games in D.C. (six official plus some quick >> games). He is probably the strongest amateur ever to play shogi in >> the U.S., since his "Shogi Club 24" rating is around 2500, on a par >> with the average pro. In my three games with him (two official and >> one quick), I missed chances for a large advantage in all three >> games, as he graciously pointed out afterwards. He also gave us some >> useful instruction at the end of the session. He may perhaps end up >> as the top rated player on the Pan-Atlantic list when these games are >> rated; if so it will be well deserved. >> >> Larry Kaufman for D.C. Shogi Club >> > Fall down seven times. Get up eight times. - Japanese proverb > > Gerald Laabs > http://home.inter.net/glaabs - How to Japanese