From: bogin yahoo co jp> Date: 9 dec 2005 Subject: November Tokyo Amatuer Ratings List Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Make phone calls with phone service from Packet8.Order VoIP today & get Free Activation, Free Equipment & First Month=20 Free! Packet8 30-day money back guarantee. 1-877-868-1135 http://click.topica.com/= caaegt4a2i6YsbnuqMaa/ TMONE ------------------------------------------------------------------- Mr. Kaufman Speaking of the Tokyo Amateur Rating List, the November list is up on their= web page. I believe this includes the results from the games that you mentioned below. Bill Gaudry --- Larry Kaufman comcast net> =1B$B$+$i$N%a%C%;!<%8!'=1B(B > Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor: > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > Make phone calls with phone service from Packet8.Order VoIP > today & get Free Activation, Free Equipment & First Month=20 > Free! Packet8 30-day money back guarantee. 1-877-868-1135 > http://click.topica.com/caaegt4a2i6Ysa7fLJaa/ TMONE > ------------------------------------------------------------------- >=20 > I would just like to add, regarding the Okachimachi Shogi > Center, that=20 > on average as Martin says, "The strength of the players is a little > above=20 > medium", but the number of extremely strong players is by far the > highest of=20 > any club in the world. On just one day there, I was paired with a > national=20 > title-holder in one game and a Professional 3 Dan in another! Also, > the=20 > players have the option to play rated games (Tokyo Amateur rating > system)=20 > with clocks, which several of us Westerners did. So, this is the club > I=20 > recommend to serious Dan-level players who want the maximum > challenge. >=20 > Larry Kaufman >=20 > ----- Original Message -----=20 > From: "DANERUD MARTIN" comhem se> > To: topica com> > Sent: Thursday, December 08, 2005 12:49 PM > Subject: Some comments about shogi dojos, clubs and centers in Tokyo >=20 >=20 > Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor: > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > Make phone calls with phone service from Packet8.Order VoIP > today & get Free Activation, Free Equipment & First Month > Free! Packet8 30-day money back guarantee. 1-877-868-1135 > http://click.topica.com/caaegt4a2i6Ysa7fLLna/ TMONE > ------------------------------------------------------------------- >=20 > Dear shogi friends, >=20 > I have spent the last months in Tokyo, and there have been some good > occasions to play shogi. In this e-mail, I would like to summarize my > experiences from shogi dojos, clubs and centers in Tokyo, since I > know > that several visitors to Japan often like to enjoy their favourite > game > over the board in a genuine environment. > I have mainly played at four different places, which I describe > below: > The shogi center at Shogi Kaikan in Sendaygaya > How to go there? Get off at Sendagaya station on the JR Sobu line. > Walk straight after leaving the station exit with a sports center on > your left-hand side. Continue straight even though the street turns a > little to the right. Then you will come to a shinto shrine. Turn left > and walk one hundred meters along the shrine area and then turn > right, > still following the shrine area. After 50 meters, you will find Shogi > Kaikan on your left-hand side. > This place has a lot of advantages. There is the shop on the first > floor with shogi sets, books, and everything and you can also find > the > editorial staff of Shogi Sekkai as well as the Nihon Shogi Renmei > office and the professional shogi scene. The shogi center itself on > 2F > is nice and clean. Smoking is limited. In all shogi centers the > players > pay a daily fee of around 1000 yen. There are children and women > among > the players. Unfortunately, there are not so many players regularly, > just occasionally. > The strength of the players is medium. The drawback is that if there > are few players, then it will be difficult to get opponents at your > own > level. > Shinjuku Shogi Center > How to go there? Get off at Shinjuku station and go out at the East > Exit, Kabukichou exit. There you will see the big Studio Alta screen. > Walk straight, passing the Studio Alta screen on the left side, until > you reach a big street. Cross the street and turn to the right. You > will then walk along the big street at the left-hand side walk. > Continue until the end of the block and go to 5F just before a Family > Mart store. > This place is big. There are always a lot of players from 10 a.m. > until 12 p.m. However, the players are generally old with just a > handful of players below 40. The shogi organisation is handled very > well, but the general feeling is a little bit rough, not so fresh and > very smoky. > The strength of the players is a little below medium, but on the > other > hand, every player with maximum 4-dan will always be paired with > players of suitable strength, since there are always a lot of players > around. However, a decrease in the number of players can be noted > compared to ten years ago. > Okachimachi Shogi Center > How to go there? Get off at Okachimachi station at the Yamanote line > and go out at the South Exit. Then turn left 180 degrees and follow > the > train tracks (on the outside of the station) around 50 meters and you > will find the center on 4F on your right-hand side. > This place is relatively big. There are generally around 50 players > until they close at 10 p.m. The players are old gentlemen with just a > few players below 40. The shogi organisation is a little more > informal > than at Shinjuku Shogi Center, but the place is nice, clean and fresh > with a Western style toilet (Westerners who have been in Tokyo know > what I mean). > The strength of the players is a little above medium. Most of the > games are following opening theory longer than you will experience > anywhere else, and the players keep good shape in their games. That > makes the games more valuable, and the general attitude of the > players > is more analytical after the games than elsewhere. > The local shogi club (in my case at Shin-Koiwa) > How to go there? There are several smaller, local clubs in Tokyo. > This > particular club can be found by going to Shin-Koiwa station on the > Sobu > line and go out at the South exit. Then go left and cross a busy > street > by taking stairs up and down. Then just follow the street eastwards > along the train tracks, and you will find the shogi club on the left- > hand side after 200 meters on 1F. The club is, typically, small with > around ten very regular players. The daily fee can be lower at local > clubs. > The general structure of the local clubs, on the other hand, is often > similar. The playing strength is often very unevenly distributed. > Often > one player is dominating with around 4-dan. The rest of the players > are > weaker. The big advantage with the local club is of course the > proximity to where you live. It is easy to sneak in and play for just > a > few hours. The disadvantages are that there are often the same, few > players and opening theory and good shape are seldomly seen. On the > other hand, a glass of beer and a good joke are more common. >=20 > Generally, in the era of shogi games with players from all over the > world at the Internet and the access to relatively strong PC > programs, > the number of visitors to shogi centers and unfortunately also the > number of shogi centers are decreasing. The visitors are also ageing > gradually. Many persons whom I have talked to say that they simply > save > money by staying at home and play shogi at the computer. With daily > fees of around 1000 yen and travelling costs around 500 yen and maybe > the additional cost of dining out at a restaurant makes, not the > occasional visit but the regular, in many cases daily, visits, > expensive. > On the positive side is of course the genuine environment, the nice > atmosphere with either a good post-mortem analysis or a good laugh. > My > personal feeling is that all kind of Internet activities at home, > however interesting, will make you tired in the end. One may also be > tired after playing shogi at shogi dojos, clubs and centers, but > there > are always new experiences and new impressions that will be > stimulating > and give some additional energy in the end. Thus, I definitely > recommend a visit to a shogi center in Tokyo and some good games over > the board. >=20 > Best regards, >=20 > Martin Danerud >=20 > Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor: > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > Is your computer freezing up or slowing down? > Repair corrupt files and harmful errors - protect your PC > Take a 2-minute PC health check-up at no charge! > http://click.topica.com/caaegt3a2i6Ysa7fLLnf/PC PowerScan > ------------------------------------------------------------------- >=20 > Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor: > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > Is your computer freezing up or slowing down? > Repair corrupt files and harmful errors - protect your PC > Take a 2-minute PC health check-up at no charge! > http://click.topica.com/caaegt3a2i6Ysa7fLJaf/PC PowerScan > ------------------------------------------------------------------- >=20 >=20 >=20 >=20 >=20 >=20 >=20 -------------------------------------- STOP HIV/AIDS. 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