The build-up

On the Thursday before the start of the 11th Amateur Ryu-O Tournament, I did not know any better than that I would spent the weekend of June 27th and 28th playing and watching football. The world cup in France was starting to become interesting with the pre-round matches almost completed. Also, with my own team we had to play one of our main rivals, a tough team from a neighboring research institute.

An E-mail message with the subject "Invitation to the Ryu-O" changed all that. At first I thought it was an invitation to come and watch the games, supporting Mr. Kyo, the Chinese player who was invited this year. However, it turned out to be a message from Onogi from the Shogi Renmei, who asked me to replace Mr. Kyo in the tournament. With pain in my heart I informed our team captain that urgent business kept me from playing (they lost 2-1 and even worse: they found out that I had given shogi priority over football). This was a chance I was not going to miss.

I arrived at around 6 o'clock on Friday evening at the Urashima Hotel where the tournament was going to be held. I was welcomed by Onogi and Horiguchi of the Shogi Renmei and Yamada and Oda of the Yomiuri Shimbun, the organizers of the Ryu-O tournament. There were only three spots left and I ended up in a group that seemed to give some hope. In the first round I had to play a very strong opponent, but I was also in the same group as the representative of Okinawa, the smallest prefecture in Japan. That might be my opponent in the second game...

But first there was the pre-tournament party held on Friday evening. As usual, there were quite a number of speeches. Professional Ryu-O Tanigawa had some very nice words for me. He said that even though he was supposed to be neutral as the main referee, he would still be supporting me. During the reception I also heard that Mr. Kyo could not come because he had been too late in requesting a visa. In China it seems to take two months to get a visa application approved.

After the reception there was a small afterparty with Tanigawa, Oda and co-organizer Tanabe (professional 6-dan). Still tired from watching the Holland-Mexico game the evening before, I retired early. I was hoping that my opponents would watch the Japan against Jamaica game that night, so that at least I would have some extra hours of sleep as a small compensation for my lack of Shogi strength.

The first round

When I went downstairs for breakfast on Saturday morning, I met Nishimoto, the strong representative from Hyogo-ken, in the elevator. He had planned to go to sleep early, but in the end he watched the complete Japan-Jamaica game. Japan had surprisingly lost 2-1 and retired from the world cup with three losses. Good, I thought, at least the football fans will be depressed. Another badly needed psychological advantage.

The tournament system of the amateur Ryu-O tournament has not changed since the beginning. First, every player plays in a group of four. The winners and the losers of the first game in this group play against each other. The player who wins two games in a row automatically qualifies for the knock-out tournament. The player who loses two consecutive games goes home. The players who have won one game and lost one game play against the players with a 1-1 score in a neighboring group. The winners of these games also qualify for the knock-out tournament. After these group stages, the tournament becomes a normal knock-out. The first round of the knock-out is played on Saturday, the remaining games on Sunday. The only thing that has changed over the years is the amount of time available. When I first played in the tournament in 1993, there was no byoyomi in the group stage. This has changed a couple of years ago. For this tournament, all Saturday games were played with 40 minutes and 40 seconds byoyomi for each player. For me this was quite a comfortable pace.

My first game was against Fujimoto, the representative of Fukuoka. A very tough opponent, who made it to 1-kyu in the Shoreikai before giving up his dream of becoming a professional player. He is still very young at 26 and reached the semi-finals of the Amateur Ryu-O tournament last year. No real pressure in this game, I was expected to lose.

Black: Grimbergen
White: Fujimoto (Fukuoka)
11th Ama Ryu-O Tournament, Round 1, June 27th 1998

1.P7g-7f
2.P8c-8d
3.S7i-6h
4.P3c-3d
5.P6g-6f
6.S7a-6b
7.S3i-4h
8.P5c-5d
9.P5g-5f
10.S3a-4b
11.P4g-4f
12.G4a-3b
13.S4h-4g
14.K5a-4a
15.S6h-6g
16.G6a-5b
17.R2h-6h

I have been playing the Yodofuribisha quite a lot recently, especially against stronger players. It is the ideal opening for players like me who like both Yagura and Furibisha but do not have the time to keep up with the latest opening developments. Pretend to play Yagura and once your opponent has chosen a Yagura position, then switch to the Furibisha. This takes a couple of extra moves, but the Ibisha side no longer can play the quick attacking variations, so in general this is not a big factor. The Ibisha side usually has to rearrange his pieces anyway, because the Yagura type castle is not well suited for defending against the Furibisha. I have heard that there are some nasty counter variations, but so far I have not encountered these. >From my experience, the Yodofuribisha gives good chances and this game does not show anything else.

18.P4c-4d

I find 18.P6d to be more of a problem. In similar positions I have been badly beaten after 19.K4h P6e Px6e?? Bx8h+ Rx8h B*2h. This is one of the few opening traps in this strategy.

19.P3g-3f

Played quickly to avoid 19.P3e. This would give white the opportunity to play a normal opening: the King's Head Vanguard Pawn. After S3c-S3d-G4c the position has become a normal Ibisha against Furibisha game. Since it is always good to keep a stronger opponent away from well-known book opening, I played 19.P3f.

20.G5b-4c
21.K5i-4h
22.K4a-3a
23.K4h-3h
24.B2b-3c
25.G6i-5h
26.K3a-2b
27.K3h-2h
28.L1a-1b

I expected white to play anaguma. There is not much else to improve the position.

29.N2i-3g
30.K2b-1a
31.P6f-6e
32.P8d-8e
33.B8h-7g
34.S6b-5c
35.S6g-6f
36.S4b-3a
37.S4g-3h

Played after long thought. Tempting was 37.P5e 38.Px5e 39.P4e to attack before the white anaguma is completed, using the pressure of the black bishop on 7g. I was not convinced by the power of the black attack after 40.B2d R7h (giving up the rook with the hanging gold on 4i seems too dangerous) Px4e Nx4e S4d Sx5e Sx5e Bx5e P*4d. White threatens to catch the knight on 4e after G5d, while 6i, 5g and 4f are also weaknesses. I decided to strengthen my position first.

38.S3a-2b
39.G5h-4g
40.P7c-7d
41.P5f-5e
42.P5dx5e
43.R6h-5h
44.B3c-2d
45.P2g-2f

The bishop on 2d indirectly defends against the black attack (P4e B7i+). Before attacking, the bishop has to 64.P7fx7g+ 65.B6hx7g 66.R5b-5c 67.B7g-9e

68.P3e-3f
69.P3gx3f
70.N*2d
71.K2h-3i!

72.N2dx3f
73.P*3g
74.P9c-9d
75.B9e-5i
76.R5cx5f
77.P3gx3f
78.R5f-5c

79.+R8c-8a
80.N7c-6e
81.B5i-4h?

82.B2b-1c

83.+R8ax9a
84.P2e-2f
85.P2gx2f
86.P*2g
87.S3hx2g
88.P4e-4f
89.P4gx4f
90.B1cx4f
91.N*3g
92.P*4a

93.L*5i
94.P*2e
95.G5h-4g
96.B4f-5e
97.P5g-5f
98.B5e-9i+
99.P2fx2e
100.P*2f
101.S2gx2f
102.P*2g
103.G4i-3h
104.+B9ix9h
105.G3hx2g
106.L*5h
107.L5ix5h
108.+B9h-7f
109.P*4e
110.S4d-3c
111.P3f-3e
112.S3d-2c
113.P2e-2d
114.S3cx2d
115.S2f-2e
116.+B7fx5h
117.S2ex2d
118.S2cx2d
119.S*3h
120.L*4f
121.G4gx4f
122.+B5hx4h
Resigns

The Final

Neither of my first round opponents made a big impact in this tournament. Both went out in the first round of the knock-out stage. This year the final was between two times amateur Meijin Hayasaki (24) from Oita and 21-year old Hayashi from Shizuoka. Hayasaki won this battle of the young amateur stars and added the Ryu-O crown to his already very impressive number of amateur titles. To compare the top level with the level of the games above, here is the final:

Black: Hayasaki (Oita)
White: Hayashi (Shizuoka)
11th Amateur Ryu-O Tournament, Final, June 28th 1998

1.P7g-7f
2.P3c-3d
3.P2g-2f
4.P8c-8d
5.P2f-2e
6.P8d-8e
7.G6i-7h
8.G4a-3b
9.P2e-2d
10.P2cx2d
11.R2hx2d
12.P8e-8f
13.P8gx8f
14.R8bx8f
15.R2dx3d
16.B2b-3c
17.K5i-5h
18.K5a-5b
19.G4i-3h
20.G6a-7b
21.S3i-4h
22.R8fx7f
23.R3d-8d
24.P*8c
25.B8hx3c+
26.N2ax3c
27.R8d-2d
28.S3a-2b

Looks dangerous. After more than 10 minutes thought, Hayasaki decides to go for it.

29.B*2a
30.S2b-2c
31.B2ax3b+
32.S2cx2d
33.G*4b
34.K5b-6b
35.+B3b-4a?

Better is 35.+Bx4c (threatening mate and the rook) Rx7h+ Sx7h P7d +B8g with better play for black.

36.G7b-8b
37.G4b-5b
38.K6b-7b
39.+B4a-5a
40.P6c-6d
41.+B5a-6a
42.K7b-6c
43.G5b-4b
44.R7fx7h+
45.S7ix7h
46.R*7i
47.+B6a-5b
48.K6c-7b
49.+B5b-9f
50.B*7d
51.+B9f-8g
52.R7ix2i+
53.G3h-3i
54.+R2ix1i
55.R*2b
56.P*3h?

Big mistake. If white plays 56.P8d to make an escape route for the king, things become very complicated.

57.G4b-5a
58.S7a-6b
59.+B8gx4c
60.G*7a
61.R2bx2d+
62.S6bx5a
63.G3i-2i
64.L*4a
65.+B4cx3c
66.S5a-4b
67.+B3c-4d
68.+R1ix2i
69.+R2dx2i
70.P3h-3i+
71.+R2ix3i
72.G7a-6b
73.P*7e
74.S4b-5a
75.P7ex7d
76.L4ax4d
77.N*5f
78.L4dx4g+
79.S4hx4g
80.N*5e
81.N5fx6d
82.K7b-7a
83.S4g-5f
84.G*6e
85.S5fx5e
86.P*6c
87.B*3c
88.G*4a
89.L*4g
90.P*4b
91.P7dx7c+
92.G8bx7c
93.P*7b
94.G7cx7b
95.N6dx7b+
96.G6bx7b
97.P*7c
98.G7bx7c
99.N*8e
100.G7c-7d
101.P*8d
102.K7a-7b
103.P*7c
104.N8ax7c
105.S*8a
106.K7bx8a
107.P8dx8c+
Resigns