15th U.S. Shogi Championship Results

[George Fernandez]

Dear Shogi Fans,

The 15th U.S. Shogi Championship was held at the Club Quarters, Wall Street Hotel in New York on April 3-4, 2010. The Japan Shogi Renmei New York Branch hosted the event. Thirty-five adults from numerous states participated and about 15 local children played in a "Kid's Tournament" on Sunday. Mr. Akio Ishikawa, a 7 Dan Professional player from Japan, was our Special Guest and Honorary Chairman.
Mr. Tetsuo Higashino, a 6 Dan from San Francisco, emerged victorious, beating Mr. T. Futagami 4 Dan from Georgia in the Finals. They are both newcomers to the American shogi scene but were eligible contestants by virtue of having resided in the U. S. for more than a year. Mr. Higashino, representing Miyagi Prefecture, was the winner of the Amateur Ryu-O tournament in Japan in 2003 and has a Shogi Club 24 [www.shogidojo.com ] rating above 2550! The Final game was expertly analyzed on a large display board by Mr. Ishikawa, Pro.
A strong field of twenty 3 Dan or above players, including 4 past winners, competed. Mr. Watanabe, ama-5 Dan, winner of the 1st & 2nd U.S. Championships, then-representing New York, was back and advanced to the final 8 where his long winning streak came to an end vs. Mr. Higashino. Alan Baker, the winner in 2008, couldn't advance to the A group from a strong Qualifying Quad Group which included 2006 winner Jiro Yoshinari.
The B Section top two finishers were a repeat of the recent 3rd Shogi World Championship and a battle between the two most active players on the Pan-Atlantic ratings list [http://www.shogi.net/fesa/], each one amassing more than 1000 rated, over-the-board games! Mr. Nozawa, a two-time champion from Chicago, won the consolation section when his opponent made a silly illegal move in a nearly won position.
My personal shogi highlights were an exciting come-from-behind win against Mr. Kudo, a 4 Dan from LA, and a Bishop handicap win vs. Mr. Ishikawa pro, at the New York Shogi Club meeting, a few days after the event. Socially, I enjoyed the "Friendship Dinner" on Saturday, followed by some karaoke with a group of seven players, at a nearby bar/box, where Mr. Andy Matsumoto, a self-taught semi-pro singer from LA, displayed an entertaining and superior talent while others played more shogi and sang.
The turnout among the American players was low again this year, with only six players participating. We're hoping to put forth a greater promotional effort at next year's event, which will be held either in Philadelphia, for the first time, or in Washington, D.C.
The Los Angeles Team won the 5-player team event with a match score of 4-0 in a quick-play unrated format.

Here is a list of the prize winners:

1st Place               T. Higashino (San Francisco)    6 Dan
2nd Place               T. Futagami (Georgia)           4 Dan
3rd Place               K. Tomita (LA)                  3 Dan

B Section 1st           K. Kajiura (NY)         3 Dan
B Section 2nd   S. Ogihara (NY) 4 Dan
B Section 3rd           H. Shimoda (SF) 2 Dan

Consolation 1st K. Nozawa (IL)          4 Dan
Consolation 2nd S. Higashionna (NC)     3 Dan

Top 4 Dan               M. Kuramoto (LA)
Top 3 Dan               K. Shindo (IL)
Top 2 Dan               K. Shimizu (NY)
Top Shodan              T. Shimura (SF)
Top Shodan              Y. Yamashita (IL)
Top Kyu         K. Kuwaki (NY)
Special Prize           J. Armstrong (NY)

Team Champions: LA Team, 4-0 Match Score, 15-5 Game Score.

George Fernandez

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SHOGI-L" group.
To post to this group, send email to sho...@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to shogi-l+u...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/shogi-l?hl=en.