Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 2 - Chapter 1

  LIVING IN THE KUZURYU SHOGI FAMILY TREE

My apprentice, Ai Hinatsuru, and I, Yaichi Kuzuryu, start every day with Shogi puzzles.

“Ai. Are you ready ……?”

“Y-Yes!”

One book of Shogi puzzles is laying on the tatami mat.

The two of us are sitting side by side in front of it.

My grade school age apprentice is leaning forward with her hands on the mat in front of her, tiny body rocking back and forth as if psyching herself up for battle.

I pinch the corner of the book cover between my thumb and forefinger–––.

“Okay? Ready …… Go!!”

I flip the book open like a gunman whipping out a pistol.

The first puzzle looks like it came right out of a match. It’s a late-game scenario that could show up in any match.

I’d be embarrassed to call myself a pro if my apprentice solves this one first. It only took me a glance to figure it out.

“I got it! From 3 One Bishop to 2 Five Gold, fifteen moves to checkmate! Next!”

“Yes!!” 

The first point is mine. I turn the page. The next puzzle is kyokuzume, where the Rook, King and Bishop are all in a diagonal line. 

This situation would never happen in a match but–––.

“Oh, I know! From 5 Six Gold to 2 Two Rook. Nineteen moves to checkmate! I think!!”

“Gah …… Next!”

Competing with my apprentice like this is a recent development.

Ai was always looking over the other side whenever I tried solving a Shogi puzzle, muttering “Ah!” and “Owwh!” to herself the entire time. She obviously worked them out before I did. Looking at them upside down too.

So, I forget exactly when we started sitting next to each other and solving puzzles together, but it developed into a competition to see who could solve them first like right now.

You may be thinking: what’s the Ryuo, a person at the pinnacle of the Shogi world, doing competing against a fourth grader? But you have to remember, this elementary school girl is a miracle child, a god in human form. Judging her by mortal standards is pointless.

The two of us are neck and neck after solving ten puzzles.

“All right! Last one! Here we go!!”

“Yes!”

Turn the page and––– Whoa! What the heck is this?!

“It’s just a simple nyugyoku type, right? I’ve got a Rook, a Silver and a Promoted Pawn to attack with, and the Bishop and another Gold in the waiting area …… Looks like this will be over real quick. Hmm? That’s different ……”

“…… Here, here, here …… Herehereherehereherehere–––.”

Crap. Ai’s engine kicked into high gear. Got to hurry.

There aren’t too many options for the first move, so if I start with the least likely–––.

“I solved it! Move 3 Eight Silver, take it away and place Gold behind the King, and the Bishop in the ninth column to protect against the other Bishop, move the King to 2 Eight to take the Gold and 3 Eight Knight–––.”

“That’s uchifu.”

“Oh no?!”

“I got it! Rather than 3 Eight Knight, 4 Nine Knight to 2 Eight Knight. Twenty-three moves to checkmate!!”

“Gah, rats. That’s right, uchifu ……” 

The way my solution was going, I’d need to put the King in checkmate with the Pawn in my waiting area, a move known as uchifutsume.

But that would break the rules, just like having two Pawns in the same vertical column, called nifu.

“Haaa, I knew that the 4 Nine Silver would get in the way from the start, but to think the Pawn that blocked it would get in my way at the end …… Fell into that trap hook line and sinker ……”

“Dodging traps feels great♡” 

“It’s amazing the author brought this scenario to life with only six pieces considering you need to block opposing pieces twice as well as how they resolve to sacrifice the Knight to make it all work. Haaaa …… Truly amazing. A masterpiece.”

I can only sigh and marvel at this point. Sure, losing to my apprentice hurts but it’s all thanks to her I found this wonderful Shogi puzzle at all. Thank you!

Ai looks just as happy, walking on cloud nine with that last one solved.

“Doing puzzles like that one makes me want to make my own ……♡” 

“I know what you mean.”

Shogi puzzles are an art form.

There’s so much more to them than regular puzzles. The first step is figuring out what the author had in mind (their intention), and then resolving the rest gives you the same rush and satisfaction as reading a good novel.

“But I can’t recommend making puzzles as part of your training.”

“Why not? Solving them is just fine ……” 

“Once you start making one, all the time in the world won’t be enough.”

They can be solved in a flash. But making them takes a long, long time.

It’s not all that strange for one to take about ten years to make, and some of them required thirty or some unbelievable number of years to complete. And making one won’t even net the author a single yen.

I’ve heard many stories about Shogi puzzle authors who spent so much time on it that they grew old, their wives divorced them, they lost custody of their children, bankrupted their businesses and ended up having their lives in checkmate rather than the opposing King in the puzzle. It just ain’t worth it.

“Plus, there doesn’t seem to be a connection between the ability to create Shogi puzzles and being good at playing actual Shogi.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Have you ever seen a match end as cleanly and poetically as a puzzle solution?”

“Umm …… Nope (>-<)”

The more moves required, the more artistic the puzzle is, the further from reality it gets. Kind of like a fantasy novel.

But that’s exactly why they’re so darn interesting.

“Just look at the nyugyoku puzzle we just did. If the King reaches the ninth row in a match––– the deepest row in enemy territory, it’s nearly impossible to put in checkmate. And I’ve heard that most of the famous Shogi puzzle authors are only about as good as amateur 1-dan players.”

“But they can make puzzles like that?!”

Solving puzzles and playing Shogi are completely different. There are many top pros that don’t include Shogi puzzles in their training regimen because “real checkmates aren’t that clean.”

In that case, what’s the best way to practice and how much? I have no clue.

Studying the ins and outs of Shogi more than anyone else doesn’t mean you’ll be better than everyone else.

The Shogi path is unforgiving. There’s so much we still don’t know.

“Listen Ai. It’s not about simply solving all the Shogi puzzles you can and playing as many practice games as time allows, but finding the right balance that’s most effective for you. Always keep that in mind.”

“Master, Master! This one is really interesting!”

“I told you to listen, didn’t I …… Ohh? A Defenseless King?”

It’s a type of puzzle where the King doesn’t have a single piece defending it.

Sure, it looks simple enough, but it’s already in enemy territory like the last puzzle. So it’s really difficult to force checkmate.

Let’s see …… First, place the Rook at 2 Eight–––.

“It’s fifty-nine moves until the Gold reaches 2 Four. The sequence starting on move thirty-six, moving the Pawn all the way to 2 Four Rook on thirty-nine, is particularly satisfying.”

“You’re amazing, Master! That took you what, two seconds?!”

“I’m a bit peeved you didn’t wait for me to start solving it ……”  

“Tee-hehe♡”

Ai sticks her tongue out at me. Damn cute. Makes me want to give her a treat for no reason at all.

“I see this author’s name all the time …… How do you read those characters? Gekkou?”

“That’s the chairman.”

“Who?”

“The chairman. Seiichi Tsukimitsu.”

“…… Chairman?”

“Chairman of the Japan Shogi Association. He’s at the top of all pro Shogi players. You know, the 17th Meijin?”

“S-Sorry …… I, um, don’t know many pro players other than you, Master ……”

Ai started playing Shogi only four months ago.

And it was seeing my match that got her into it in the first place. She spent three months doing the Shogi puzzles and playing over the Internet after that, so she taught herself how to play. Her talent is astounding and her skills are on the rise, but she is still just a beginner. I’ve got a lot to teach her.

“So, Master, what’s the plan for today? A practice group? Or are you going to go out somewhere?”

“I’ve got work to do. And you’re coming with me, Ai.”

“Work? But it’s Saturday, a stay home day …… And I’m coming with you? What kind of work is it?”

I answer my apprentice’s question as I pull a suit out of my closet.

“A lesson.”