Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 5 - Chapter 1.3

  PAWN MIRAGE

“As this is the first match, Kuzuryu-ryuo’s Pawns will be used for the flip.”

The match recorder takes a cloth from a wooden box and spreads it out on top of the floor mat before taking five Pawns from my side of the Shogi board and tosses them up a lot more dramatically than he needed to.

The five Pawns dance in the air, spinning–––land with dry, wooden clacks and bounce to all corners of the cloth.

“Five face up.”

The first move is mine. Sweat starts flowing out of my right palm even though my hand is just resting on top of my knee.

The match is happening in a spacious room that overlooks the inner garden on the second floor.

Since this hotel doesn’t have any tatami, they put mats down on the floor to make it look more Japanese-y. The board, pieces, floor cushions and armrests were all brought here by the Kansai Shogi Association.

Since past title matches have taken place in the grand halls of art museums and hotel observation decks, bringing them here wasn’t a big deal. We can hold matches pretty much anywhere.

“We didn’t need to set up a tower this time since that ceiling camera was installed. It’s so much easier,” one of the journalists in charge of covering the Ryuo Title Match for a magazine told me with a laugh in the hotel’s cafeteria this morning when I stopped in to say hello.

That same journalist is now leading a hotel executive to the board-side table.

Since that foreign executive can’t sit on his ankles, he looks very cramped sitting on his butt with his knees in the air between the observer and the chairman who are each wearing a kimono. It’s so surreal. I could swear the Meijin’s eyes are smiling behind his glasses.

Then, at 9 a.m. local time, we got started.

“The appointed time has arrived. Please begin the match,” announces the observer and everyone bows.

We players keep our heads down even as everyone else starts getting up. We’re giving the media a chance to take all the pictures they need.

Once all the shutter noises die down, I take a deep breath, reach for a Pawn in my formation and wait.

Feeling even more shutters and flashes go off than before, ”……!!”

Snap! I bring the piece down onto the board with a loud crack. Then I wait for all the pictures to finish up.

My opening move–––opening the Bishop Path with a 7 Six Pawn.

The reason I chose the most orthodox opening in the Shogi book is to prevent the Meijin from figuring out my strategy.

–––My strongest offensive strategy is the Double Wing Attack. Of course, the Meijin has prepared for it …… 

Double Wing turns into chaos, so it would be better to use in the first match when I’m at full mental and physical strength. Trying to use it in a later match could be asking for trouble.

–––This isn’t just the first round in the Ryuo Title Match. It’s also my first time playing against the Meijin …… 

Back as an amateur and even as a member of the Sub League, I never sat across the board from him.

There are some things that you just can’t get until you play an actual match. No amount of replaying Shogi records can compare to the real thing. At the very least, I want to gather as much information as I can during this match.

2nd move. The Meijin opens his own Bishop Path. He looks completely calm.

The way things are, it’s impossible to tell what strategies will come into play.

“At this time, would all media members please exit the arena.”

The journalists and reporters closest to the door leave the room once the observer makes the announcement and the rest file out behind them.

It’s customary for the media to leave after the second turn (basically, once they’ve had a chance to photograph each player’s first move) for title matches.

“……”

I stay sitting on my ankles, close my eyes and wait for the last one to leave. I already know what I’m going to do.

3rd move. I advance the Pawn in front of my Rook.

Another orthodox move, one that gives my opponent the right to choose the opening formation …… That’s how it looks, but I’m actually trying to bait him.

What I want–––is for the Meijin to choose Gokigen Central Rook.

The Meijin used Ranging Rook against Ayumu in the qualifier.

And I defeated the Meijin’s training partner, Jin Natagiri 8-dan, using Gokigen Central Rook. 

In that match, I went against Extreme Rapid Battle, backed up by the Meijin and Mr. Natagiri’s joint research, and barely came out on top. Without a doubt, my opponent has thoroughly researched that match record and come to this conclusion.

Gokigen Central Rook is still viable as a strategy–––.

I’ve never played against the Meijin. However, we’ve fought indirectly through our training partners.

With all that information, I’m prepared to face his research head on.

–––Bring it!! Come at me with that Pawn right down the middle ……!!

Doing my best to keep my eyes off the board, I keep hoping that that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

The Meijin reaches for the board almost like my wish is coming true.

But his fingers didn’t take hold of the Pawn I wanted them to.

That’s not a Pawn–––heck, that’s not even his own piece.

“…… Really?”

Was that Ms. Mato? The Sub League match recorder?

Could’ve been me for all I know.

I’m not sure who, but I know someone accidentally let a word slip as soon as they saw what the Meijin decided to do.

He picks up my Bishop, places it on his piece stand, then picks up his own Bishop and promotes it before slapping it down with authority where mine had been!

Executing a Bishop Exchange on defense. In other words–––.

–––––– Move-Loss Bishop Exchange.

“……!!”

That information zips from my eyes into my brain and my whole body starts burning up seconds later.

The Meijin … is using my strat ……?

“…………”

I take a sip of ice water from my glass and chew on one of the cubes to cool off. Then I wipe my hand with a hand towel. If sweat was flowing out of my palms during the piece flip, it’s a torrent now.

–––What …… does this mean?

Is he trying to make it harder for me to use Move-Loss Bishop Exchange as a defender later on if I beat him on offense with the same strategy here?

Inconsistencies happen because he’ll use the same strategy on offense and defense.

I’m sure some player told me that.

But, on the other hand.

What if I beat his Move-Loss Bishop Exchange now …… and then beat him using it as a defender?

There’s a word for that in the Shogi world: Double slap.

“……………”

I glance out at the inner garden to calm myself down a bit. Then I take his Promoted Bishop and complete the Bishop Exchange.

“Meijin: An Unforeseen Move-Loss Bishop Exchange!”

Aloha to everyone in Japan.

This is Mato, reporting live from the board.

The morning skies are bright and clear in Hawaii. A gentle breeze is blowing through the arena.

The match, which began at 9 o’clock in the morning local time, has advanced to the twenty-seventh move at present: 10 o’clock.

Snacks were delivered to the players right at ten. The Ryuo enjoyed iced tea and pancakes while the Meijin only asked for a Hawaiian specialty: Kona coffee.

Chocolate-covered macadamia nuts and Honolulu cookies among other Hawaiian confections were available to the rest of us in the break room.

Shogi Association Chairman Seiichi Tsukimitsu, Kiyotaki 9-dan, Sora Dual Title and other skilled players gathered around an analysis board early this morning and have been vigorously exchanging opinions left and right since. This is quite an unusual sight for the first day of the two-day title match. The appearance of a completely unexpected strategy has opened up a psychological battlefield as well.

The Meijin’s Move-Loss Bishop Exchange currently dictates the board. A chorus of surprise and excitement wafted from the break room when the Meijin initiated the Bishop Exchange on the 4th move.

I had a chance to speak with Move-Loss Bishop Exchange specialist, Chairman Tsukimitsu, just moments ago.

–––Did you have any indication that the Meijin would use Move-Loss Bishop Exchange?

“Honestly, no. If I may offer an excuse, I believe that every professional Shogi player who came to Hawaii was caught off guard, not just myself. Excluding the Meijin, of course.”

–––For what reason did the Meijin decide to use it against the Ryuo, a specialist with this strategy in his own right?

“The Meijin is known for defending against his opponent’s signature strategies and making them his own. It’s common knowledge that the Ryuo prefers to play Double Wing Attack on offense and Move-Loss Bishop Exchange when on defense, however the Double Wing option disappeared on his first move. That may be why the Meijin decided to proceed with a Move-Loss Bishop Exchange.”

–––At present, does Move-Loss Bishop Exchange favor offense or defense?

“Both are locked in a struggle for supremacy this year with a win-loss rate of fifty percent. However, the data pool is insufficient because it has appeared in so few matches. In the most recent example, a match between myself and the Ryuo in June, he claimed victory on defense. For that reason, he may have some reservations about playing it on offense …… This may not mean much coming from the defeated, but I had an opportunity to claim victory on offense. It’s still too early to know how this match will play out (laughs).”

–––Thank you for your time. I look forward to your analysis later in the match.

On a side note, the chairman’s secretary Sasari Oga Women’s League 1-dan (retired) who was on hand for the interview interjected, “The chairman won that Shogi!” So I would like to add her comment here.

I also spoke with Kuzuryu-ryuo’s favored pupil and a live-in apprentice, Miss Ai Hinatsuru (Practice League Member, current Mynavi Finalist).

–––Sorry to disturb you in the middle of your cookie, Miss Hinatsuru. Can you describe your Master’s condition this morning?

“Uwhee?! Pha, fwm …… (Chewing the last few bites of her cookie) …… Gulp. Umm, I went to his room to wake him up this morning, and I think he looked great. He always has a hard time waking up, but today he woke up right away ……”

–––You woke up the Ryuo? Are you saying you went into his room?

“Yes. Master left me in charge of his spare key …… E-hehe♡.”

–––He must trust you a great deal. What’s he like at home?

“Master is really nice and teaches me Shogi every day! But with the Ryuo Title Match coming up, he’s spent lots of time cooped up in his room recently. Even though he’s really busy, he always takes time to play Shogi with me every day! E-he–♡.”

–––I see. Then he’s been devoting extra time to his own research. Speaking of which, he was recently seen with Sora-sensei in Harajuku. Was that a practice session in Kanto as well?

“…… Huh? He …… He was ……?”

–––What? You didn’t know? Rumors have been circulating since pictures of Sora-sensei dressed for a date …… or perhaps a practice session were posted on the Internet …… Well then, it appears there are some things the Ryuo hides from his apprentice. It must’ve been a very secret practice session.

“Hmm …… Must’ve been …… Hmm ……”

–––Thank you very much.

In an interesting twist, should Ms. Hinatsuru advance all the way through the Mynavi Women’s Open, she will face her Aunt apprentice, Sora-queen, for that very title. I sensed that the air between the two members of the same Shogi family has become so strained over the situation that they avoid looking each other in the eyes.

Sora Dual Title is fifteen years old.

Miss Hinatsuru turned ten only yesterday.

The Hawaiian sky may be a bright, clear blue but there’s a foreboding sense that storms on and off the board have been building quickly since sunrise.

Mato