Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 5 - Chapter 5

  FINAL JUDGMENT

“Which one …… Who won?!” a reporter shouts from somewhere inside the avalanche of media people pouring into the room while I’m busy trying to catch my breath.

Who won ……? Good question.

“Did the Meijin run out of time?!”

“No, look at the board! He put down a Pawn at the last second!”

“The match record says he played it in time!”

“So, what’s the problem?! Why was the match suspended?!”

The Meijin got that last move in by the skin of his teeth. He put a Pawn down right in front of my King.

Then, the second he played it …… He asked the match recorder to call the observer, and I gave the go ahead.

No one has thrown in the towel or broken any rules, but the match can’t continue like this.

As for why–––.

“The observer will now explain what has transpired,” Ms. Oga announces as Chairman Tsukimitsu walks into the room behind her.

The arena goes quiet.

All the reporters and journalists point their microphones and IC recorders toward the blind Shogi player.

The chairman’s face is as calm, cool and collected as usual, but there’s a bit of a nervous tremor in his voice.

“Allow me to put this in simple terms. I believe that all of you in the media are aware that after the same sequence of moves has occurred three times in this match …”

The journalists silently urge him on. Even the match recorder nods.

“In Shogi, the same sequence being repeated is called a Repetition Draw …… The match concludes on the fourth turn, the players switch roles and start over from the beginning.”

He must’ve double-checked the Repetition Draw rules before coming out here. There hasn’t been a peep out of the media people yet.

“However, in the event a Repetition Draw occurs with one player in check, the one who initiated check loses the match …… This is referred to as a Checkmate Repetition Draw and it is a forbidden move.”

Now the reporters and journalists are starting to get restless.

“Please look at the board. In this situation, once the Ryuo takes the Pawn the Meijin played on his last turn–––the sequence shall repeat for the fourth time as well as put the Meijin’s King in check, resulting in a Checkmate Repetition Draw.”

“Ahh ……!!”

“So, so that means …… The Meijin won?!”

“Be patient. Take another look at the board.”

The chairman tells them to look again and all of their cameras zoom in on it.

“In order for the Ryuo to survive the situation, he has no choice but to take the Pawn put in play by the Meijin. However, he cannot because that would be a forbidden move. In that case, the Meijin’s Pawn is what put the Ryuo’s King in checkmate–––in itself another forbidden move known as Pawn Drop Mate.”

“……… Aghhh?!”

Their surprise echoes out on a delay. The journalists and reporters finally figured out what just happened.

I’m breaking the Checkmate Repetition Draw rule.

The Meijin is breaking the Pawn Drop Mate rule.

“What’s difficult is determining whether or not the Meijin’s decision to deploy the Pawn violates the rule. Were it not for the Checkmate Repetition Draw, the Ryuo would be able to take it and not be in checkmate.”

The chairman sounds more excited with each word.

The reason probably comes from the fact that he’s not only a player, but a Shogi puzzle creator as well.

“This is the one area missing from Shogi as it is now and has been ignored for quite some time. The game of Shogi is incomplete.”

One of the reporters asks with a shaking voice, “W-Why …… Hasn’t it been taken care of ……?”

“Because no one believed this situation would ever occur in an actual match between two people,” the chairman answers with a smile. It looks like he’s enjoying this weird situation. By some miracle, he finds it ridiculously entertaining …… 

Yes. No one thought this would ever happen.

Well, someone might’ve said it’ll crop up at some point but …… No one came up with an answer for it.

That’s why they left it unsettled. Solving it would be a pain.

Why not just figure it out it when it comes up!

People went with it. It’s surprising how that kind of thing flies in the Shogi world. We read as far ahead as we can in Shogi, but don’t give our lives in the real world much thought. I mean, who could do something as crazy as devoting their lives to a game and plan for the future at the same time ……?

But, the chance was always there.

No matter how close to zero the chance was, everyone involved with Shogi knew there was a chance the situation could turn up on the board at some point.

“They felt this way because …… the debate already existed in the realm of Shogi puzzles. Pawn Drop Mate colliding with Checkmate Repetition Draw: that concept has yet to yield a solution–––thus, no one has ever found a true answer for this, the most arduous of conundrums.”

Taking a deep breath, the chairman put the name to that difficult problem.

“That Shogi puzzle is called–––Final Judgment.”

“Final …… Judgment ……”

Everyone in the room thought those magnificent words fit the situation perfectly.

“That’s why, as these two rules stand, their relationship has been referred to as the Final Judgment Question and left unsolved for many years despite being proposed many times. However, I believe the time has come to reach a verdict.”

I could tell the Meijin tensed up a bit when the chairman said that.

My heart is beating in my throat right now.

Judgment will finally be made.

“For me personally–––,” the chairman says flatly, “as an author of Shogi puzzles, I believe that Pawn Drop Mate should not apply in this situation.”

“……!”

Cold sweat rolls down my back at those words.

Basically–––he’s saying he thinks I lost.

“…… By the same token, it’s impossible to ignore an official rule. And so long as that rule is on the books, this match must be declared invalid. I intend to suggest this situation be handled like a Repetition Draw when I confer with the Ryuo Title Match Committee as the observer momentarily.”

“It’s a draw!!”

WHOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAA!! Contrary to the small army of reporters and journalists living it up right now, I’m breathing a sigh of relief.

–––That …… That was close …… 

After having accepted the loss, I feel like I was on death’s door but somehow made it out alive.

“Amazing …… This is absolutely amazing!!”

“This decision has never happened in Shogi before! Not once!!”

“No! Nothing’s been settled yet?!”

“These two …… They’ve surpassed Shogi’s rules as well ……?”

“G-Gods ……”

The miracle that just happened seems to be more important for the media people right now than who won the match. They’re scrambling around.

At the same time, the Shogi Association staff here is getting over the shock and starting to scramble for a different reason.

“What’s the Ryuo Title Match regulation for Repetition Draws on Day 2?!”

“Replay the match the day of?!”

“Surely, it would be rescheduled for later date ……”

“That wouldn’t be feasible from a scheduling standpoint, would it? Especially with the Citizens Award–––.”

It’s a tough call.

If we were going to replay the match right now, even though we both get only an hour’s worth of waiting time, the sun would be up by the time everything is said and done.

That would extend the event by a full day and overlap with customers who have already booked rooms at the inn. Asking our hosts to make a change like that at the last minute isn’t possible–––.

Just as that thought crossed my mind.

“Please do not be concerned!!”

The owner comes into the arena–––Ai’s mother.

Now the center of attention, Mrs. Hinatsuru makes an announcement of her own.

“The Hinatsuru is the best inn in all of Japan. All guests, including members of the media, Shogi Association staff, as well as commentators may retain their rooms with meals provided free of charge!”

WAAAAAOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH!!

The arena shook even harder that time than when the match was declared a draw. Everyone’s already so hyped up with it being quite late in the evening that they’re chanting Mrs. Hinatsuru’s name. This is nuts.

Looking immensely satisfied with their response, Mrs. Hinatsuru says, “And of course, no one will be required to leave the premises once the match has concluded. Please take advantage of our hot spring and massage facilities at your leisure.”

“And in return …… Understood?”

Ms. Mato, the one in charge of the blog, nods up and down like a bobblehead doll. She has to type out Mrs. Hinatsuru’s praises and get them up on the blog right now. And of course, she needs to get a few pictures of the owner’s good side to go with them. She’ll have to deal with a claim from the Hinatsuru Inn if she doesn’t. Live bloggers have it rough …… 

The chairman says in a dignified voice, “I will now speak with the Ryuo Title Match Committee to determine proper procedure. Players, please retire to your rooms until a verdict has been reached.”