Shogi's Oyama Yasuharu, the 15th Meijin, is one of the most famous figures representing Kurashiki.
Leading the shogi world during the Showa era, his record of holding a total of 80 titles is, as of 2019, second only to 9-dan Habu Yoshiharu.
Considering the limited number of tournaments at that time, his overwhelming dominance is astonishing, making it an incredible record.
The contributions made by the 15th Meijin to the shogi world are significant, and there is a women's shogi title called the Oyama Meijin Cup Kurashiki Fujika Tournament, which is organized by the Kurashiki City and the Kurashiki City Cultural Promotion Foundation.
A challenger decision tournament is held with all female shogi players and amateur female players recommended by the organizers, and the winner competes in a best-of-three title match against the title holder of Kurashiki Fujika.
One of the features of this tournament is that a public match is held, which is quite rare in shogi title matches.
Satomi Kana, Kurashiki Fujika faced Ito Sae, Women's 3-dan in the 27th Kurashiki Fujika Tournament, where the second game held on November 23 was conducted as a public match at Geibunkan Hall.
Having witnessed the intense battle of the public match, I would like to introduce it.
The Kurashiki Fujika Tournament held as a public match at Geibunkan Hall
For Satomi, the Kurashiki Fujika Tournament is a very compatible tournament, as she has held the title in 9 out of the previous 26 tournaments.
Although she initially failed in her first challenge and lost the title twice, she reclaimed it all the following year, leading to her 12 consecutive appearances since her first challenge in 2008.
The challenger, Ito Women's 3-dan, was in excellent form with a record of 26 wins and 6 losses as of November 22.
The title match between the two players of similar generations took place on November 10 in Yonago City, Tottori Prefecture, where Satomi Kurashiki Fujika took the lead.
The title match is a best-of-three, and the first to win two games will be crowned champion.
If Satomi Kurashiki Fujika wins on the 23rd or 24th, she will defend her title; if Ito Women's 3-dan wins on both days, she will reclaim the title.
The public match started at 1 PM.
The match itself began at 10 AM, starting from a difficult mid-game position.
Before the public match, greetings were given by Mayor Ito Kaori of Kurashiki City and others.
After that, there were announcements of the players' enthusiasm, and the moves played in the morning were recreated.
Kifu: The record of a shogi match
At this point, photography by the press was also prohibited.
Public matches are held in various tournaments, but in title matches, only a portion of the Ryuo Tournament (the highest title match mainly contested by male professionals) is made public.
The space to enjoy serious competition in a title match in Kurashiki is very precious.
The hall was enveloped in a unique dry atmosphere, and the tension rose sharply.
During the match, photography was also prohibited, so apart from the occasional cough from spectators, the only sound was the recording staff reading out each move as the players made them.
This is a uniquely solemn space, distinct from a classical concert, characteristic of the world of competition.
Now, while it is good to be in the midst of serious competition, there is also a large board commentary session at the nearby Geibunkan Annex Aitheater.
I decided to take a look there.
Enjoying commentary during the public match of the Kurashiki Fujika Tournament
The large board commentary is a place where professional players provide commentary on the match, mainly near the playing area.
In the case of the Kurashiki Fujika Tournament, it was held at the Aitheater, which is a 1-2 minute walk from the same premises.
Even though it is a public match, if the commentary on each move is heard by the players, it could affect the outcome of the match.
Therefore, a separate venue is set up for fans to enjoy the commentary.
The commentary was provided by Sugai Tatsuya, 7-dan, from Okayama City.
He is a popular player and a young talent who has held titles.
The listener was Takezumi Rei, Women's 1-dan, who is a granddaughter disciple of the 15th Meijin.
This was indeed a perfect commentary pair for the Kurashiki Fujika Tournament.
More than 200 shogi fans gathered for their commentary, by estimation.
It felt as if "only this venue was heating up."
The large board commentary does not only explain the positions.
At times, they analyze each move of both players, assess the situation, and predict the outcome of the match.
At other times, they discuss the players' tendencies, such as whether they prefer to attack or defend, from a professional perspective.
They may also share anecdotes about the players' hobbies and preferences.
Currently, there is a growing number of shogi fans known as "viewing shogi," who do not play shogi themselves but enjoy watching it.
Public matches and large board commentary provide a rare opportunity to enjoy the real actions and witty commentary of professional players.
Experienced fans were enthusiastically sharing their predicted moves aloud, prompting commentary from 7-dan Sugai.
It is a place where fans can fully enjoy themselves.
As I enjoyed the commentary, the match was entering its endgame.
Wanting to confirm the outcome of the match on-site, I decided to return to the public match venue.
In the second game of the Kurashiki Fujika Tournament, Ito Women's 3-dan wins. On to the third game
The public match venue was filled with a unique tension characteristic of the endgame.
In the first game, the challenger, Ito Women's 3-dan, managed to win against the tenacious Satomi Kurashiki Fujika.
The Kurashiki Fujika Tournament is a best-of-three, and the first to win two games will acquire the title.
Having lost the first game, Ito Women's 3-dan aimed to win here to tie the series at 1-1, postponing the decisive match to the next day.
The public match venue also included commentary from 7-dan Sugai and Women's 1-dan Takezumi.
After reflecting on the match, Ito Women's 3-dan remarked, "I am relieved because if I hadn't won today, there would be no tomorrow," which was quite memorable.
With the next day being the decisive match, there was no time to relax, but perhaps there was a brief moment to unwind.
The third game is closed to the public. Commentary on the Kurashiki Fujika Tournament is held in the hall
If Satomi Kurashiki Fujika had won the second game, she would have defended her title at that point, and the third game would not have taken place.
On November 24, due to Ito Women's 3-dan's victory, the third game was held.
The third game was not a public match.
The large board commentary was held in the hall of Geibunkan, the same venue as the second game.
The commentary was provided by 7-dan Sugai and Women's 1-dan Takezumi, just like the previous day.
Due to time constraints, I could not stay until the end, but I visited the venue to get a sense of the atmosphere.
On this day, the commentary began from the mid-game, and it was impressive to see the two speaking freely in a larger venue than the previous day.
The atmosphere in the hall was relaxed, in stark contrast to the public match the day before.
I observed for a while before leaving.
Later, when I checked the online broadcast, I found that Satomi Kurashiki Fujika had made a sharp move to win, successfully defending her 10th title of Kurashiki Fujika.
With 10 titles won in the history of the 27th title match, her strength is remarkable.
There are seven women's titles, and with this defense, she maintained her status as a five-time champion.
She currently represents the pinnacle of strength in the women's shogi world.
Five-time champion: As of November 2019
Let's visit Kurashiki to watch the valuable public match of the Kurashiki Fujika Tournament
The Kurashiki Fujika Tournament is part of the events organized by Kurashiki City, and the use of the place name "Kurashiki" and the flower name "Fuji," which is associated with Kurashiki, in the title indicates how rooted this title is in the community.
Additionally, the Oyama Memorial Museum of the 15th Meijin is also located at Geibunkan, where those interested in shogi can view the achievements of the 15th Meijin and the shogi board he used.
Every year, the public match is held on a weekend in November.
How about enjoying the beautiful scenery of Kurashiki in autumn while witnessing the solemn title match of traditional shogi, a cerebral sport, and immersing yourself in the culture?
Data for the 27th Oyama Memorial Cup Kurashiki Women's Shogi Tournament Public Match
| Name | Public Match of the 27th Oyama Memorial Cup Kurashiki Women's Shogi Tournament |
|---|---|
| Date | Held on a Saturday in mid to late November. For details, please refer to the organizer's website. |
| Location | 1-18-1 Chuo, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Participation Fee (including tax) | Free viewing of the public match |
| Homepage | Oyama Memorial Cup Kurashiki Women's Shogi Tournament (Japan Shogi Association) |
