In mid-February, the semifinal of the MyNavi Women's Open main tournament took place in the special match room of the Tokyo Shogi Hall, where two women sat face-to-face.
One was Tenai, the youngest player to qualify for the main tournament. The other was Shakado-san, the oldest among them.
「The second game of the Pan-O (King of the Board) title match is imminent, yet you look quite relaxed, don't you?」 (Ōki)
「You are about to begin the Kin-O (Wise King) tournament yourself, aren't you? Honestly, I have no time to rest.」 (Kuzuryu)
「Then don't follow your disciple around to watch her matches... Even I rely on Ōki when I'm too busy, and Ōki can rely on me too, you know?」 (Kuzuryu)
「I will refrain from asking. However, why are you here, Kuzuryu?」 (Ōki)
「I had business in Tokyo, so I decided to stop by on my way... I am also interested in "Ai's" potential opponent.」 (Kuzuryu)
「...Heeh? It seems Kuzuryu is also enthusiastic about raising his disciple.」 (Ōki)
I happened to run into Kuzuryu while escorting Tenai to the Shogi Hall in the Kanto region, so we ducked into a cafe in Shinjuku together. The Kin-O tournament is about to begin, and the sheer volume of matches is truly overwhelming, though I doubt I earn more than Kuzuryu. The prize money for the Ryu-O title is simply exorbitant.
Well, since I often win tournaments that appear less prestigious, our total income is likely not that different. The prizes for the Asahi Cup and the Ginga (Galaxy) tournament are comparable to the seven major titles, and the Kin-O prize fund is increasing to 20 million yen this year. People have started calling them the "Eight Major Titles," a term that seems likely to stick soon.
「Does Tenai have a chance against Shakado-san?」 (Kuzuryu)
「She certainly does, which is why I am at ease. Or rather, how could Tenai lose to an opponent Sora-san can defeat? Do not forget that she is now a 1-dan in the Shoreikai.」 (Ōki)
「Ah, that is true... I will have to be wary of her as a professional quite soon.」 (Kuzuryu)
Kuzuryu's quiet caution regarding Tenai—does it stem from her being my disciple? Being overly feared is a good and joyous thing in itself, yet part of me remains not entirely convinced.
Ayumu used to accompany and assist Shakado-san, but now this space belongs solely to Tenai and Shakado-san. On the board, the moves followed one another with great speed. It seemed both were playing on intuition. For a semifinal match in a major title tournament, the time remaining for both players was unreasonably ample.
『I called Tenai's ability "Pseudo-Sense" to make it sound impressive, but it is not actually a rare ability. Some possess it innately, and a fair number of people—like Shakado-san—acquired it by playing continuously and accumulating experience since childhood.』 (Ai)
(It is natural to acquire such an ability after playing for a certain period. What Tenai acquired is simply a precise, low-error version of it. Wait, isn't this situation bad?) (Ōki)
『It is indeed bad. Furthermore, they are both playing fast because they read that the game will end in Sennichite (Repetition). Ah, it seems Kuzuryu noticed it too.』 (Ai)
「It is Sennichite, isn't it?」 (Kuzuryu)
「Since it is Sennichite, Tenai will switch to playing White (the second move) in the replay. I assume she will refuse this draw?」 (Kuzuryu)
「No, on the contrary. Because she will become the second player, she won't refuse. Trying to force a break in the repetition would only place her at a disadvantage.」 (Ōki)
Mid-game, the match between Shakado-san and Tenai reached a state of Sennichite, necessitating a replay with swapped roles. Tenai switched from Black (first move) to White (second move)—an unavoidable outcome.
...Perhaps Shakado-san aimed for this. Did she plan to force a draw by repetition to seize the first move (Black) in the replay? Tenai read this scenario and consumed no more time than Shakado-san did. They successfully probed each other's intentions; the real match begins now.
『The famous "Killer Move" has appeared: Advancing the Bishop Head Pawn as the second player (White) without hesitation!』 (Ai)
(In the original story, Tenai won the semifinal using the "Bishop Head Pawn" strategy as the second player against Tsukuyomizaka-san, so this could be considered a "reenactment"... But that is impossible. The flow of this match is entirely different.) (Ōki)
In the event of Sennichite, the game is replayed with each player retaining their remaining time. Upon seeing Tenai play the "Bishop Head Pawn" as the second player, Shakado-san stopped playing instantly. She never expected to face this strategy at a critical moment in the semifinals.
True, the probability of Tenai using this strategy when playing second is high, but an opponent cannot dedicate all their time solely to preparing for it. This is a strategy rarely used by anyone other than Tenai, making it difficult to conduct comprehensive countermeasures against every minute variation.
Given Shakado-san's personality, she may have dedicated around a hundred hours to studying the "Bishop Head Pawn" in preparation for Tenai. However, that time is negligible compared to the time Tenai has spent studying it. Even with preparation, she will be dragged into a "chaotic battle." If Shakado-san chooses a long war of attrition, the game will remain difficult for her as well.
(It is quite an excellent strategy, isn't it? The "Bishop Head Pawn" as the second player.) (Ōki)
『It is effective currently because research on it has not advanced much.』 (Ai)
「It didn't turn into a direct skirmish. King to 6-8, Pawn to 5-4. How is Tenai's position in a war of attrition with this strategy?」 (Kuzuryu)
「I am not kind enough to answer just because you ask "how is the position." Oh, she closed the Bishop line... A solid countermeasure.」 (Ōki)
Tenai jumped the Bishop to 4-4, opting for an "Opposing Rook" style. She then began constructing an Anaguma (Bear-in-the-hole) castle. Her decision to build the Anaguma the moment she realized the game would turn into a long war of attrition was brilliant. It seems her experience is bearing fruit, and she executed almost all of this without a moment's hesitation.
In contrast, Shakado-san chose a "Static Rook" style and built a Takamino (High Mino) castle. The adoption rate of Mino and Takamino castles, even with Static Rook, appears to have risen due to the influence of AI software.
Well, there is no reason why Shakado-san, the teacher of Ayumu—who popularized the Takamino with Static Rook—should not use the castle herself. After Shakado-san took control of the ninth and eighth files and began pressuring Tenai's Anaguma, Tenai's Rook shifted to the sixth file. Her style suddenly transformed from "Opposing Rook" to "Right Fourth File Rook."
『This master and disciple pair—you and Tenai—really love keeping the Rook and King close together, don't you?』 (Ai)
(Shut up. You keep the Rook and King close more than anyone, so you are in no position to talk. In any case, a solid Anaguma combined with a mobile Rook style is incredibly tough. Shakado-san has no hope of winning.) (Ōki)
The Takamino castle Shakado-san built is excellent, but it does not compare to the solidity of an Anaguma. Tenai cleverly succeeded in an early exchange of the Bishop, promoting it to a "Horse," though Shakado-san created a Horse as well. Ultimately, the difference in castle solidity will determine the match's fate.
(Ah, it is over. It is now impossible to turn the tables.) (Ōki)
『Since the middle game, specifically after the decisive "Horse Capture," Tenai has held the initiative continuously. It is a crushing victory.』 (Ai)
After the "Horse Capture," Tenai won without giving Shakado-san a single chance to regain the initiative. It became a glowing record of victory achieved when forced to choose a war of attrition with the "Bishop Head Pawn" strategy. With this, Tenai will face either "Ai" or "Komehan-san" in the final to determine the challenger.
After the match, Shakado-san commented that she eagerly looks forward to the confrontation between Tenai and Sora-san. This implies she expects Tenai to win the final without issues and secure the challenger spot. She must have seen that level of strength in Tenai.
However, judging solely by today's match, her strength does not guarantee a win against "Ai" (the disciple). If Tenai continues to grow within the normal range, the gap between her and "Ai" might narrow. "Ai" is an irrational entity, a mass of sheer talent.
Kuzuryu will surely analyze Tenai's match today and teach "Ai" (the disciple) many things. Similarly, I must analyze the match between "Ai" and "Komehan-san" thoroughly and convey the analysis to Tenai.
___________________
Enjoying the story? Want to read ahead?
Support the novel and unlock early access to unreleased chapters by joining my Patreon!
👑 The Golden Supporter ($8) – Get full access to all published chapters
📎 patreon.com/Raven737
Even a small pledge makes a huge difference — thank you for reading.