Chess-playing Japanese Shogi champions

Chess-playing Japanese Shogi champions

Report by Jacques-Marie Pineau from Villandry

Doesn't a good game of chess represent our our ability to learn from our opponent? Doesn't it include the understanding of cultural differences? In an increasingly complex and interactive world, the willingness to understand each other might also be a clue to create more harmony on our planet. A real life experience of such intercultural ecology certainly took place late last year in Paris, in the nice Renaissance castle where Henri Carvallo lives, surrounded by the magnificent Villandry gardens.

Château Villandry, a castle-palace located in Indre-et-Loire, France

Villandry is open to the public and is one of the most visited châteaux in France

Assiduous Chessbase.com readers will certainly not have forgotten that the best chess players in Japan are also the most famous Shogi players in the world: the lifetime Meijins Yoshiharu Habu and Toshiyuki Moriuchi.

Shogi Master and chess trainer: Toshiyuki Moriuchi and Jacques-Marie Pineau

These Shogi champions have been my regular students from 1995 to 2005. Since that time, they have trained with famous GM, including the sympathetic and renowned chess coach Alexander Chernin, whom you will also meet in this report, as he has also contributed to success of this event.

We will witness the two Shogi champions putting up strong resistance to one of the stronger GMs on the planet, the young French champion Maxime Vachier Lagrave (Elo 2710).

The second game was even more precarious:

After the games, Maxime very sportingly was clearly impressed with the level of play of these two Eisei Meijins. He admitted that he had had a very difficult time, and that both games could have gone either way. Conversely the Shogi champions expressed their gratitude to the French Champion for these chess lessons. Truth be told such opportunities are nearly non-existent in Japan.

GMs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Anish Giri, Toshiyuki Moriuchi, WGM Almira Skripchenko

Another pleasant surprise was the level of enthusiasm shown by the chess champions at the simultaneous Shogi game organized by the French Shogi Federation, in the town hall of Rueil Mailmaison, with the active support of my friends Eric Cheymol, the national French Champion for maybe 20 years, as well as Nicolas Wiel, President of the Paris Shogi Association.

The present "world champion" (Meijin title holder) of Shogi, Toshiyuki Moriuchi, played three handicap games with the young French champion Maxime Vachier Lagrave, Dutch champion Anish Giri, both of whom I met for the first time, and the always friendly WGM Almira Skripchenko. The Shogi master Aono (9 Dan), who witnessed the games, was very surprised by the resistance they offered – although the chess champions only had a few hours to prepare themselves for this new game.

Almira (above middle) even managed to win her game, with some assistance from
her friend, the woman professional Shogi player Madoka Kitao.

Shogi game by GM Maxime Vachier Lagrave

Shogi game by GM Anish Giri

Shogi game by WGM Almira Skripchenko

I would thank all my friends who helped me to make these encounters possible. This is one step, waiting for another, to put Japan on the chess world map, and to popularize the Japanese traditional version of Shogi outside its homeland. One may ask why chess isn't popular in Japan? I heard many times that Shogi occupies the whole stage. After having lived in Japan for 25 years I would not share this view, especially not for the future. China has his own version of chess, but nevertheless emerged as a major chess power. Games and cultures should cooperate. Having in mind how much the American genius Paul Morphy's visit to Europe rejuvenated European chess in the middle of the 19th century, I hope to see the near future non Japanese playing Shogi, as well as Japanese playing chess, in a fashion never seen before.

Some Shogi sites

• FESA: Federation of European Shogi Associations
• 81 Dojo
• Youtube channel: learn everything about Shogi
• The beautiful setting of Villandry Chateau

Chess and Music Festival in the Château de Villandry 13.10.2009 – A Renaissance château on the banks of the River Loire, with splendid gardens and stately rooms. The owner a great chess enthusiast, as well as a music aficionado. The participants: two young French players and two from China. The event: a friendship match which includes a "mixed double". And on the side: a concert of Chinese and French classical music. We have pictures and videos.

A chess feast in Château de Villandry 28.10.2007 – The location was magical: a Renaissance châteaux on the banks of the Loire, with decorative and herbal gardens that must be seen to be believed. A pianist gives a recital of music by Danican Philidor, and four great chess masters (Korchnoi, Fressinet, Kosteniuk and Skripchenko) play a chess tournament. One of the games is the longest rapid chess game in history. Report with pictures and videos.

Copyright Pineau/ChessBase