Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 7 - Chapter 4.1

  SECRET PLAN

“The longest day in the Shogi world.”

That’s what people call the last day A Division Placement Matches take place.

Since the best players in the world clash with their lives hanging in the balance and the most waiting time allotted for any Shogi match on their side, the matches tend to run long–––that’s why.

“…… Which would make today the most painful day in the Shogi world, wouldn’t it ……?” I mumbled to myself, killing time in the Kansai Shogi Association’s Player’s Room.

It doesn’t matter what division it is, there’s always a tense vibe on the last day of the Placement Matches.

“TV cameras get to the association at the crack of dawn, wait for A division players to show up and follow them inside the building …… The break rooms overflow with people and fans come in droves to listen to live commentary ……”

It’s like there’s a festival going on or something.

But, it’s not like that for C-2 …… We don’t get all the fanfare.

Only three out of the fifty of us will promote. Talk about a tiny window.

Plenty of Meijin hopefuls get stuck in C-2, spend their best years going nowhere and end their careers as just that: hopefuls.

Retirement is waiting for them should they lose–––death as a Shogi Player is a real possibility.

This is the second time I’ve felt this heavy atmosphere, but I’m also getting déjà vu. This vibe …… Where else have I felt it ……?

“………… That’s right. Granddad’s funeral was just like this ……”

The Player’s Room heater is still off, so it’s cold enough in here to see my breath.

Considering that so many more media and players than usual are at the association right now, the whole building is eerily quiet.

That’s especially true around the players in line for promotion or demotion, everyone is being extra cautious and giving them plenty of space …… Which is why no one even tries to come in here despite the fact that I’m in the Player’s Room.

That’s exactly the same as what happened at Granddad’s funeral back when I was in junior high.

He loved Shogi and spent more time with me than all of his other grandchildren. I remember everyone keeping their distance, quietly watching me as I went up to his casket.

The first person to speak to me in the middle of all that was–––.

“Huh? Why aren’t you in the arena yet?”

Big Sis comes into the Player’s Room dressed in her usual sailor-style school uniform.

It’s 9:52 in the morning. The match will start in eight minutes.

“Look who’s talking, Big Sis. What about school?”

“Third year students don’t have to go if they don’t want to. Graduation is coming up anyway.”

“Oh yeah …… I remember those days.”

I nod, reflecting on my own time as a third year.

Since I was already set to turn pro, I barely went to school at …… Wait.

“Hm? Are you sure? There are still classes going on, right?”

“I already know what I’m going to do next year, so I should be able to do what I want.”

“So, you’re skipping classes ……?”

I stopped right there once I realized there was something I couldn’t overlook in what she’d just said.

“Come again?! You’ve got plans?! I haven’t heard anything about that!!”

“What’s wrong with you, Yaichi? Are you boycotting your own match?”

“Of course not! I’m asking you what you’re going to do after graduation! High school? Or are you–––.”

“Looking to get married, if that’s what you’re going to ask.”

Damn. She’s not going to give me a straight answer, is she?

“…… Normally, I’d just walk right in and take the upper seat, but ……”

Giving up on it, I glance over at the monitor and start talking.

Dragon King Ryuo is the Shogi world’s strongest title so, logically, the upper seat should be mine …… It’s just.

“Today is Zaou-sensei’s final match, right? Forcing the Don of Naniwa to take a lower seat in his last pro match would be kind of ……”

The board where I’m scheduled to play is on the monitor right now.

But I can’t see where Zaou-sensei is sitting from this angle. It’d be so easy if he would just set a watch or his fan next to the board on one side or the other ……

“And? What will you do?”

“Right now, I’ve got no choice but to let him decide.”

“Sounds about right …… That would make things easier.”

I bet Big Sis is working through her own seating problems right now, nodding in all seriousness like that.

She has two of the highest-ranking titles in Women’s Shogi all to herself, but she has to take the lower seat most of the time since she’s still training in the Sub League.

I’m sure she knows when to sit in the upper seat, but …… Worrying about this kind of thing before the match is like trying to fight with a thorn in your foot. Concentrating is impossible.

“Seven minutes left …… I should probably get going.”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, that’s right. Big Sis?”

“What?”

“How long are you going to be at the association today?”

“I’m planning to be here until you get your results.”

“In that case, would you leave with me after my match is over?”

“You’ve got your promotion interview, right?”

“Zaou-sensei is the star today. Even if I do win and get promoted, I don’t think the media people will spend that much time talking to me ……”

“Say we leave together, where to?”

“My apprentice says the Grade Schooler Practice Group will be throwing a party at my apartment. I was wondering if you’d like to join us.”

“Are you sure? The average age will go up if I go.”

“H-H-How would that be a problem?! I’ve already told you many times before, I don’t think of little girls like that–––.”

“What you getting all defensive for, perv? Idiot,” says Big Sis, sticking her tongue out and making a rare attempt at humor and then adds with a heart-racing smile that could end up distracting me from the match. “Sure …… I’ll wait for you.”

Getting to the arena four minutes early, I was surprised to find most of the reporters were huddled around the board and aiming their cameras from behind the lower seat in the Oujyoudan no Ma Arena.

The old man sitting on the other side of that media wall casually takes a sip out of a clay teacup before giving me a quick wave.

“Sorry ’bout this. The seat was open so I jus’ plopped on down.”

“Of course, Sensei. I don’t mind at all.”

It’s weird for players to smile at each other before matches, but Zaou-sensei’s heartfelt grin is just so infectious I can’t help but smile along with him.

“Pardon me,” I say as I work my way through the media people and sit down in the lower seat with my back to them.

In all honesty …… Zaou-sensei picking the upper seat like this took that thorn right out of my foot without any pain at all.

Now, I can focus on the match.

–––Being the Ryuo won’t protect a young guy like me from getting roasted online for stealing the upper seat from a decorated veteran like Zaou-sensei ……

According to regulations, the Ryuo takes the upper seat. It’s common sense in the Shogi world.

But there are a lot of people who don’t know that.

Pictures of the arena will be printed in newspapers all around Kansai and I’m sure it’ll be on TV, too. It’s like that saying: departing birds leave a clean nest. Think of it as the old veteran wanting to go out on a high note.

I’d love to send him off with a good death, but ……

–––Stop, stop! I can’t get caught up in appearances. I need to win, no matter how ugly it gets ……!

“It is time to begin. Please start your matches,” say all the match recorders the moment I finish lining up the pieces … as if they were waiting for me.

“I look forward to our match.”

“Yea. As do I.”

Zaou-sensei lowers his head, returning the respect I showed him. Then, with countless camera flashes going off all at once, he and I hold our bows for the same amount of time we would for a title match.

Offense and defense for Placement Matches are all determined beforehand.

I’m on defense for this one–––and I’ve got a plan up my sleeve.

“Now then ……”

First move.

Taking another sip of his tea, Zaou-sensei almost lazily opens his Bishop Path.

Then says, while all the camera shutters are clicking away, “Sorry, but I’m gonna break posture. All the pins an’ needles in my knees won’ let me stay upright ……”

He winces in pain as he crosses his legs on the floor mat.

It looks like he’s really hurting. There’s no way he could keep that up during a ten-hour all-out match like this one.

“Though, I’ve been goin’ on mountain hikes rather than bein’ stuck rehabbin’ these days. The knees ain’t as bad as they used to be. That don’ mean I’m takin’ back my retirement, so rest easy, ya hear?”

The journalists managed to stifle their laughter at the most Osakan of Osakan jokes from the elderly player, but I can see it in their eyes.

Once I was sure the giggles and camera clicks had died down.

“……”

I quietly open my own Bishop Path, too.

My specialty, the Move Loss Bishop Exchange.

“…… The Ryuo’s drawing his legendary sword!”

“So, he’s not showing the old man any mercy in his last match, I take it ……?”

The journalists whisper amongst themselves as they leave the arena. Zaou-sensei may have his legs crossed, but his spine is straight as an arrow as he moves to attack.

But.

Zaou-sensei’s hands keep speeding up the further we get into the match. Soon a strange situation develops on the board–––one that I’d planned on happening.

“…… Repetition Draw, eh?” says Zaou-sensei quietly under his breath, masking his emotions completely.

Defenders playing to trigger Repetition Draws is a brilliant tactic in modern Shogi.

Even better, I can whittle down my opponent’s waiting time by sticking to my research and playing as quickly as possible.

It doesn’t matter if people call Repetition Draws Shogi’s cancer. If forcing one increases my chance of winning by even a fraction of a percent, I’m doing it. That’s modern Shogi.

The match recorder’s monotone voice sounds as soon as the same move repeated itself the fourth time.

“The match will be replayed in 30 minutes.”

I stand up from my seat at the board and leave the arena. The hallways are filled with erratic footsteps going off the walls. Other matches aren’t even close to reaching a climax.

30 minutes later.

“The time has arrived. Kuzuryu-sensei, please start the match on offense.”

Even more media people are crammed in here at the start of the rematch than there were at the beginning of the first one.

First move. I advance my 7 Six Pawn to open the Bishop Path. Countless cameras flash. I stay still for as long as I would during a title match so that the media people can get the pictures they need.

The wall of reporters and journalists turn their cameras to face the Don of Naniwa as soon as I let go of the Pawn.

Zaou-sensei’s first move–––advancing the Pawn in front of his Rook to 8 Four.

“……!!”

“?”

It sounded like he said something as he moved his piece. “Last time, so migh’ as well” or something like that?

First move–8 Four Pawn–––.

“…… King’s Fist, hmm ……”

Hardcore members of the Static Rook party love doing this. The philosophy is show your intention and watch the opponent. Considering that keeping things closer to the vest is the better strategy in modern Shogi, it goes without saying that the King’s Fist has gone out of favor.

–––Is he trying to show me how confident he is as the veteran player? That’s generous of him ……

Being so forthcoming is fatal in modern Shogi.

It’s the exact opposite of me aiming for a Repetition Draw to wrestle the first move away from him. Is this his way of backhandedly criticizing my strategy?

“Alright then ……!”

I play my next move just as the media people were leaving the arena. 6 Eight Silver, just as I planned.

A journalist who happened to see it absentmindedly mumbles to himself.

“Yagura ……”

Shock and surprise race around the arena like waves through water.

“The Ryuo’s using a yagura?”

“Huh? Not a Bishop Exchange?”

“Didn’t he say yaguras are dead ……?”

The players and the Sub League member working as the match recorder across the way in the Ongedan no Ma are staring this way …… I can feel their eyes on my back.

Zaou-sensei wastes no time opening the Bishop Path and I use the Silver I just advanced to stop him from taking my Bishop.

With both sides on board–––this match will be fought with yagura castles.

Of course, there’s a reason why I abandoned the Bishop Exchange Single Knight Jump that’s won me so many matches in a row and went with the dead yagura instead.

–––Modern Shogi theory.

Single Knight Jump is nothing more than a curveball. It only hits home until people get used to seeing it, and my research is not quite complete just yet.

It’s hard to use a strategy like that with so much waiting time because eyes will adjust.

And, while it’s true that the defender usually determines how the match will unfold, it’s also a fact that offense has a slightly better winning percentage overall.

Using an offensive yagura against our younger players researching with software would be dangerous …… But, this is the Placement Match with tons of waiting time and I absolutely cannot afford to lose. Having a yagura castle on my side is reassuring.

–––I know the yagura standards like the back of my hand. I’ll let it all come to this ……!

Phase two of my secret plan.

Just as I visualized, the match turns into a Double Yagura.

But, Zaou-sensei makes a bizarre move and changes up his strategy in a way I didn’t see coming.

–––Rapid Attack Yagura? Isn’t that formation ……?

It’s nothing new.

But it’s certainly nothing I’m used to seeing.

Kind of like hearing a song that was popular when you were really little, you know it but only the gist. That kind of strategy.

I have no idea what made it popular or why it disappeared …… It’s one of the many bubble strategies that have popped up in the Shogi world.

Vanished strategy.

That’s what we call them.

The last time someone used it has to be more than ten years ago. Everyone knew how to deal with it by then and that defense became part of the standard.

–––Which means I should be safe as long as I stick to the standards, but ……?

Something doesn’t feel right.

Things are lining up and I can feel the red flags going up in my fingertips.

–––What to do ……? Go with my gut or play standard ……?

I leave my hand hovering over the board and commit a lot of time to thinking this through.

But I’m not retracing my steps or reading the board to figure out what to do next. I’m trying to step inside my opponent’s head.

–––Think! Zaou-sensei has to be going for something, but what ……?!

Then again, playing 8 Four Pawn on his opening move like that, I highly doubt Zaou-sensei has a strategy fully researched and ready to go. No matter how hard I think about it, I can’t come up with a reason not to stick with the standards.

“…… Which reminds me ……”

In his last placement match, Zaou-sensei lost because he didn’t know the standard and played himself into a trap.

Which makes it highly likely he simply doesn’t know this one either.

“…… Alright.”

I’ve made up my mind. I’m playing standard.

I shift my King and prepare to change my castle combination.

Zaou-sensei has been a Shogi pro for over 60 years. That makes my two years and change look like nothing. The experience gap is enormous.

However, I have more experience in one area …… an overwhelming understanding of standard knowledge shared among pro players and the ability to use any one of them.

Modern Shogi theory.

In other words–––build up a stronger defense and hit the other guy until they fall!