In the Sandan League (3-Dan League), Konogi's loss to Karaka is understandable. In the original story, Karaka managed to defeat Konogi and posed a real threat to the top players. But to lose to Kagamizu as well? Is a slow recovery after the first defeat one of the privileges of geniuse
With a record of two wins and two losses, Konogi's qualification in the top spot has become questionable. Currently, Sakanashi, Kagamizu, and Karaka hold undefeated records, and since Konogi is prone to further losses, even his promotion to 4-Dan this season is now in doubt.
The league is still in its early stages, and no one knows what the days hold, but there is a possibility that Konogi intentionally conceded the win to Kagamizu. I will try to investigate the matter from the promotees after the league ends. Although in the original story, Kagamizu did snatch the advantage from Konogi in some situations, so the possibility of a merited win is quite plausible.
(With this, the fate of the Sandan League has become completely unknown. Have Karaka and Kagamizu, who defeated Konogi, found themselves in a very comfortable position? If Konogi collapses later, the value of this win will diminish, but if he returns strongly, it will become a victory of immense value.) (Ai)
(I don't think Konogi will collapse. But I'm not sure if Sakanashi is capable of defeating him too. ...Wait? Is it possible that the third Shoreikai member who defeated Konogi in the original story is Sakanashi?) (Ōki)
(It wasn't explicitly mentioned, but the probability exists. If we compare the levels of Konogi and Sakanashi, there doesn't seem to be a significant difference in strength.) (Ai)
As for the "Electronic Shogi War," I managed to surpass the software safely this year as well, but the victory came by exploiting a clear weakness in the program's handling of the "Draw by Impasse" (Jishogi). Is it possible that among 100 million training games, the program never trained to play from a Draw by Impasse position? In my childhood, whenever Ai and I got bored, we would play games starting with all pieces placed in the opponent's camp as promoted pieces (Nari-Koma), until we hated that game.
Most likely, this gap will be patched by next year. Winning as the second player (Gote) has become doubtful, and even in today's match, the true result was a draw. I only won because the other side refused the draw, which means the program's "operator" was weak at Shogi. If the operator had been a professional player, they would undoubtedly have accepted the draw, especially since I had more pieces when I offered it.
Once the "Electronic Shogi War" ends, the second round of the "Queen" battle will begin. Ten'ai has thoroughly reviewed the previous match, so she won't stick to a single strategy. Conversely, Sora seems to have regained her balance, although I don't know exactly what happened. Kuzuryu sent me a Line message saying: "We ended up in a Love Hotel," followed by a report stating: "Sora fell asleep before me." ...I assume nothing happened, right?
...Kuzuryu has an annoying habit; he complains saying "I'm in trouble," while to others it sounds like blatant bragging. The biggest shock was when he messaged me saying: "Three elementary school girls came over, and with Ai, four of them will be staying at my place. The room is cramped like a fish tank full of elementary schoolers; I'm in trouble." At that moment, I seriously considered calling the police.
As for the "Love Hotel," it seems no photos of them were taken, and even if it happened, with Kuzuryu, it would just be news about a "passionate love affair," and there's no problem with that. Kuzuryu might receive death threats from Sora's fans, but he already receives messages of envy and jealousy, so nothing will change.
The second round of the "Queen" battle will be held at "Hinatsuru" Inn in Ishikawa Prefecture, which is Ai's family home. Once again, Kuzuryu was forced to take on the commentary duty. He accompanied Sora as an "attendant" due to her unstable psychological state, but the original commentator suddenly apologized and canceled, so Kuzuryu was assigned the task hastily.
The reason Ai wasn't the recorder for the match this time is the presence of another applicant for the role. I believe her name is "Tori Kaiin" (1-Kyu). She is the girl who lost to Ten'ai in the first round of the final qualifiers and is considered one of the strongest female players. If we think about it, the "Shoreikai" now includes in its ranks: a girl ranked 2-Dan, a girl ranked 1-Dan, and a girl ranked 1-Kyu, and each of them has a chance to become a professional player. The 1-Kyu status might be a bit difficult for a second-year high school student, but hope still exists.
The match that began ended before noon. Sora launched a fierce attack right from the opening as the starting player (Sente), but unfortunately for her, the strategy she prepared was the exact same strategy that Ten'ai and Ai had researched to death and finished analyzing last month. The result was a perfect punishment for Sora, and the match ended before the lunch break. As for Ten'ai, most of her moves were instantaneous and without thought.
...Well, such things happen. It is Shogi, after all. Sora herself consumed only two minutes in the first round of the "Queen" battle against Tsukuyomizaka last year. So Ten'ai consuming three minutes today won't be a record. Perhaps she will consume a few more minutes later, reaching 5 minutes maybe?
(The attack was a bit reckless, so Sora's defeat was inevitable.) (Ai)
(Kanoba is putting great effort into the commentary on the large screen. ...But that chest nicknamed "Tamayun" is a blatant violation of fair play rules.) (Ōki)
(An off-shoulder knit dress with a bold opening at the chest... She looks more like a tacky showgirl than an idol wearing sexy clothes.) (Ai)
(Don't speak ill of her; she's trying hard to ignite enthusiasm. Anyway, Ten'ai has achieved two consecutive wins now.) (Ōki)
In the commentary after the lunch break, Kanoba likened Sora to a "Boss with 9999 HP that doesn't decrease," and Ten'ai to a "Boss dealing armor-piercing strikes causing 9999 consecutive damage." Both descriptions suggest the impossibility of winning, but it seems defeating Ten'ai appears slightly easier in Kanoba's eyes compared to Sora?
"Honestly, the women's Shogi world has been suffering from stagnation until now. Nothing is more boring than a match whose result is known in advance. No matter how good a match you play, it will be said in the end: 'But Sora Ginko is stronger, isn't she?' Women's Shogi was simply a game where Sora Ginko wins in the end. This rule has been overturned today, so it's natural for everyone to be excited!" (Kanoba)
Kanoba passionately discussed the state of women's Shogi, and the audience agreed enthusiastically. Even Sora's most ardent fans have grown tired of her routine victories. ...A 100% win rate for 5 years is enough to make things boring without a doubt.
Due to Ten'ai's excessive strength, comments spread on the internet like: "The Cinderella of Kobe? Shouldn't she be called the Daughter of the Demon General?", "She is clearly stronger than she was last summer," and "It seems Yashajin Ten'ai will be the first female professional player in history."
...After this, a decisive confrontation for promotion awaits them. Sora currently holds 6 consecutive wins at the 2-Dan rank, and Ten'ai holds 10 wins and 1 loss at the 1-Dan rank. If both win the first match of the upcoming regular meeting, they will face each other in a match that determines the fate of promotion, with a margin for loss for both. But considering Sora's current state, I doubt her ability to win even the first match.
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