Shôgi teaching at chugakkô

Shogi koma from ISPS

Since the Ivory Coast Shôgi federation has been created, ISPS with sir Terao Manabu has never stopped helping it through material giving.

At the begining of our activities, it sent to Shogi ivoire, 10 sets of Shôgi pieces, with the ten that New York Shôgi federation give to us in January.

Since this last 2 months, ISPS agreed again to give to us some 40 shogi pieces sets ('ten sets by month). We now received 20 out of 40.

So this gift, is a real support for shogi spreading here, as far as most of shogi players in Ivory Coast are students, and haven't often means to buy pieces from Japan.

Also these pieces are very important, because, we were planning to set up the "gakkou-sen", a first shogi tournament for the best secondary schools of the country.The students of these schools are really fond of reflexion games, and also competition among them.So it is a really best way of promoting shogi, since they will train very often, to be the best one.So I had yesterday a meeting with the headmaster of Lycee classique d'Abidjan, and next days we will meet the Lycee Sainte Marie de cocody hea.After this, another 5 secondary great schools will have shogi clubs and we will begin teaching them some josekis we learnt and also tesujis.

I really thank ISPS for his full support for us and also all shogi federations and people who are really working for Shôgi spreading in Africa and in the whole world.

Shôgi forever

Report of the first euro-ivoire tournament

Sorry for the bad quality of pictures, they have been taken by a phone.

There are the results of the 1st Euro-Ivoirian Web Tournement, which was held the 4-5 September 2010 on Playok : Classement by point : 1re : Oneye 9 points 2e : Mellart 7 points 3e : Alex94s 5 points 4e ex-aquo : bakashogi / nivlinch / harmandoyass 4 points. Classement by game played with people far away (> 5000 km) 1er : duhammel 9 parties 2e ex-aquo : drikwer / legaullois / kageman68 6 parties 5e ex-aquo : mellart / nanachou / oneye / ericherve / harmandoyass 5 parties. This tournement had been the occasion for ivoirian player, who can not easily come to european, asian or american tournement for many reasons, to play with shogi player form different country (France, Italie, Polon, St Barth). In the same way, western player have discover new player and create new relationship with passionate people. Even if there was some trouble (organisation, time fusel, communication, sickness of some players), it had been a great moment. Ivoirian player can have played with players of their strenght and even beat some of them. One of the aim of this tournement was to settle a layer of stranght between european and african people. This goal has been achieved and globally, their are above 15 kyu FESA. This level must be see with all the condition : since the creation of the first club, 1 year ago, their has been no master to teach them theory, and they learn only by playing together and reading some stuff on the web. Finally, this tournement has attracted many people (above 25 players on the sapporo room during the tournement) and some of them very famous : oneye (who had participated), linkuei, racine (81-ou) and takodori, the well known japanese strong amateur who spread the shogi all around the western world. Hopefully, this tournement will bring more courage to their members and recognition from the international scene.

Report made by Benjamin Briffaud of Shôgi France

58e OUZA title-match

I watched today my first in live Shôgi game which faced Yoshiharu Habu to Takeshi.Unfortunately, due to the bad quality of connexion in the cyber i'm used to, I have not been able to begin the game, but I watched the last moves. After the last move of Yoshiharu, I was surprised (smile) it was written on my screen that black won...So I asked to DemonikOu on 81dojo how it comes that the game finished since Takeshi could still drop a piece to protect his king, but he said to me that in Professional games, sometimes when a player knows he will certainly be mate, he give up before the mate.So I understood that surely Habu would have won the game.I'm so excited to have watched for the first time a so important game in live. Thanks to sir Manabu Terao who published the link on his facebook.Congratulations to the two players and Shôgi banzai.

I'm back

Sorry to have been missing a so long time, I was a little busy this time, because many activities to do this month of september, with the preliminaries of the euro-ivoire Shôgi tournament, and the tournament on playok, and also the translation into french of the preface of "Habu and modern Shôgi " a wonderfull book, I advice you to read.To myself I still not have finished to read it but the first pages are so interesting...
Let's continue with news after I will back with the process of setting up Shôgi in Africa, the tournament and other information.
Two weeks ago I had a meeting with the headmaster of a private school called "le nippon".The main plan of this meeting was to set up a partnership so as to permit Ivory coast shogi federation to have a sit for his meetings and ceremonies and so one.
And after a candid discussion about shogi, the headmaster agree his school to be the sit of the shogi federation.And he is willing to help us on promoting shogi in other private schools, since he has been fond of it too.So that's good news because, we have now a place we can meet so often without any pay of money.

Each day I'm discovering furthermore, the philosophy of shogi.It is a so interesting world, I'm so happy to work in spreading of such a game.When I get up each morning I think about shogi, and all the day too.I think now that no difficulty could never makes me give up.Shôgi is now a part of my live...And to see the presence of great shogi player such as Tadokori, Fabien Osmont, Benjamin Briffaud..I realised that Shôgi is not the same as another sports or game, necause people are here like family, and whatever the strenght of a player, whatever famous he is, he is able to be approach by new players so as to advice them and encourage them at work.I'mso proud and happy, even if I have been seriously ill during that tournament, I will give you more details after...

Pictures of preliminaries, just before the tournament

Enregistrer en mode Brouillon

Bad new in my journal

On 3 August George Hodges died
after a short illness. He introduced Shogi to Europe in the 1970's,
running The Shogi Association (TSA) and published The Shogi Magazine in
the 1970's and 1980's. His funeral will be in Bedford on 16 August
If you have any messages of condolence you would like to send, his widow
is monitoring his email address, george.hodges@talk21.com.

He will be greatly missed by everyone who knew him.

Ivory Coast Shôgi federation

Section up of shôgi abidjan

First people trained

Good morning, the time is to talk about the steps to set up the Ivory coast shôgi federation.

After the first Shôgiban has been handmade, I decided to train people.At the same time it was the begining of holidays, so I invited many of my friends at a meeting in Abidjan....Unfortunately, only three oif them came.

But I trained them and they have been the first people trained in Shôgi in Ivory coast.

After this first training, we decided with, the trained people to set up a shôgi local section in Abidjan, since our university is in Yamoussoukro, and only come in Abidjan (the most important town) in holidays.

So some days after, we invited many Abidjan students to another meeting, where we made a training also before setting up the Abidjan local Shôgi section.

Thus with my friends of Yamoussoukro we decided to also set up the Yamoussoukro local section at our university when we'll entry classes.

Shôgi Abidajn and Shôgi yamoussoukro, once set up, worked together to set up in December of 2009 the first federation of shôgi in Africa.By during holydays many other training haver be done.

Yosh, this is how shogi ivory coast has been set up. Let's continue soon.Jaa na

Next topic: Steps to setting up of Ivory coast national federation

The next journal page will deal with the steps done to set up the Ivory coast national federation.
It has not been easy. But with love we can do all. It is the way to express my grateful to shogi, for the happiness it gives to me when I'm behind a board game. Let's finish for today but remember: "Shôgi is not simply a game, but a life philosophy".
Sayonara and see you next time

Starting point of my love for Shôgi

My love of japanese culture began few years ago, I dont remind the specific starting point, but what I can say is that little by little it has been growing up.

From the first japan friends club I set up in secondary school to the one I set up last year, many things happened.

Let's drop some details and approach the mail theme dealing with Shôgi.

During my readings and manga watching to further discover Japan, I found last year the manga Naruto Shippuden, which I have been fond of.

In this manga, one particular character, Shikamaru has impressed me, by his intelligence and the way he analyzed things. By being crazy of Shikamaru, I chose his name as nickname so I was called "Shikamaru Senpai" here in my school. So I began thinking that I played Shôgi as Shikamaru I would be wise and have a sense of analyzis like him. That's like this my love of Shôgi was born.

By the time I began thinking that if Shôgi could have a good effect on me, why not try to introduce it to other people in my country.

So I went on the net to have more information and I mastered the pieces moves.

So the following step was the handmaking of my first shogiban.