「Why can't I win; what incompetence!」 (Tenai)
「I can't be defeated this easily. Yet, it is not easy to find someone, even among the Apprentices, who pressures me this much in a Handicap-less match.」 (Ōki)
It was the fifth day of training. Tenai played over twenty matches in simultaneous three-game play against Iyo-shi Gyokushō. She won twice when starting with a missing Rook (a common handicap) and once when starting with a missing Lance. However, she lost all her matches in the Flat (handicap-less) state. In any case, this is quite normal.
Shogi is not a game where the stronger player inevitably wins. Even the strong make mistakes, and Iyo-shi Gyokushō makes mistakes as well. A complete win and complete loss result only when the difference in strength is so great that it cannot be overcome even with mistakes. In short, this is the magnitude of the difference in strength between Tenai and Iyo-shi Gyokushō.
Specifically, this Simultaneous Triple-game play demands extreme speed. Tenai makes mistakes, and Iyo-shi Gyokushō makes mistakes too. However, the fact that he does not lose in the Flat (handicap-less) state is proof of a professional's persistence.
「Mr. Iyo-shi Gyokushō, who do you think is stronger in terms of skill: Tenai or Sora-san?」 (Ōki)
「I would say the skill is equal, but if they met in a match for the Queen title, Ginko-chan would have the upper hand due to her experience in title matches.」 (Iyo-shi Gyokushō)
(Oh dear. Was the research meeting with Sora-san and Mr. Iyo-shi Gyokushō supposed to be a secret?)
「I don't think it's a secret, but your knowledge of it seems unusual.」 (Ai)
「Well, that's true. I will have a title match soon, so I will try to convey the atmosphere surrounding it to Tenai afterwards.」 (Ōki)
「Preparing for a challenger determination match, even if the opponent is The Meijin, is of no consequence to you. How envious I am of this ease in handling things.」 (Iyo-shi Gyokushō)
The challenger determination match for the Shogi Emperor title will be against The Meijin. But regardless, Ai will definitely win. That Meijin's skill level has already begun to decline. Maybe there was a one percent chance of him losing even at his peak.
「Even if The Meijin were at his peak, your winning percentage would be 99.9999%.」 (Ai)
(The fact that Ai doesn't say "100%" confirms that that Meijin possesses a level of power that cannot be easily categorized.)
「Even if your opponent is The Meijin, I will win against him without needing a long consideration time.」 (Ai)
「... Considering the style of your victory over the computer program, as long as you do not mess around during the Opening Phase, you will most likely not lose.」 (Ōki)
Incidentally, the thinking time in the Shogi Emperor tournament is four hours per player, which is the shortest among all title matches. In the preliminary rounds, the thinking time was only one hour. Since it is a one-day tournament, there is no Sealed Move. The prize money is also meager, making it the lowest ranked among the seven major titles. As I recall, the winning prize was 3 million yen. Despite being one of the seven major titles, the difference between it and the Dragon-Emperor tournament reaches tenfold in the winning prize due to the difference in sponsors.
(Considering that the Newcomer's Award prize is 2 million yen, 3 million yen seems quite small.)
「Anyway, the entire amount will be spent on computers and video games, so what difference does it make, right?」 (Ai)
(What are you saying? I have been spending money lately on clothes, Shogi pieces, and the board as well. Aside from that, where can I find Tenai's father's handwriting? (referring to the hand-engraved Shogi pieces he wants to gift Tenai))
「Wasn't that through Kagami-su-san (the 3-dan player)?... Don't you think it's disgusting to be thinking about a gift to be presented on December 10th right now?」 (Ai)
(Shut up! That specific thing, I will gift to her at any cost.)
Yet, even if the winning prize is small, it remains a title of high prestige. If I win the Shogi Emperor title, I will no longer be referred to as Ōki, the 7th Dan, but as Ōki, the Shogi Emperor.
I secured a full week of Iyo-shi Gyokushō's time to train Tenai, and for this purpose, Tenai will stay overnight today and tomorrow to play Shogi. Tenai, a spoiled girl, experienced cleaning the bathtub—probably for the first time.
The "Good Mood" tub was wide, and Tenai wore athletic clothes while cleaning. Due to her clumsiness, her clothes got slightly wet, clinging to her... When Akira-san, who was holding a camera, saw the scene, her nose erupted with a nosebleed. Do not contaminate the tub with blood after it has been cleaned with such difficulty!
(By the way, is it acceptable for Akira-san to participate in cleaning the tub while wearing an expensive business suit?*) (Ai)
(Actually, perhaps it is inexpensive? Maybe they ordered a large quantity to be uniform for the entire team?)
Tenai seemed slightly embarrassed, but if she's going to feel embarrassed, she should at least feel it after acquiring a chest with the aesthetics of Asuka-san's. As I pondered this, Tenai looked at me with a scornful expression. Is it not terrifying that my thoughts can reach her without me uttering a word? Is the internal conversation between Ai and me exposed as well?
In such a situation, I shall initiate a dialogue myself. Ah, yes. I have not spoken to her about this topic yet.
「How many mental Shogi boards can you memorize, Tenai? Can you recall eight?」 (Ōki)
「Eight completely existing boards, yes. And if I try hard, I think I could manage nine.」 (Tenai)
「... What!?」 (Ōki)
「Hmm? And how many boards can Iyo-shi Gyokushō remember?」 (Tenai)
「... If I concentrate hard, I can manage three boards. Are you two serious?」 (Iyo-shi Gyokushō)
(Since we are here, why don't we try it? Considering Tenai's abilities, she seems capable of reaching ten boards.) (Ai)
In the original storyline (Manga), the topic of mental Shogi boards appeared in the "Good Mood" bath. At that time, Ai revealed her ability to remember 11 boards, astonishing Kuzuryū and Iyo-shi Gyokushō. Yet, even Tenai, who is accustomed to simultaneous multi-game play, appears capable of playing close to ten boards.
「What a girl... she plays six mental boards as if she were playing normally!」 (Ōki)
(No, she seems quite exhausted now, so she can only reach a maximum of eight boards. Her ability to achieve a complete win even in the Dropped Rook state is proof of her growth.) (Ai)
Since it was a perfect opportunity, we decided to test her in a match against Iyo-shi Gyokushō. We asked Iyo-shi Gyokushō to play six boards while looking at them, including various types of handicaps: Flat (Handicap-less), Dropped Lance, Dropped Bishop, Dropped Rook, Dropped Rook and Lance, and Two-Piece Drop. Tenai, meanwhile, played blindfolded. As a result, Tenai defeated Iyo-shi Gyokushō on three boards: the Two-Piece Drop, the Dropped Rook and Lance, and the Dropped Rook, and she lost cleanly on the remaining three boards.
She was reasonably exhausted after the matches ended, so playing eight mental Shogi boards seriously might still be difficult for her. Since they asked me about the number of mental Shogi boards I have, I simply told them it was a hundred boards or more.
「That wouldn't be a lie, would it? Even if I asked you to try playing a hundred mental boards against the hall's patrons, you would simply manage it, right?」 (Iyo-shi Gyokushō)
「I have no problem if you bring 100 professional Shogi players.」 (Ōki)
「If I am allowed to run the brain at its maximum capacity, I can reach about 600 boards.」 (Ai)
(In the first place, there aren't that many professional players. The number of professional Shogi players does not exceed 200, and even counting female professionals, we wouldn't reach 600 people.)
"In the last two days, I haven't been able to monitor her condition closely due to my matches and work, but it seems she has gained experience playing against humans, focusing on the simultaneous three-board play against Iyo-shi Gyokushō. If this had a positive effect, she will likely be able to overcome the challenge of playing eight simultaneous boards against 6-dan ranked players online.
In the final match of the closing day, Tenai, based on instructions, played a Dropped Bishop match only against Iyo-shi Gyokushō, and it is mentioned that she achieved a decisive victory.
If she can defeat Iyo-shi Gyokushō in a Dropped Bishop match, that means her skill level when concentrating on a single board is equivalent to the 2nd Dan rank in the Apprentice Guild (Shōreikai)? After the Mynavi Women's Open challenger match ends, we must seriously consider submitting her for the 1st Dan test in the Shōreikai.
It is customary to choose a safe route to ensure complete success in the Shōreikai tests, as failing them means wasting an entire year. However, given her current level, she will certainly pass the 1st Dan test. Nevertheless, she is likely to have a match against Sora-san during the test.
If she proceeds with the 1st Dan test, her match against Sora-san will be in the Dropped Lance state (handicap). Since we are obligated to study the Dropped Lance scenario anyway, should I teach her the playing style for this situation in preparation for the test?
....
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