It’s time for the conclusion as Kishou tournament as the current titleholder Sakutarou Yanagihara makes a bold move…
…which he drops his lance at 2-5, signifying his comeback against his challenger Kai Shimada.
Heck, even his two pupils Harunobu Nikaidou and Rei Kiriyama are shocked that Yanagihara’s lance drop has put Shimada 8th-dan into a corner.
Of course, Kai Shimada is not a quitter as he drops his Bishop to 1-5 just to defend himself from Yanagihara’s lance.
For Sakutarou Yanagihara, it was a wise move that he lost his advantage against Shimada. Then again, he won’t give up the fight when the current Kishou titleholder has some of his friends supporting him.
And so, the current Kishou titleholder mustered his strength to show that he’s still in this game…
…by moving his king from 1-7 to 1-6, getting closer towards the opposite end of the board.
It was a bold move coming from Yanagihara as he proves that despite his age, he can win this match in order to get another title to his name.
And after 169 moves, Sakutarou Yanagihara has defeated Kai Shimada, claiming his 15th Kishou title and earned the prestigious moniker of “Eternal Kishou”.
Thus, the Kishou tournament has ended just like that!
For Kai Shimada and his supporters, it was a devastating loss where Shimada admits that Yanagihara is still the strongest Class A shogi player apart from Touji Souya.
But for Sakutarou Yanagihara and his friends, it was pure jubilation as he achieved the impossible at 66 years old. Of course, he thanked Shimada for playing an excellent game of shogi so there are no hard feelings about it.
And now, it’s time for a commemorative photo as everyone gathered up for this timeless moment. Yup, this includes Kai Shimada’s pupils and Chairman Jinguuji.
With that said, we’re done and dusted for the Kishou tournament as I’ll see you next time! I have to admit, the match between Shimada and Yanagihara is the most intense one I’ve ever watched.
The Anime Rambler - By Benigmatica 