Shogi Reborn: Mind's Gambit

I received a LINE message from Kuzuryu asking for help, but I left it on read without replying. It seemed to be about a third-grade girl named Hina Tsuru Ai or something. So, the original story has finally started, huh?

"What was that message about?"

"Kuzuryu Ryuo sent an SOS, saying he's about to face a rough situation."

"Oh, really? Who's involved? Sora Ginko and… who else?"

"A girl who wants to become Kuzuryu's disciple. She came all the way from Ishikawa by herself. Looks like she's the same age as Ten'i."

"Is that so?

So, what's the lesson plan for today?"

"Now that Ten'i can beat the Panther, it's time to start the independent path."

"The independent path?"

"Uh, never mind. Forget I said that."

Meanwhile, Ten'i had already managed to defeat the Panther, a character introduced in the original story. Yes, I arranged for her to face a professional gambler, just like in the original. If the Shogi Federation found out, they'd probably suspend her activities for a year. She was disguised, so I'm hoping it'll be fine. I also hope no one goes out of their way to report it.

I stuck to the original story by arranging for her to grow through a match in Shinsekai. Still, I was surprised she lacked knowledge of unconventional strategies, despite her level of skill. Well, I guess it's understandable for someone self-taught.

What puzzled me more was her lack of reaction to Kuzuryu's name. In the original, she was a massive fan of his. What happened to that storyline? Then again, since her father never got the chance to encounter Kuzuryu in this timeline, it makes sense things turned out this way.

For now, I brought Ten'i ten old smartphones I used back in the day. They still worked and were good enough for Shogi apps.

"You've played online matches before, right?"

"Yes, a few times. How is that relevant to this?"

"Well, I'm going to have you play up to ten simultaneous matches using these. Let's start with three matches at once. First, create three accounts at the beginner level."

"...Excuse me?"

I lined up the smartphones and got her set up for her first three simultaneous matches. Online Shogi is an excellent training tool. Some opponents are nearly professional level, and you can play anytime, anywhere.

In fact, you can even play 25 matches with your right hand and another 25 with your left. If you can focus on all the games and absorb the experience, you'll improve rapidly. ...That's if you can manage it, of course.

"Start all three games at the same time. If you win all of them, move up to four simultaneous matches at the intermediate level. Whenever an account ranks up, create a new one. It's free, so don't worry."

"Wait, wait. Can you actually get stronger with this kind of multitasking?"

"You're looking at someone who did, so relax. I'll make sure you gain enough skill to pass the Shogi Promotion League."

"This coming from someone who quit halfway through. Without my guidance, you'd still be stuck in the third-dan league for who knows how many terms."

(Shut up. Just stay quiet for now, Ai.)

Reluctantly, Ten'i began her first three simultaneous matches. In the original story, it was never explicitly stated, but I doubt she'd ever tried multitasking like this. The key difference between one-on-one matches and multi-board matches is the time management.

When professionals take on amateurs in 100-board exhibitions, they don't remember every detail of each board. They simplify the positions as much as possible and streamline their decision-making.

On the other hand, online multi-board Shogi forces you to face opponents who can't be beaten without full effort. To win every match, you have to divide your focus across all games, which naturally trains you to think faster.

"Haah… haah… I managed to clear the three-board simultaneous matches."

"Oh, so first-dan level is a breeze for you, huh? Good job.

Alright, now move on to four-board matches at second-dan level. It's going to get tougher from here, so hang in there."

"Wait! This kind of thing is way too draining for my focus!"

"That just means you're not using your focus effectively. If it gets too tedious, rely on your instincts up to a certain point."

On this platform, first-dan players are slightly stronger than actual amateur first-dan players. The fact that she could dominate three matches simultaneously is partly thanks to my guidance, but mostly due to her natural talent. She's clearly not an average person.

"Coming from an average person like you, that somehow feels convincing."

(Yeah, sure.)

(Do you think Ten'i will grow stronger at this rate?)

"Not as it is now. Even if you tell her directly how to maintain focus, she'll dismiss it as nonsense for the time being."

(So, there's still a chance she'll figure out a different solution. She's already at a level where she can reach the Women's Shogi League. If she improves her reading speed, she'll be able to join the Promotion League.)

"Hmm? A call from Kuzuryu. Sorry, I'll step out for a bit."

I left the room to take the call, but Ten'i didn't even glance my way. Her focus was intense. Given that she's already at around amateur third-dan level, she should be able to clear the four-board matches at second-dan relatively quickly.

Kuzuryu was calling, and it was undoubtedly about Hina Tsuru Ai.

"Hello, this is Ogi."

"Ogi! Please, hide me from my older apprentice!"

"What's going on over there?"

"We're in a standoff with the door between us right now."

"…You need to face her and talk properly. Didn't the girl who wants to be your disciple choose you?

If that's the case, be honest with her about it. Also, take her to Master Kiyotaki's place."

"…You're right. Yeah, that's what I'll do."

Apparently, his older apprentice showed up while the girl was taking a shower, and he wanted to escape the situation. Thanks to him forgetting to hang up, I got to listen in on their conversation for a while. From what I heard, it seemed to follow the original story pretty closely. I'm not entirely confident about the smaller details, though.

Once Kuzuryu realized he hadn't ended the call and hung up, I returned to the room. Ten'i, her forehead covered in sweat, was tapping on one of the smartphones while looking down. The opponent's king was trapped, and the victory animation played.

"I won every match. That's five-board simultaneous matches at third-dan level."

"Oh, great. Next is six-board matches at fourth-dan level. You can only create accounts up to fourth-dan, so after clearing that, you'll start leveling each account to fifth-dan. Do this with seven simultaneous matches. Start the next games as soon as the current ones end."

"…This means that, eventually…"

"Eventually, you'll be doing ten-board simultaneous matches at eighth-dan, the highest level on this platform. By then, you'll be facing pros and Promotion League players, so it'll be tough."

Ten'i proudly displayed the four smartphones on the floor and the one in her hand. I hadn't expected her to clear third-dan five-board matches all in one day, but it seemed she was improving at an incredible pace.

That said, once she reaches fifth-dan seven-board matches, her winning streak will likely come to an end. Up to fourth-dan, weaker players can still show up, but at fifth-dan and above, only top-tier amateurs remain. To beat them, she'll need even more focus and faster calculations.

Currently, she's barely breaking even with six-board matches at fourth-dan. Achieving total victories in those matches is still a long way off.

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