This event has (predictably) been indefinitely postponed due to the recent coronavirus pandemic.
3 October - Battle of the Mayors (chu shogi) live broadcast
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This event is interesting. Has it been canceled, or postponed? Also, why didn't they just play regular shogi?
Supposedly postponed, as it says on this site: http://www.city.takatsuki.osaka.jp/m/kakuka/machi/kankocs/gyomuannai/botto_takatsuki/taikyoku.html
No idea when they would hold it, though
https://sp.live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv327946063
It's back on!
10/2 10pm PDT, 10/3 1am EDT, 7am CEST, 2pm JST
As a celebration of the historical value and (a postponed) first anniversary of the cooperative agreement between these two cities, Shimamoto and Takatsuki, BOTTO is hosting this event to promote the sports, attractions, and specialty goods of Takatsuki. This includes a chu shogi game between the two mayors, which will be commentated by a handful of shogi pros.
Shimamoto is known for its production of Minase font shogi pieces. The Minase family back in the Edo period was tasked with creating shogi pieces, thus the advent of the classic Minase font, which is still very popular today in modern shogi. But how many know that Minase was a font made originally for chu shogi? It is the quintessential chu shogi font.
Broadcast commentary:
- 福崎 文吾 Fukusaki Bungo 9段 (60) [C2 league]
- 脇 謙二 Waki Kenji 8段 (60) [free class]
- 浦野 真彦 Urano Masahiko 8段 (56) [free class]
- 室田 伊緒 Murota Io 女流2段 (35)
- 里見 咲紀 Satomi Saki 女流1段 (24)
Guest commentary:
- 桐山 清澄 Kiriyama Kiyozumi 9段 (73) [free class]
- 古森 悠太 Komori Yuuta 5段 (25) [C1 league]
Sep 25, 2020
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#6
Would you post the game here, with some analysis? Then I would definitely be interested! For people like me who don't understand Japanese this may be hard to follow.
I'll try to translate whatever parts of the official broadcast commentary are most relevant. I don't expect the highest level chu shogi, but this should be fun nonetheless. Hoping for a close match.
Under 25 minutes to go until we're under way. I'm greatly looking forward to this. Got a fresh excel board ready for this event, and will be doing live analysis here in this thread.
I encourage anyone interested to click the link in comment #5 to watch along.
[Live Updates] all times Eastern
(00:56) The stream has started. All questions are welcome. I know that many are new to chu shogi.
(01:00) Up front with commentary are Fukusaki 9p, Urano 8p, and Waki 8p.
(01:01) At the board are the players, Murota ladies' 2p, and Satomi ladies' 1p, and 2 recorders. The ladies are giving information about Minase Jingu and the family legacy.
(01:05) The players are asked about their shogi experience. Hamada seems stronger. Main time is 30 minutes. Byoyomi is 40 seconds, with (5) 60 second extensions.
(01:09) There is a small delay. The players have joked about using normal shogi castles, which could mean a rather amateurishly played game. But this should still be fun.
(01:12) To fill the delay, Fukusaki 9p has been the most talkative, and Waki 8p the most quiet. They're discussing the average length of game, and how silvers and golds work on the larger board.
(01:14) The board has been set up. Many viewers are surprised at the number of pieces.
- 78Ln
- 75Ln
- 88P
- 85P
- 67Ln Missed a chance to play 56Ln to take a GB
- 55P
- 58P
- 105P
- 108P
- 35P
- 38P
- 25DH
- 28P
- 115P
- 118P
- 125P
- 128P
- 15P
- 18P So far rather boring. There is no clear plan.
- 96GB
- 47GB The fast pace of earlier has slowed down.
- 124SM
- 39DH The first targeted attack on a lion
- 54Ln
- 87Ln
- 95GB
- 48GB
- ??
- 68P
- 75P
- 78P
- 64Kr
- 67P
- 62DK
- 79Kr
- 42C
- 411C
- 14SM
- 19SM
- 36P The recorders are vey quiet. It's hard to hear the moves and keep up.
- 129SM
- 22FL
- 410C
- 43C
- 411S
- 34C
- 59C
- 35C Gote has had the chance to pick up Sente's 6-pawn for a while...
- 68C
- 45GB
- 27P A reasonable move. But his right horse is in the way.
- ??
- 28VM
- 56P
- 210R
- 26DH A terrible blunder
- 26P
- 57P
- 57P
- ?? Sorry, but lack of proper board coverage makes his near impossible to track.
- The DK is somehow on 57
- 74Ln
- 69FK
- 44DH
- ??
- 53R
- ?? They are promoting tourism to Takatsuki.
- ??
- ??
- ??
- ?? A very long delay to detail just about any attraction of note in Takatsuki.
- ??
- ??
- ??
I'll stop posting each move due to its apparent futility. Instead, I will take screenshots of the board at intervals to discuss the general flow of the game.
(02:11) Gote (Yamada) is down considerable material but kept pressing for space. A couple questionable pawn pushes by Sente (Hamada) in the center have been punished, and his center has crumbled.
(02:21)
(02:26) Sente has taken a pawn on 56 with his DH, met by gote with 55DH, and sente retreats 48DH. With no clear end in sight, this game may be cut short. 
(02:33) Sente has facilitated a trade, his horse for Yamada's kirin. Hamada (sente). Sente controls the 7th rank with his dragon, although gote has latent power. I think the trade is prudent, but the tempi may hurt later on.
(02:44) After trading off bishops and free kings, the position seems to have settled into a kind of stalemate. However, sente is doing a very good job of denying gote's lion entry, and the horse is placed well. Sente has an advantage and can push, but should first see to it that his lion is more active.
(02:53) Sente has bravely stolen gote's 7-pawn, asserted his dominance, and retreated it. Dangerous looking, but quite alright. I suspect gote is feeling the pressure. Everyone agrees sente is better, including myself. Gote has very good control of the central files, if not much else.
(03:02) Sente has missed a couple free chances to trade off his rook for the dragon in front of gote's king. He clearly has safety in mind, and retreats his lion. Gote recovers his phoenix to once again block the path to his dragon. Both players need more small pieces in action.
(03:16) The allotted time has elapsed. Hamada (sente) managed to trade off the rooks and dragons and showed good use of lion tactics to pick up a free leopard and mini-exchange (bishop for horse). Both players are in good spirits and everyone by the board has clearly enjoyed the game. Final position...
In case you missed it, replay is available on the niconico live ニコニコ生放送 app. Just search for 中将棋 and then click on the 放送終了 tab. It's the only one there.
On the 22nd of March, 06:00 UTC, there will be a live broadcast on NicoNico of chu shogi played between the mayor of Takatsuki, 濱田 剛史 Hamada Takeshi, and the mayor of Shimamoto, 山田 紘平 Yamada Kouhei. This is part of a greater event, with other festive attractions to commemorate the 1st anniversary of a tourism agreement made between these two cities. https://sp.live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv324081563
I can give live analysis if there is enough interest.