Shogi - From Japan to Viet Nam

             Shogi, known as Japanese chess, is a popular strategy board game in Japan. It is distinct from other forms of chess by a rule that allows captured pieces to return to the board.

             Shogi plays an important part in Japanese life and Shogi players have high respect from the society. The game has flourished in Japan, but not so much in other countries, especially Vietnam. Realizing this, Duong Bao Thach together with his friend, founded the Vietnamese Shogi Club (VSC).

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            The VSC has been in operation for almost 3 years since it was founded in late 2021. From a limited number of only 2 people, the club now has around 60 official and 150 unofficial members. In all of Vietnam, the number of players has risen to 300 players.

            The club currently has 2 offline meeting locations, the “Dear November” bar in Hanoi and the “5 Percent” cafe in Ho Chi Minh City. Each offline has from 10 to 20 members attending, and up to 30 members on special occasions.

            When asked about why he decided to form the club, Mr. Thach, VSC’s president confided:

            “When I first started playing shogi, I could not find a community that supported other players and gave newcomers a place to call home. For this reason, I decided to be the first to start the shogi VN community.”

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Intense matches

            The club's main activities are hosting tournaments and opening workshops. There have been 2 big tournaments that the club hosted, Danh Thu Chien and Viet Long Chien, along with many small contests for newcomers. Mr. Vu, a member of the club, said he could sharpen his thinking, mentality, and concentration when participating in these contests.

            “The tournaments are good playfields for me to interpret my skills” – Vu said.

            Additionally, the club has opened free teaching workshops at various festivals, such as Japan Festival 2023, Sora Festival 2022, Japan Wave 2023, etc. They also go to the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, and Hanoi University of Science and Technology to teach the students, correct their mistakes, and interest them in playing Shogi. According to Mr. Thach, these workshops help recruit the most members for the club. While bringing the learners a useful experience, the lecturers also gain valuable training in teaching, Mr. An, the club’s vice-president expressed.

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Going through hardship

            When asked about the difficulty when the club was founded, Mr. Thach confided:

“The first challenge is human resources, as we only had two members when we began. The second challenge is that we unintentionally established during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a protracted period before we can continue operating.”

            Furthermore, Mr. Thach showed concern about the nature of this sport:

“Shogi is an exceptionally hard sport. When someone begins to learn, it is very difficult to know what you need to do.”

            Shogi’s rulebook is harder to memorize than other chess types of games, a club member expressed. The players also need to identify the face of each piece, which is different on each side. Also, according to Mr. Thach, currently, there is no official course guide for Shogi in Vietnam, which hinders new players from accessing this game scientifically.

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Reaching for glory

            The club has been joining official online tournaments and has achieved several successes. On the 81dojo website (the official Shogi website sponsored by the Japanese Shogi Association), many members have reached the 3-dan rank, a high rating in the amatuer ranking system.

           Also, in the World Shogi League hosted on 81dojo, the Vietnamese team consisting of many club members has recently been promoted to group B, the second highest rating group in the league. This is considered a necessary step in promoting Shogi in Vietnam and defining the Vietnamese position in the world's competitive scene.

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 The environment is perceived positively by the members. Mr. Vu sees the club as an excellent training field, both through the offline meetings and the tournaments. Mr. Nguyen, another member, expressed:

            “The environment here is quite friendly, everyone helps me a lot and the lessons are of high quality and there are so many strong players who regularly participate.”

            Mr. An, the vice president, mentioned that everyone had been enjoying the club’s training environment and showing respect to each other. The interviewees were also confident in their future with the club in particular and Shogi as a whole.

 

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           As the community is growing day by day, Mr. An, the vice president, hopes to achieve the number of 1000 Shogi players nationwide. To achieve this, the club will continue supporting players who take this game seriously while opening some classes for new players. They also plan to write and publish course books for education and for people who are unable to join offline classes. Mr. Thach further aims to establish a Shogi Association in Vietnam, which will open a future where the players in Vietnam can make a living from Shogi.  

            In the age of international exchange and integration, especially in culture, the club’s direction can help create a positive relationship between Vietnam and Japan. The VSC and the Shogi community as a whole are projecting to thrive under this international wave. 

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