Computer shogi
The higher numbers for shogi mean it is harder to reach the highest levels of play.
The primary components of a computer shogi program are the opening book, the search algorithm and the endgame.
Shogi professionals, however, do not always follow an opening sequence as in chess, but make different moves to create good formation of pieces.
In the first decade of the 21st century, computer shogi has taken large steps forward in software and hardware technology.
He contributed to the newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun evening edition on 26 March 2007 about the match between Bonanza and then Ryūō Champion Akira Watanabe.
Habu rated Bonanza's game at the level of 2 dan shogi apprentice (shōreikai).
[citation needed] In particular, computers are most suited to brute-force calculation, and far outperform humans at the task of finding ways of checkmating from a given position, which involves many fewer possibilities.
In games with time limits of 10 seconds from the first move, computers are becoming a tough challenge for even professional shogi players.
[citation needed] The past steady progress of computer shogi is a guide for the future.
The computer was an Intel Xeon 2.66 GHz 8 core with 8 gigabytes of memory and 160-gigabyte hard drive.
Longer playing time also means human players can make long-term plans beyond the computer's calculating horizon.
Watanabe commented after the game that he could have lost if Bonanza had played defensive moves before entering the endgame.
But the computer choose to attack immediately instead of taking its time (and using its impressive endgame strategies) which cost it the match.
[8] After Bonanza's loss Watanabe commented on computers in his blog, "I thought they still had quite a way to go, but now we have to recognize that they've reached the point where they are getting to be a match for professionals.
[citation needed] Another indication Bonanza was far below the level of professional Watanabe came 2 months after the match at the May 2007 World Computer Shogi Championship.
Akara contained 4 computer engines: Gekisashi, GPS Shogi, Bonanza, and YSS.
[13] [14] [15] On 21 December 2011, computer program Bonkras crushed retired 68-year-old Kunio Yonenaga, the 1993 Meijin.
[35] Japanese auto parts maker Denso developed a robotic arm to move the pieces for the computer.
[36] Ōshō and Kiō champion Akira Watanabe wrote in his blog that "a human cannot think of some of Ponanza's moves such as 60.L*16 and 88.S*79.
"[37] Kisei, Ōi and Ōza champion Yoshiharu Habu told The Asahi Shimbun, "I felt the machines were extraordinarily strong when I saw their games this time.
"[38] On Saturday 19 July 2014, Tatsuya Sugai once again got the chance to play against Shueso in what was billed as the "Shogi Denou-sen Revenge Match".
Sugai had already been beaten by Shueso four months earlier in game one of Denou-sen 3, so this was seen as his chance to gain revenge for that loss.
In addition, four 1-hour breaks were scheduled throughout the playing session to allow both sides time to eat and rest.
The game lasted through the night and into the next day and finally finished almost 20 hours after it started when Sugai resigned after Shueso's 144 move.
[39][40] Shogidokoro (将棋所) is a Windows graphical user interface (GUI) that calls a program to play shogi and displays the moves on a board.
Engines that can natively support WinBoard protocol are Shokidoki, TJshogi, GNU Shogi and Bonanza.
[61] 将棋ぶらうざQ (Shogi Browser Q) is a free cross-platform (Java) GUI, that can run USI engines and compete on Floodgate.
Bonanza won second place on a computer with 17 processors containing 132 cores and 300 gigabytes of memory.
GPS Shogi won sixth place on a computer with 263 processors containing 832 cores and 1486 gigabytes of memory.
From 2008 to 2012, the Japan Shogi Association (with Kunio Yonenaga as president) did not permit any games between a professional and a computer.
