In May Slovak Shogi Association tried a new type of a promotional event. In cooperation with a local school on May 9th a workshop for students of the elementary school in the city of Stropkov in the eastern Slovakia attracted 15 children to explore shogi, learn the rules and play with instructors and among themselves. This event however, was split into two separate days with a 2 week break in between.

On May 23rd the second part of the event, a FESA rated tournament attracted 16 players, most of whom previously attended the workshop as well. The motivation for attending the workshop and the tournament? Thanks to the FESA Local Support funds, children could win a total of 5 shogi sets, shogi literature and more!

The tournament itself was split into two categories, U14 and U16, with 7 and 9 participants each. Those players that could not be paired with players of their own category were paired with a player from the other category, ensuring that all participants played in all 5 rounds. Thinking time was set to 20 minutes and 40 seconds byoyomi.

Tough battles on the board ensued in all the matches, but the number of shogi sets in the prize pool being limited, only a few walked away with the esteemed prize. We were happy to see some players building castles like mino or anaguma.

Winners of the U14 category were
🥇Kristina Tirkova
🥈Andrej Bartko
🥉Adam Novicky

Winners of the U16 category were
🥇Martin Tirko
🥈Tobias Vateha
🥉Filip Calko

The hope is that this kind of event can spawn a new shogi enthusiasts group who will enjoy many more battles on the shogi board – be it physical or a virtual one. And while it remains to be seen whether this wish can come true with this event, we have seen players preparing for the tournament with the hope of winning – a good sign for the future to come!