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One of Japan's top professional "shogi" players has pulled out of a major tournament after being questioned over suspected cheating.
“I have never cheated. It is a false accusation,” Hiroyuki Miura, 42, told The Asahi Shimbun.
He added that he was discussing his next move with his lawyer.
Miura, ranked 9-dan in what is called "Japanese chess," said the reason for his withdrawal was he “cannot play a game while people are having doubts about me.”
The Japan Shogi Association (JSA) announced the decision Oct. 12, just three days before the commencement of the Ryuo tournament.
The surprise turn of events was revealed only a few days after the JSA announced a ban from December on electronic devices such as smartphones during official games to prevent cheating using shogi software.
Miura was interviewed by the JSA at a managing directors' meeting Oct. 11 over the suspicion that he cheated using an app.
Miura stood out by the frequency he left the room during games from last summer, according to the JSA. Players are allowed to leave the table during games within the time allotted to each player.
Miura failed to submit a written absence notice by this tournament's deadline Oct. 12 so he was suspended from participating in official games until Dec. 31, 2016.
Shogi software has advanced considerably in recent years, and it is feared that players may use them secretly during breaks, and while going out of the venue, to figure out better moves.
Some professional players pointed out that Miura's choice of moves often overlapped with what a shogi app suggested.
Miura became a professional shogi player in 1992. In 1996, he snatched the Kisei title from Yoshiharu Habu, who at the time held all of the seven major titles in the shogi championships.
The Ryuo championship tournament commencing Oct. 15 is a best-of-seven-matches event that is held in various venues.
Nine-dan-ranked Tadahisa Maruyama, 46, who lost to Miura in the preliminary match to decide a challenger, has been moved up, and will face current Ryuo title holder Akira Watanabe, 32.
(This article was written by Shinya Murase and Shinji Fukamatsu.)
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201610130055.html
“I have never cheated. It is a false accusation,” Hiroyuki Miura, 42, told The Asahi Shimbun.
He added that he was discussing his next move with his lawyer.
Miura, ranked 9-dan in what is called "Japanese chess," said the reason for his withdrawal was he “cannot play a game while people are having doubts about me.”
The Japan Shogi Association (JSA) announced the decision Oct. 12, just three days before the commencement of the Ryuo tournament.
The surprise turn of events was revealed only a few days after the JSA announced a ban from December on electronic devices such as smartphones during official games to prevent cheating using shogi software.
Miura was interviewed by the JSA at a managing directors' meeting Oct. 11 over the suspicion that he cheated using an app.
Miura stood out by the frequency he left the room during games from last summer, according to the JSA. Players are allowed to leave the table during games within the time allotted to each player.
Miura failed to submit a written absence notice by this tournament's deadline Oct. 12 so he was suspended from participating in official games until Dec. 31, 2016.
Shogi software has advanced considerably in recent years, and it is feared that players may use them secretly during breaks, and while going out of the venue, to figure out better moves.
Some professional players pointed out that Miura's choice of moves often overlapped with what a shogi app suggested.
Miura became a professional shogi player in 1992. In 1996, he snatched the Kisei title from Yoshiharu Habu, who at the time held all of the seven major titles in the shogi championships.
The Ryuo championship tournament commencing Oct. 15 is a best-of-seven-matches event that is held in various venues.
Nine-dan-ranked Tadahisa Maruyama, 46, who lost to Miura in the preliminary match to decide a challenger, has been moved up, and will face current Ryuo title holder Akira Watanabe, 32.
(This article was written by Shinya Murase and Shinji Fukamatsu.)
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201610130055.html