Reminder: London February 2026 meeting and tournament information

There will be a meeting of the London Shogi Club on 28.02.2026. 

We are currently playing in the basement room at Starbucks on Cowcross St, Farringdon. Do check downstairs, as you won't see anyone upstairs. There should be someone around from 11.00am until at least 2pm. Everyone is very welcome, regardless of strength or experience.

Additionally the British Shogi Championships were held on 14-15 March, and the results are published in the Shogi London Tournament blog.

The next tournament in the UK will be the Inter City Shogi Cup 2026, which will be held in London on the 9-10 May weekend.  Full information and registration pages can be found on the Inter City Shogi Cup website

London February 2026 meeting, tournament reminder and shogi film

There will be a meeting of the London Shogi Club on 28.02.2026. We hold these meetings monthly where possible, normally on the last Saturday of the month. Always check to see if we are meeting, and which day we are meeting on.

We are currently playing in the basement room at Starbucks on Cowcross St, Farringdon. Do check downstairs, as you won't see anyone upstairs. There should be someone around from 11.00am until at least 2pm.

Everyone is very welcome, regardless of strength or experience.

The nearest tube station is Farringdon. Barbican station is also close. It's best to check which lines are running with Transport for London.

In addition, we would remind you that the British Shogi Championships will be held on the 14-15 February 2026. All are welcome and you can register for the tournament here.

We have also been asked to publicise The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2026 which will be running from February through to the end of March, and will be screening The Final Piece, a mystery thriller featuring shogi. Could be interesting although I don't know that it will improve your game.

 

Tournament (and no club meeting) in October 2024

This is to remind people that there will be no London Shogi club in October, but there will be a 2 day tournament. 

The British Open Shogi Championships tournament is on the weekend of 26-27 October 2024. The tournament is open to players of all abilities and of all nationalities.

It will be held at the London Mindsports Centre. The nearest tube station is Ravenscourt Park. The two Hammersmith stations are a bit further away.  It takes 30-50 minutes to get to the venue from the main London railway stations, and 40 minutes from Heathrow airport.  

You can register for the tournament on this dedicated tournament page, which is being updated with further information as we get nearer to the tournament date.  

Reminder - 2024 British Shogi Championships on 26-27 October 2024

The London Shogi club is holding a 2 day British Open Shogi Championships tournament on the weekend of 26-27 October 2024. The tournament is open to players of all abilities and of all nationalities.

This will be held at the London Mindsports Centre. The nearest tube station is Ravenscourt Park. The two Hammersmith stations are a bit further away.  It takes 30-50 minutes to get to the venue from the main London railway stations, and 40 minutes from Heathrow airport.  

You can register for the tournament on this dedicated tournament page, which is being updated with further information as we get nearer to the tournament date.  

British Shogi Championships on 26-27 October 2024

The London Shogi club is delighted to announce a 2 day British Open Shogi Championships tournament on the weekend of 26-27 October 2024. The tournament is open to players of all abilities and of all nationalities.

Organised by club regulars Steven Cain and Kevin Butchart this will be held at the London Mindsports Centre. The nearest tube station is Ravenscourt Park. The two Hammersmith stations are a bit further away.  It takes 30-50 minutes to get to the venue from the main London railway stations, and 40 minutes from Heathrow airport.  

You can register for the tournament on this dedicated tournament page, which will be updated with further information as we get nearer to the tournament date.  

Final call for participants in UK qualification tournament for International Shogi Forum

The British Shogi Federation has been asked to provide a UK representative for the International Shogi Forum to be held in Tokyo, Japan, in November 2024. 

The representative will be provided with travelling expenses, and food and accommodation for the duration of the event. 

If you are a UK passport holder and would like to compete in the qualification event on 18 May 2024 let us know by registering on the tournament page by close on Saturday 4 May 2024.

UK qualification tournament for International Shogi Forum will be on 18 May 2024

The British Shogi Federation has been asked to provide a UK representative for the International Shogi Forum to be held in Tokyo, Japan, in November 2024. 

The representative will be provided with travelling expenses, and food and accommodation for the duration of the event. 

We are holding a qualification tournament on 18 May 2024. The entry fee will be £15 and the venue will be the London Mindsports Centre at 21 Dalling Road, London W6 0JD. More information and how to get there can be found on their website. 

If you are a UK passport holder and would like to compete let us know by registering on the tournament page. 

We asked for expressions of interest in February, and based on these the tournament may be quite a small event. The exact format depends on the number of entries and it would be good to know of any further entries in good time.

Autumn shogi tournaments on 25-26 November 2023

There will be two Autumn shogi tournaments on the weekend of 25-26 November 2023, held at the London Mindsports Centre. The nearest tube station is Ravenscourt Park. The two Hammersmith stations are a bit further away.  It's best to check which lines are running with Transport for London.

Entries should be sent by email to shogi.london@gmail.com.

The plan is to hold a longer time limit event on the Saturday, and a quickplay event on the Sunday. The entry fee will be £10 for the Saturday event and £5 for Sunday. Entry fees will be waived for players who are travelling a long way to get to the tournament. 

The exact format will be determined based on the number of entries and the range of grades. We may operate a single group system, or separate groups for higher and lower graded players. 

The time limit for Saturday games will probably be 20 minutes plus 40 seconds byoyomi.

The draw will be undertaken between 10 and 10.15am once player attendance is confirmed.  

We will aim to complete all games on the Saturday, and may adjust the time limits of final round games to achieve this. Under very exceptional circumstances games might be completed on Sunday morning but we are keen to avoid disrupting player schedules and the Sunday tournament.

 

The time limit for Sunday games will probably be 10 minutes plus 10 seconds byoyomi.

The draw will be undertaken between 10 and 10.15am once player attendance is confirmed.  If there is time left we may run an event at shorter time limits.

If anyone is unfamiliar with shogi time limis please ask before play starts. Note for regular players - please bring a byoyomi clock if you have one.

Report on the Heart of Wales Shogi Open in May 2023

The Heart of Wales Shogi Open 2023 was held from 26 to 29 May, in the green and picturesque Irfon valley (Cwm Irfon) near Llanwrtyd Wells. The venue was the Nant-y-Walch Barn, and most of the players stayed at the nearby Cwm Irfon Lodge cottages. 

This was an unusual venue for UK shogi, where most tournaments have been in cities or well connected towns. Literally in the heart of Wales and far far away from everywhere else, the location was beautiful and tranquil. I did worry that it was a bit difficult to get to, although it is on a very scenic railway line.

The tournament was run by Uwe Frischmuth from Hamburg, who emailed to check the British Shogi Federation was happy for him to run the tournament in our patch. We were of course delighted, although we did check he actually knew how remote Llanwrtyd Wells is. Not a problem explained Uwe - we like it because it's so isolated and peaceful. 

The shogi was in fact great. There were 14 players in the main tournament playing over 8 rounds. We were lucky to have ex-Shorekai player Sanada Tetsuaki playing his second UK tournament. He really showed his strength and won with a clean sheet and 8 victories. Second placed was Anton Borysov with 7, showing great attacking skill and beating all opponents except Tetsuaki. Third on tie break with 5 points was Ikeda Masahiro. 

There were of course exciting and tight games all the way through. We also had shogi fun in the evenings with quickplay and blitz side events. Extra credit to Felix McPeake who left 2 rounds before the end and still won the blitz. 

We ate at a pub on Friday evening, and thereafter ate lunch and dinner at the venue. Tasty fare was provided by Gyles and Karin who run Nant-y-Walch Barn and Cwm Irfon Lodge, and the barn was well stocked with beer for the evening. Those of us lucky to be staying at the cottages also had excellent breakfasts there. All lovely, with Gyles and Karin super friendly and the perfect hosts. 

It's difficult to capture how lovely a weekend this was, combining great shogi, shogi friends, and excellent hospitality. All against a serene backdrop of outstanding natural beauty in the mid Wales countryside.  At first I wasn't sure it would work, but I am so glad that I went.

Uwe is thinking about running a similar tournament next year, and if you get the chance to go to the Heart of Wales I suggest you take it.

Heart of Wales Open 2023 will be held on the late May bank holiday weekend

The Heart of Wales Open 2023 will be held in Llanwrtyd Well, Powys. The area is peaceful and beautiful, and can be reached by road or stopping at Llanwrtyd on the rural Heart of Wales rail line.

Tournament games will be played at the Nant y Walch Barn

(Full address: Nant y Walch Barn, Abergwesyn Road, Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys LD5 4TN, Wales, United Kingdom)

The tournament will be run by experienced tournament organisers from Shogi Hamburg with the approval of the British Shogi Federation.

The main event will be 7 rounds, 40 min + 30 sec byoyomi. 

Side events are planned for the 26th and 29th.

More details about accommodation, entry fees, travel to the venue and organiser contact details will follow.

In the mean time if you want to register your interest or have a question, send an email to heart-of-wales-open-2023@gmx.info

2019 British Shogi Championship - more details.

As previously announced, this tournament will take place next weekend on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th November.

The overall Open Championship is open to all. There will also be a British Closed Champion title for entrants who qualify as UK nationals. This will be decided by pairing the qualified players against each other in a knockout format during the first three rounds.

All entrants will play in each round, unless there are an odd number of players. If there are an odd number of players then the bye will go to the lowest ranked player who hasn't already had a bye. Nobody will get more than one bye.

We will plan to start play at 10.30 on Saturday, and players should aim to arrive before this in order to allow time for the first round pairings to be made. If players are delayed, they should contact Steven Cain to warn him so that they can still be included in the first round draw.

2019 British Shogi Championships

Waltham Forest Shogi is pleased to announce that the 2019 British Shogi Championships will be held in Chingford, London. The tournament will be held over the weekend of Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th November. More details will be provided nearer to the tournament date.

Entries should be sent by email to shogi.london@gmail.com.

The exact format will be determined based on the number of entries and the range of grades. We may operate a single group system, or separate groups for higher and lower graded players. There will probably be six rounds, three or four on Saturday (depending on what time round 3 finishes) with the other two or three on Sunday, and everybody will play in each round. On Sunday we will hold a quickplay tournament after the main event if there is time. 

Each player will start with 25 minutes on their clock. Once a player has used up their 25 minutes, each further move must then be played within 40 seconds. If anyone is unfamiliar with this system please ask before play starts. Note for regular players - please bring a byoyomi clock if you have one.

The venue is the Friday Hall community centre, 56 Friday Hill East, London E4 6JT.

Getting to the venue by public transport

The venue is about 1 mile from Chingford station. You can walk , but I suggest people take the 212 bus route from stop B. The bus takes about 5 minutes to Simmons Lane. There are buses every 10 minutes or so. The TfL journey planner can tell you how to get to Chingford overground station.

Driving/parking
If you are coming by car there is parking space for a couple of cars; otherwise you can normally park on the street nearby.

Food and drink
We will have some snacks and drinks at the venue but are not planning to provide lunch.  On Hatch Lane there are a supermarket, fish and chip shop and other takeaways.

Shogi Tournament in Birchington on 01.06.2019

Steve Campbell is running another shogi event in Birchington-on-Sea, Kent, after successful events in 2015, 2016 and 2018. It will be held on Saturday, June 1st, at Christies Wine Bar, 1 Station Approach, Birchington (CT7 9RD) very close to Birchington railway station.

More details will be provided nearer the time, but it will probably follow the format for 2018, when the tournament ran from  about 10.30am to 5.45pm.

If you want to enter the tournament or make enquiries, please send an email to Shogi London or post a message on the Shogi London facebook page and we will provide Steve's contact details.

British Shogi Championship - more information

As previously announced, this tournament will be held over the weekend of Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th November.

The venue is the Friday Hall community centre, 56 Friday Hill East, London E4 6JT.

We will aim to start at around 11am on Saturday, and it would be helpful if people could get to the venue by 10.30.

If you want to enter the tournament but haven't done so yet, please contact via the Shogi London email, as David Faldon may be away from email.

2018 British Championships

Waltham Forest Shogi is pleased to announce that the 2018 British Shogi Championships will be held in Chingford, London. The tournament will be held over the weekend of Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th November.

Entries should be sent by email to David Faldon.

The exact format will be determined based on the number of entries and the range of grades. We may operate a single group system, or separate groups for higher and lower graded players. There will probably be six rounds, three or four on Saturday (depending on what time round 3 finishes) with the other two or three on Sunday, and everybody will play in each round. On Sunday we will hold a quickplay tournament after the main event if there is time. 

Each player will start with 25 minutes on their clock. Once a player has used up their 25 minutes, each further move must then be played within 40 seconds. If anyone is unfamiliar with this system please ask before play starts. Note for regular players - please bring a byoyomi clock if you have one.

The venue is the Friday Hall community centre, 56 Friday Hill East, London E4 6JT.

Getting to the venue by public transport

The venue is about 1 mile from Chingford station. You can walk , but I suggest people take the 212 bus route from stop B. The bus takes about 5 minutes to Simmons Lane. There are buses every 10 minutes or so. The TfL journey planner can tell you how to get to Chingford overground station.

Driving/parking
If you are coming by car there is parking space for a couple of cars; otherwise you can normally park on the street nearby.

Food and drink
We will have some snacks and drinks at the venue but are not planning to provide lunch.  Alternatively on Hatch Lane there are a supermarket, fish and chip shop and other takeaways.

Chingford Shogi Tournament on 21 April 2018

Waltham Forest Shogi is pleased to announce that there will be another tournament in Chingford, London. The tournament will be held on Saturday 21 April 2018.

Entries should be sent by email to David Faldon or by commenting on this blog post.

There will be four rounds of games and everyone will play in each round. We plan to start at 11.00 and finish around 18.00. If anyone has any questions please ask before play starts.

Results of British Shogi Championship 2017

The 2017 British Shogi Championship was held in Chingford on Saturday 18th November.

 

The 2017 British Open Shogi Champion is Masayuki Fukumoto (Japan 4 dan) who scored a perfect 4/4.

 

 

 

The 2017 British Closed Shogi Champion is Stephen Lamb (4 dan) who defeated Steven Cain in a very close-fought final game.

 

 

The 2017 Kyu Champion is Matt Paull (Australia, unrated as yet) who scored 2/4.

The detailed results will be put on the FESA (European shogi federation) website in a few days.

 

 

 

 

British Shogi Championship 18.11.2017 reminder

Just a reminder that the 2017 British Shogi Championships will be held in Chingford, London. The tournament will be held on Saturday 18th November.

Entry and venue details can be found here and we would also point out that
- there is no entry fee
- there is no cash prize
- anybody can enter
- the tournament will identify a British Closed Champion (who will need to be a UK citizen) and a British Open Champion (if the highest placed player is not from the UK)

We think it would be nice if players could get together for a meal out after the event.
The nearest restaurant is Prezzo, which serves pizza, pasta etc. There are also other restaurants in Chingford on the way to the railway station.
If you are interested in going out for dinner after the tournament, let Shogi London know, including if you have any particular dietary requirements.

2017 British Championships

Waltham Forest Shogi is pleased to announce that the 2017 British Shogi Championships will be held in Chingford, London. The tournament will be held on Saturday 18th November.

Entries should be sent by email to David Faldon.

The exact format will be determined based on the number of entries and the range of grades. We may operate a single group system, or separate groups for higher and lower graded players. We will aim to make sure that everybody will play in each round. We will hold a quickplay tournament after the main event if there is time. 

If anyone has any questions please ask before play starts.

The venue is the Friday Hall community centre, 56 Friday Hill East, London E4 6JT. 

Getting to the venue by public transport

The venue is about 1 mile from Chingford station. You can walk , but I suggest people take the 212 bus route from stop B. The bus takes about 5 minutes to Simmons Lane. There are buses every 10 minutes or so. The TfL journey planner can tell you how to get to Chingford overground station.

Driving/parking
If you are coming by car there is parking space for a couple of cars; otherwise you can normally park on the street nearby.

Food and drink
We will have some snacks and drinks at the venue; we are not planning to provide lunch. The Dovecote public house is very close and serves food. Alternatively on Hatch Lane there are a supermarket, fish and chip shop and other takeaways.

UK qualification tournament IMPORTANT INFORMATION

We don't yet have many entries for the qualification tournament on 03.06.2017.

If the number of entries remains small, we may change venue.

So please don't turn up on Saturday without registering by email with David Faldon.