Under shogi's shadow, Tokyo's chess lovers make their move
On a brisk summer evening in Shibuya, the Aldgate Pub is filled with over a dozen people tucked in the rear booths. Between them, it's not pints of beer but 32 pieces of black and white plastic that fly back and forth as clocks tick down the seconds.
This is Tokyo's chess scene, dedicated to a game older than the Aldgate, Shibuya and possibly even Japan itself.
With its roots in the seventh century, chess has had centuries to become one of the most popular board games in the world. Originally considered a high society hobby, the introduction of online boards and chess content creators has brought the game to millions of new players around the globe. According to the International Chess Federation (FIDE), chess' largest governing body, there are now 605 million active chess players ranging from amateur enthusiasts to grandmasters.
Yet Japan has largely resisted the draw of the 64 squares, with fewer than 20 titled players — a reference to ranks conferred on players of considerable skill — among the ranks of the 937 members of the Japan Chess Federation. Many will suggest this is because of shogi, Japan's own traditional board game. While children in Europe and America attend chess clubs, Japan's schools, colleges and community centers are home to the distinct clack of wooden shogi tiles.
While chess is known for its theoretical and tactical acumen with tense endgames needing precise maneuvering of one or two pieces, shogi is more strategic, with captured pieces returning to keep the game an intense battle right up to the end.
The Tokyo Check Mates group brings amateur chess enthusiasts together for weekly games. |
COURTESY OF AZIZJON MAMATKULOV, RANGGA HANDIKA AND MICHAEL HOLD
However, in Tokyo, a thriving chess community has bloomed to challenge shogi on its home turf. That's thanks in no small part to the amateur enthusiasts that make up Tokyo Check Mates (TCM).
'Honestly, it was more or less an accident,' says Michael Hold, the organizer of TCM, of the group's origin in 2019. 'I met someone to play with in Shibuya, and we found the Aldgate. We also found some other chess players, and agreed to meet the week after. And over the next few months, it became a regular thing.'
TCM now meets every Wednesday evening from 7:30 p.m. at the Aldgate. Usually, you can expect a dozen or so players, but some nights see up to 20. As I sit down to a game with Hold, 42, his fluency with the pieces becomes clear as his vicious attack rips through my kingside. But despite the comprehensive win, Hold chooses to focus on what he sees as most important to TCM.
'For me, the biggest goal of TCM was to create a casual environment for all types of chess players to enjoy the game,' says Hold. 'We're about chess but also social interaction.'
While the local chess scene with Hold and friends is perfect for a relaxed night, others have more ambitious plans.
The Japan Chess Federation counts around 900 members in its ranks, though it hopes to grow to 3,000 by 2030. |
SHYAM BHARDWA
Amid the competitive buzz of the Japan Rapid Chess Championships, held this year on June 7 and 8 at the Shinagawa Ward General Kumin Hall in southern Tokyo, Japan Chess Federation (JCF) President Hiroshi Manabe explains how chess in his home country is currently evolving beyond its humble roots.
'When I started playing chess, I was a student (at the University of Tokyo), and some of my shogi friends introduced me to it,' says Manabe, 58. 'They gave me a book — 'Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess.' From there, I was hooked. But Japan didn't have many chess players, and most of my experience came through the now-defunct Asaka Chess Club. At the time, it was one of the premier chess clubs in Japan and hosted some tournaments throughout the year. But outside that, chess was still quite small in Japan and concentrated in Tokyo.'
As the tournament's 119 players duel across a multitude of chessboards behind Manabe, it's hard to imagine chess struggling to draw a crowd in Japan. But he explains that it was only recently that his organization was able to chart a new course for players in the country.
'(The JCF's) precursor, the Japan Chess Association, was flawed,' Manabe says of the organization that ceased operations in 2019. 'The leadership was not very democratic, with no elections and an acting president for 15 years. This only changed because of a remarkable woman — Ms. Yumiko Hiebert.'
Today, the 54-year-old Hiebert is credited as the founder of the JCF. After qualifying as a FIDE International Arbiter, a certification required to run official chess events in Japan, she worked with other volunteers to create the modern JCF, which now hosts dozens of events around the country. In 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hiebert stepped down from her role, at which point Manabe was elected to replace her.
Japan Chess Federation Hiroshi Manabe believes the game has a higher ceiling in international circles than Japan's homegrown game of shogi. |
SHYAM BHARDWA
Ironically, the pandemic was a shot in the arm for chess around the world. With large swaths of the population unable to leave their homes, chess websites like Chess.com and Lichess reported surges in membership — from 35 million in late 2019 to over 200 million in 2024 for Chess.com. The popular Netflix series 'The Queen's Gambit' and the rise of chess-focused livestreamers also brought the game much closer to the zeitgeist.
But to Manabe, the real driving force of Japan's chess growth is its community.
"While online chess content and websites have helped, what people tell me most excites them is learning that their friends enjoy chess, too,' Manabe says. 'Nowadays, children will talk about chess in the classroom and find out four, five or six of them play, too. In the past, most of them would have been the only chess player in their entire school, let alone the classroom.'
As we speak on the tournament floor, Manabe is quick to point out talented chess players around the room, many of whom are young. I'm introduced to Rikka Mitsuyama, a 16-year-old youth girls' champion with years of potential ahead of her, according to Manabe. He also touches on how, as a shogi player himself, he discusses chess with parents who may be apprehensive of their child choosing it over Japan's homegrown game.
'With shogi, if you become the Japanese champion, your reward is playing against Yoshiharu Habu or another shogi legend for honor and prestige. But it's very contained — where do you go from there? If you become a chess champion, though? The next step is the (Association of Southeast Asian) championships and then other, larger international events.
Shogi retains more prestige among Japanese players, but chess is gaining ground in the country thanks to global growth. |
AFP-JIJI
'Not only that, but (players) are interacting with an international community, learning English and enjoying all these other small benefits,' Manabe adds. 'In the future, as the world grows more connected, these experiences will be useful.'
As part of his tenure as JCF president, Manabe is spearheading what he calls 'Vision 2030' — a set of goals for the JCF to achieve by the end of the decade. Many are community focused, with his most direct goal being to foster the new generation of chess enthusiasts.
'Right now, we have around 900 chess players in our federation, and 17 titled players like FIDE Master Taira Tyler Tanaka , and International Master Nanjo Ryosuke ,' he says, adding that an 18th titled member is awaiting final confirmation. 'With the passion and strength I've seen recently, I'm aiming for 3,000 members, with 30 titled players by 2030. But that doesn't mean we're forgetting our casual players. I want to start supporting chess clubs in smaller cities so nobody is out of reach of a club. Not only that, but we produce our own chess content.'
As he says this, Manabe shows me the unique wooden boards hosting the top four tables at the tournament. These are digital boards, designed to capture the game in real time. Next to them, a blinking camera indicates a running livestream of the game. Opening his phone to Chess.com, he shows me the stream on the world's most popular chess website — hundreds of viewers are watching.
As we leave the hall, Manabe confides one final goal to me, one that he feels would be the pinnacle achievement of Japanese chess and a tangible symbol of all the hard work put in by the local chess community.
'We've had some very strong chess players recently, and so I think it won't be too long now. But one day soon, all of us will be welcoming the first Japanese grandmaster in history.'
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