Kasparov

via ChessBase

Frederic Friedel

11/29/2014 – Yohiharu Habu is a legend in Shogi, the Japanese version of chess. He is also a 2400+ Western chess player, one of the best in Japan. To promote an upcominghuman vs computer event Habu played an exhibition two game rapid chess match against another legend – who plays the game we all know. In this encounter Garry Kasparov had, in his own words, ‘everything to lose’.

It was a special match, between the thirteenth World Chess Champion and chess legend Garry Kasparov, 51, and the no less legendary Shogi (Japanese chess) master Yohiharu Habu, who is widely considered one of the greatest shogi players of all time (he won his 1,300th professional match last month). Habu happens to also be one of the best Western chess players in Japan, with an Elo rating of over 2400. Some were hoping for a dual Western chess and Shogi match, but Kasparov posted on his Twitter page:

 
The match was sponsored by the video portal provider Dwango Co., which broadcast the match live online through its niconico video website. The event was organized to promote a series of shogi games between professional players and computers that will take place in March – a “Denou-sen” designed as a team match between the five top human shogi players against the five top shogi computer programs.