Tuesday (September 23)

---

Game 1

Go

September 23, Game 1, E4-1

In E4-1, Kobayashi is in 2nd place and 1,600 behind 1st place Daigo. Considering he dealt into a mangan in E1-1, getting back to this point is a surprise. However, he wants more.

Kobayashi starts off 2-shanten with two ryanmens, a secured red 5s and a floating dora north. Though Kobayashi is unable to incorporate the north dora, he does quickly get to tenpai with a red 5p draw and calls riichi on a 47m ryanmen, wanting the 7m for sanshoku.

Before the row is done, Shimoishi discards the 4m and deals into Kobayashi. Kobayashi wins the hand with Riichi/Pinfu/Aka 2 for for 8,000+300, moving Kobayashi into 1st and Shimoishi into 4th.

---

Daigo

September 23, Game 1, S2-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p9501

In S2-0, Daigo is in 2nd and 8,700 behind 1st place Kobayashi.

Daigo’s starting hand is 3-shanten with two good shapes and one secured red 5s. On turn 2, he pairs up the red dragon for a potential yaku route. When Daigo completes some sequences and draws mainly simple tiles, Daigo decides to discard that pair at the end of the first row to pursue tanyao with pinfu potential.

On turn 8, Daigo fills in the 3s kanchan and calls riichi on a 58p ryanmen, guaranteed at least a mangan. It takes a while, but Daigo eventually draws the 8p in the middl eo fthe second row and wins the hand. Daigo wins with Riichi/Tsumo/Pinfu/Tanyao/Aka 1 for 2,000/4,000, moving into 1st place by 1,300.

---

South 4

September 23, Game 1, S4-0
Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s80_p2041

In S4-0, Daigo is in 2nd place and 700 behind 1st place Kobayashi. Anything is enough.

Daigo starts 3-shanten for seven pairs, but 5-shanten from a standard hand. However, he does have some hope with tanyao, having shapes that would allow for that. He fosters this route and gets to 2-shanten at the end of the first row (getting a dora 6p in the process.

To his right, 3rd place dealer Shimoishi is iishanten. At the start of the second row, he gets to tenpai and calls riichi on a 58m ryanmen. WIth a single uradora, Shimoishi can move into 1st place.

With few safe tiles in the first place, Daigo pushes. On turn 8, he gets to iishanten. A turn after that, he gets to tenpai on the 3s. As if by holy intervention, Daigo draws the 3s on his very next turn and wins the hand. Daigo wins with Tsumo/Tanyao/Dora 1 for 1,000/2,000 plus one riichi stick for the win.

---

Results

Game 11

---

Game 2

Kuma Kuma Time

September 23, Game 2

In S1-0, Setokuma is in 1st, but the lead is a very slim 200.

Setokuma’s starting hand has a bunch of stray honours, but the suited tiles are all good shapes and valuable. With a pair of 7m dora and a connected red 5p, a winning hand will be at least mangan. On turn 3, he pairs up the green dragon and call pon on it soon after. On his next turn, he calls pon on the green dragon for iishanten.

At the start of the second row, Setokuma gets to tenpai on a 36p ryanmen. Three turns later, he draws the 6p and wins the hand. Setokuma wins with Green Dragon/Dora 3/Aka 1 for 2,000/4,000.

---

Video: https://abema.tv/video/episode/444-1_s5_p10004

In S3-0, Setokuma starts 4-shanten for a standard hand (3-shanten for seven pairs) with two dora 5m for value. The first row allows Setokuma to move two steps forward, getting him to a standard 3-shanten and 2-shanten for seven pairs.

In the second row, Setokuma makes sequence candidates and a triplet of 8s, pushing him towards standard and getting him to iishanten. Before the row is done, he draws a blessed 3s to get to tenpai and calls riichi on a 36m ryanmen.

Though none remain in the wall, Genta’s 3m makes him vulnerable. Sure enough, Genta gets to tenpai during the ippatus round and throws the 3m trying to call riichi, dealing into Setokuma. Setokuma wins the hand with Riichi/Ippatsu/Dora 2 for 8,000.

---

Results

Game 12

---

Intro | Standings