Hello everyone :)

I'm hirohiigo, the guy who runs the blog Louisiana Shogi and the Shogi Proverbs Youtube video series. I'll just give a quick introduction and bio of myself.

Name: Eric De Las Casas
Where I live: Louisiana, USA
Age: 19
When I started Shogi: April 2009
Rank: PlayOK ~1300
Where I play most: PlayOK
Favorite Strategy: Static Rook
Favorite Opening: Yagura

I started playing shogi when a friend of mine and I were playing chess. He jokingly asked if I want to play Taikyoku Shogi, and that led me to inquire as to what shogi was, and we eventually started playing on PlayOK. After a few games he showed me HIDETCHI's video on 2-Pawns, wanting to show me the pro game clip in that video. That got me hooked on HIDETCHI's videos, and I watched all of them.

I now spend most of my time playing, studying, or discussing shogi - which is hard considering I live in the Southern United States, where there is no shogi presence at all. In response to there being no shogi presence, I'm making the effort to make a presence. I held what I believe to be Louisiana's first shogi event at the Mechacon Anime Convention in Lafayette, Louisiana, on Saturday, July 25, 2009. It was a big hit - 30 people showed up to learn how to play. I'm planning to hold more shogi events at following Mechacons and any other anime conventions I happen to go to.

But that's not enough. I want to make shogi more and more popular. To this end, I created the video series, Shogi Proverbs. I don't think I'm good enough of a player to be doing this, but because nobody else is making an effort, I want to. It's my dream that one day, shogi tournaments will be even half as numerous as chess tournaments in the US, and that's why I dive into the 81 square universe.

You are so much better than I am, haha. I'm jealous of you.