Seki-Toto/Quad/Oracle banzuke for Natsu 2022

[Asashosakari 16,698]

Seki-Toto (play):

Following three disappointing tournaments, a 9-6 target record had been set for yokozuna Pandaazuma to keep wearing the rope beyond March. He managed to hit that mark, if barely, and the hopeful soul that I am I will refrain from setting another explicit target for Natsu basho. However, we are still looking at four consecutive single-digit scores, and a fifth one this month would certainly lead back to a more aggressive view for Nagoya. Fellow yokozuna Norizo also posted a 9-6, but with back-to-back 11-4's before that he's in a much more established position, and for good measure our sole ozeki ScreechingOwl ended up with 9 wins as well.

He won't be the sole ozeki anymore, however, after the following unspectacular but entirely sufficient run by our latest player to make the move to the second-highest rank:

2021.11 M1w 10-5
2022.01 K1e 12-3 J
2022.03 S1e 10-5

Congrats, Ganzohnesushi!

Athenayama and Konosato, demoted from ozeki after the January tournament, both fell short in their repromotion campaigns, scoring 7 and 8 wins respectively.

As in the last two basho the upper-ranked players won heavily (8.4 wins on average between Y and M5), but this time the worst banzuke-making excesses weren't forced upon me, mostly courtesy of three sanyaku players giving up their spots via makekoshi. Things were still plenty crowded in the joi, with an unfortunate victim of the crunch being Haru yusho winner Susanoo, whom I'd normally have rewarded with a place in sanyaku. I wasn't willing to go beyond the "normal" maximum of 12 sanyaku slots just for a courtesy promotion, though.

Norizo (Ye 9-6)             Y    Pandaazuma (Yw 9-6)
ScreechingOwl (Oe 9-6)      O    Ganzohnesushi (S1e 10-5)
Konosato (S2w 8-7)          S1   Joaoiyama (M1w 11-3-1)
Kintamayama (K2e 9-5-1)     S2   Bill (K2w 9-6)
Oskahanada (K3w 9-6)        S3   -
Chijanofuji (K1w 8-7)       K1   Toonoryu (M3w 11-4)
-                           K2   Golynohana (M4w 11-4)

Susanoo (M9w 12-3 Y)        M1   Athenayama (S2e 7-8)
DeRosa (M2e 8-6-1)          M2   Kaito (M5w 10-5)
Kotononami (S1w 6-7-2)      M3   Unkonoyama (M5e 9-6)
Kishikaisei (M1e 7-8)       M4   Andoreasu (M7w 9-6)
Chishafuwaku (K1e 5-10)     M5   Flohru (M2w 7-8)
Fujisan (M11e 9-6)          M6   Oortael (M3e 6-9)
Gaanaa (M11w 9-5-1)         M7   Achiyama (M7e kosho)
Gawasukotto (M6e 7-8)       M8   Metzinowaka (M4e 6-9)
Terarno (M6w 7-7-1)         M9   Asapedroryu (M13w 9-6)
Herritarooo (M12w 8-7)      M10  Frinkanohana (M8e 6-9)
Hidenotora (J2w 10-5)       M11  Kuroimori (M10w 7-8)
Chelseayama (J3w 10-5)      M12  Kajiyanosho (J2e 9-6)
Hana-ichi (M12e 7-8)        M13  Chankoyama (M10e 6-9)
Taka (M8w 5-10)             M14  Jakusotsu (M14w 7-8)
Asashosakari (M15e kosho)   M15  Gernobono (M13e 6-9)

Takanorappa (M9e 4-10-1)    J1   Benihana (J7w 9-6)
Andonishiki (M15w 6-9)      J2   Anjoboshi (J6e 8-6-1)
Kitakachiyama (M14e 5-10)   J3   Onakaderu (J10w 10-5)
Sakura (J8w 9-6)            J4   Netsuzakura (J6w 8-7)
Umigame (J9e 9-6)           J5   Kobashi (J3e 7-8)
Kaiowaka (J1e 6-9)          J6   Mmikasazuma (J4w 7-7-1)
Ahokaina (J11e 9-6)         J7   Gansekiiwa (J5e 7-8)
Atenzan (J7e kosho)         J8   Tomisakae (J13e 8-6-1)
Profomisakari (Ms2w 9-6)    J9   Balon (J14w 8-7)
Ketsukai (J1w 3-12)         J10  Kyoju (J10e 7-8)
Andrasoyamawaka (J8e 6-9)   J11  Neko (Ms4w 9-6)
Kashunowaka (J12e kosho)    J12  Rowitoro (Ms2e 8-7)
Oshirokita (J11w 7-8)       J13  Getayukata (J12w 7-8)
Saruyama (Ms6w 9-6)         J14  Choshu-yuki (J9w 5-9-1)

Mariohana (J5w 3-11-1)      Ms1  Ulishimaru (Ms5w 8-7)
Holleshoryu (Ms3w 7-8)      Ms2  Akishiki (Ms1e 6-9)
Dan Koloff (Ms1w 6-8-1)     Ms3  GONZABUROW (J13w 5-10)
WAKATAKE (Ms9e 8-5-2)       Ms4  Jejima (J4e 0-0-15)
Nantonoyama (J14e 4-11)     Ms5  Chudorj (Ms5e 6-8-1)
Effinojo (Ms4e 4-9-2)       Ms6  Oyama (Ms8e 5-10)
Sutarokku (Ms7e kosho)      Ms7  Aderechelseamaru (Ms6e 4-6-5)
Sherlockiama (Ms7w 4-5-6)   Ms8  Damimonay (Ms3e 0-0-15)
Chartorenji (NR 3-3-9)      Ms9  Unagiyutaka2 (Ms9w 2-7-6)
Sukubidubidu (Ms8w 0-0-15)  Ms10 BariiHachiBenson (NR 1-6-8)
Kuodorupuru (Ms11e kosho)   Ms11 -

Edited May 9, 2022 by Asashosakari

[Asashosakari 16,698]

Seki-Quadrumvirate (play):

Haru basho in Quad saw two incumbent ozeki active as well as two new ones. One from each pair finished KK and the other MK, so it's Norizo and rookie Kaito who enter Natsu unblemished, while Kobashi and the other newcomer Jakusotsu are now soft kadoban.

Former ozeki Bill has posted very decent scores of 9-6, 10-5, 8-7 and 10-5 since his drop last year, and while that hasn't quite hit the spot for a new promotion yet (particularly in light of the fact that the previous one was not especially strong and led directly to back-to-back-to-back MK and immediate demotion), it's getting to the point where an extended look beyond the default 29 wins in sanyaku standard may be given in two months' time if Natsu is similarly successful. In any case he enters the new tournament as the top-ranked sekiwake for the fourth straight time, a feat rarely seen in S4. Haru komusubi pair Pandaazuma and Golynohana finished as 11-4 doten runner-ups, and having moved up to sekiwake they're both also in prime promoting position for this tournament.

All in all sanyaku was easy to arrange, albeit with an expansion from 10 to 11 slots due to a slight abundance of promotable records over makekoshi. The rest of the ranking was largely uneventful as well, except for a mini-crunch in the middle maegashira ranks that saw 9 players trying to squeeze into what should have been 4 spots based on their old rank/record combinations. That resulted in a less than pretty M6e-M10e zone.

Kaito (O2e 9-6)                O1   Norizo (O1w 8-6-1)
Kobashi (O1e 7-8)              O2   Jakusotsu (O2w 7-8)
Bill (Se 10-5)                 S1   Pandaazuma (K1w 11-4 D)
Golynohana (K2e 11-4 D)        S2   Kishikaisei (Sw 8-7)
Ganzohnesushi (K1e 8-7)        K1   Oskahanada (M2e 9-6)
ScreechingOwl (M1w 8-7)        K2   -

Andrasoyama (M6e 10-5)         M1   chishafuwaku (M5e 9-6)
Konosato (M3e 8-7)             M2   joaoiyama (M9e 10-5)
Fujisan (M7e 9-6)              M3   Athenayama (K2w 6-9)
Susanoo (M10e 10-5)            M4   Unkonoyama (M13e 11-4 Y)
Choshu-yuki (M2w 7-7-1)        M5   Flohru (M1e 6-9)
Asapedroryu (M4e 7-8)          M6   Kitakachiyama (M4w 7-8)
Jejima (M12w 10-4-1)           M7   Getayukata (M10w 9-6)
Ketsukai (M8w 8-7)             M8   DeRosa (M11e 9-6)
Kashunowaka (M6w kosho)        M9   Oortael (M9w 8-7)
Asashosakari (M7w kosho)       M10  Andoreasu (J1e 10-4-1)
Nantonoyama (M14e 8-7)         M11  Gansekiiwa (M15w 8-7)
GONZABUROW (M11w 7-8)          M12  Sakura (M16w 8-7)
Kotononami (M5w 4-10-1)        M13  Hironoumi (M3w 3-8-4)
Taka (M8e 5-10)                M14  Netsuzakura (J3e 9-6)
Chankoyama (M14w 7-8)          M15  Andonishiki (J6e 10-5)
Metzinowaka (M15e 7-8)         M16  -

Gernobono (M13w 6-9)           J1   Terarno (J5e 9-5-1)
Achiyama (J1w kosho)           J2   Holleshoryu (J4w 8-7)
Kuroimori (M12e 4-10-1)        J3   Kaiowaka (J7w 9-6)
Ruziklao (J5w 8-7)             J4   Frinkanohana (J8e 9-6)
Chocshoporyu (J2w 7-6-2)       J5   Balon (M16e 5-10)
Kyoju (J4e 7-8)                J6   Kintamayama (J8w 8-7)
Sukubidubidu (J6w kosho)       J7   Anjoboshi (J3w 6-8-1)
reeeen (J11e 8-6-1)            J8   Kajiyanosho (J11w 8-7)
Takanorappa (J14w 9-4-2)       J9   Oyama (J9e 7-8)
Saruyama (J10e 7-8)            J10  Hidenotora (J2e 3-11-1)
Rowitoro (J10w 7-8)            J11  Mariohana (J9w 6-9)
Chibiyama (Ms2w 8-7)           J12  Profomisakari (J12w 7-8)
Kasamatsuri (J13e 7-8)         J13  Neko (Ms3w 8-5-2)
Doreikishi (J13w 7-8)          J14  Hakushin (J14e 7-8)

Oshirokita (J7e 3-12)          Ms1  Hogashi (Ms1w kosho)
bariihachibenson (Ms1e 6-7-2)  Ms2  Hakase (J12e 4-11)
Unagiyutaka (Ms4e 5-4-6)       Ms3  Kyodaitimu (Ms5e 4-10-1)
Mmikasazuma (Ms3e 3-8-4)       Ms4  Chartorenji (NR 4-3-8)
Kazejihi (Ms2e 1-0-14)         Ms5  aderechelseamaru (Ms5w kosho)
kamogawa (Ms6w 0-2-13)         Ms6  Tsuchinoninjin (Ms7w kosho)

Edited May 10, 2022 by Asashosakari

[Asashosakari 16,698]

Seki-Oracle (play):

The first basho with just two yokozuna saw Pandaazuma post a credible 10-5 record, while Norizo finished narrowly kachikoshi and hasn't done better than 8-7 in five straight tournaments now. Freshly rebooted Choshu-yuki achieved a converted 11-4 record down in juryo, although with a points score that would have been barely KK in her old high-ranker stomping grounds.

Top-ranked Haru ozeki Gansekiiwa was the only one of the quartet to finish makekoshi, and he will be kadoban for Natsu. Fellow ozeki Oskanohana topped the joi bracket with a score that converted to the full 15 wins, but was beaten for the yusho by one point by a lower-ranking player anyway. This result was still easily strong enough to trigger a tsunatori for the new basho, of course.

As that 15-0 indicates, the results were much less tightly clustered in Haru than they had been back in January when very few people had scores converting to better than 8-7. Furthermore there was very little difference in quality between the joi and the maegashira bracket, which required some "creative" banzuke-making to reconcile the significantly different scoring rules of the two brackets. (Most importantly, yusho winner Susanoo's points total only converted to 12 wins despite exceeding Oskanohana's zensho-worthy score. Other KK scores were similarly depressed.) As a result the joi MK players got dropped quite a bit harder than they usually would be here.

Oracle, too, had an ex-ozeki attempting to regain his rank the easy way in March, but DeRosa's campaign ended in makekoshi. The other sekiwake Golynohana came close to earning a promotion of his own, but his 9-6, 11-4, 9-6 run was judged as borderline on the wrong side of the in/out divider. Overall this game's sanyaku went the opposite way of that in S4, shrinking in size from 11 to 10 for Natsu basho.

Pandaazuma (Ye 10-5)           Y    Norizo (Yw 8-7)
Oskahanada (O2e 15-0)          O1   Kaito (O2w 10-5)
chishafuwaku (O1w 9-6)         O2   Gansekiiwa (O1e 6-9)
Golynohana (Se 9-6)            S    Bill (M1e 13-2)
Andoreasu (M2w 12-3)           K    Susanoo (M7w 12-3 Y)

Ganzohnesushi (M6e 10-5)       M1   Frinkanohana (M2e 8-7)
Kishikaisei (M7e 10-5)         M2   DeRosa (Sw 7-8)
Kitakachiyama (M9w 10-5)       M3   Oshirokita (M4w 8-7)
Konosato (M8w 9-6)             M4   Flohru (K1e 6-9)
ScreechingOwl (K1w 6-9)        M5   Oortael (K2e 6-9)
Mariohana (M6w 8-7)            M6   Asashosakari (M4e kosho)
GONZABUROW (M3e 7-8)           M7   Taka (M1w 6-9)
Balon (M15w 10-5)              M8   Unkonoyama (M5w 6-9)
Wamahada (M3w 5-10)            M9   Pitinosato (M10w 8-7)
Torafujii (M8e 7-8)            M10  Hakase (M12w 8-7)
Andrasoyama (M5e 4-11)         M11  Shatsume (M13w 8-7)
Tsuchinoninjin (M11w kosho)    M12  Athenayama (M9e 6-9)
Kotononami (M13e kosho)        M13  Profomisakari (J1e 11-4)
Kobashi (J6e 13-2)             M14  Sakura (M11e 6-9)
Sukubidubidu (M15e kosho)      M15  joaoiyama (M12e 6-9)
Saruyama (M10e 5-10)           M16  Netsuzakura (J1w 8-7)

Mmikasazuma (M16e 7-8)         J1   Ruziklao (M14e 6-9)
Terarno (J7e 10-5)             J2   Kaiowaka (J3w 8-7)
Kasamatsuri (J2w kosho)        J3   Takanorappa (M14w 4-11)
Choshu-yuki (J11w 11-4)        J4   Nantonoyama (J9w 8-7)
Metzinowaka (J4e 6-9)          J5   Holleshoryu (J2e 5-10)
Hidenotora (J6w 7-8)           J6   Kakushoyama (NR 8-7)
Kajiyanosho (J4w 5-10)         J7   Chartorenji (NR 7-8)
Anjoboshi (J8e kosho)          J8   shimodahito (J8w kosho)
Seki Haruaki (J5e 3-12)        J9   Doreikishi (J10w 4-11)
Fujisan (J9e 3-12)             J10  Jejima (J3e 0-0-15)
bariihachibenson (J11e kosho)  J11  Kurofuji (J5w 0-0-15)
reeeen (J10e 1-14)             J12  Andonishiki (J7w 0-0-15)

Edited May 10, 2022 by Asashosakari

[Profomisakari 610]

 M13  Profomisakari (J1e 11-4)      ?

 

[Asashosakari 16,698]

The Oracle points that you scored were equivalent to an 8-7 in lower makuuchi, I'm generally not going to promote you ahead of maegashira players such as Hakase and Shatsume who have similar scores.