Who needs to wait for the official banzuke when you have the crystal ball? After a somewhat cloudy performance for Aki, the forecast did well for Kyushu. The upper ranks were pretty straightforward based on Aki performances and absences, and I called all 11 slots correctly.

Among the more difficult to predict maegashira ranks, there were also no major surprises or deviations from the forecast. It’s a slight surprise to see Takakeisho jump over Chiyotairyu for the M1 slot, though they were essentially tied given their 9-6 and 8-7 records at M5 and M3, respectively. Tochinoshin seems slightly over-ranked, but the few other switches are all by one rank or half a rank and involve rikishi with identical predicted ranks. The biggest miss was Ura, whom I placed at M14 based on similar past cases, but whom the numbers would have placed at M16, where he indeed ended up on the official banzuke.

Correct rank but missed the side: Shohozan, Hokutofuji, Kaisei, Kagayaki.

Missed by one rank: Takakeisho, Chiyotairyu, Tochinoshin, Daishomaru, Daieisho, Ikioi, Okinoumi, Takekaze.

Missed by two ranks: Daiamami, Ura.

The bottom line: all 11 San’yaku slots predicted correctly; 21 of the 31 Maegashira ranks predicted correctly, and for 17 of these, that includes the correct East/West side (this corresponds to a respectable 60 points in the Guess The Banzuke game).