By Galo S Mirth
Tomoka Nishiyama won the Universal Cup 52nd Jooryu Meijin best-of-five and took the title from Kana Fukuma in February 2026. The official match table on the Japan Shogi Association side records a 3-0 result for Nishiyama, with wins in Games 1, 2, and 3, so the series ended before Games 4 and 5.
By Galo S Mirth
Mid-February 2026 brought a cluster of smaller but meaningful shogi updates. None of these items was a title-match result on its own, but together they show how publishing, education programs, local event tie-ins, and legacy media all support the wider shogi ecosystem.
By Galo S Mirth
The ALSOK Cup 75th Osho title match took a decisive turn in Game 4. According to the Japan Shogi Association news listing, challenger Takuya Nagase won Game 4 against Osho Sota Fujii. Coming after Nagase’s Game 3 win, the result changed the emotional and strategic balance of the seven game match before Game 5.
The official JSA news stream records 「藤井聡太王将VS永瀬拓矢九段 ALSOK杯第75期王将戦七番勝負第4局 永瀬九段の勝利」 (updated 2026-02-18). With Nagase also listed as winner of Game 3 in the same official stream, the match narrative has shifted from a Fujii control scenario to a level, high pressure race toward the final stages. (more…)
By Galo S Mirth
The 51st Kioh title match (KONAMI Group Cup) has quickly become one of the most important storylines of early 2026. In the official Japan Shogi Association news flow, challenger Yasuhiro Masuda is recorded as winner of Game 1 against title holder Sota Fujii. Game 2 is now a pressure point for the entire five game structure.
The JSA news listing includes the result line 「藤井聡太棋王VS増田康宏八段 第51期棋王戦コナミグループ杯五番勝負第1局 増田八段の勝利」 (updated 2026-02-08). In a best of five, a challenger taking the opening game changes everything. It compresses the champion’s margin for error and forces earlier strategic adaptation than in a seven game title format. (more…)
By Galo S Mirth
Early February 2026 has been unusually dense for Japanese shogi news. The official Japan Shogi Association feeds show major title match swings, a historic career milestone announcement, new event recruitment notices, and community facing updates that matter for both dedicated followers and casual fans.
The biggest competitive stories in the official news list were from the two top title fronts. In the Osho match, Takuya Nagase’s Game 4 win over Sota Fujii reset the tension in the series. In the Kioh match, Yasuhiro Masuda’s Game 1 win and the run up to Game 2 set up a high pressure early phase in a five game format. Together, these results reinforced that even in the Fujii era, challenger adaptation remains decisive. (more…)
By Galo S Mirth
Kana Fukuma, one of the most decorated women’s professionals in modern shogi, has announced that she will take the professional admission exam (棋士編入試験). The Japan Shogi Association news page framed this as a major institutional development and later added schedule details. For shogi fans, this is not just one player’s challenge. It is a high visibility test of the crossover path between the women’s title world and the open professional system.
On 2026-02-16, the Japan Shogi Association posted an official news item titled 「福間香奈女流六冠、棋士編入試験受験へ【日程追記あり】」. The wording itself signaled two things: first, that Fukuma would proceed to the exam, and second, that scheduling information would be updated as the process advanced. Because the exam is run under formal JSA procedures, timeline updates are expected to come through official JSA channels. (more…)
If you’ve ever played shogi online, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of Shogi Club 24, also called “24”, or “ni-yon” in Japan. It’s the plain-looking site that still manages to feel like a real dojo: serious games, strong opponents, and a rating that people actually respect. It also has 300,000+ registered members, and you can register and play for free.
And now for the part that makes your stomach drop, …
Shogi Club 24 is scheduled to shut down on December 31, 2025.
Yes. That Shogi Club 24–the one that helped shape online shogi for more than two decades–is about to become history. (more…)