Japanese Chess – Shogi – 将棋
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Tag: Watanabe Akira

  • Shogi 2019 in Review

    By Galo S Mirth

    2019 was one of the most dramatic years in modern shogi. A new era name began in Japan, major titles changed hands, and several long running storylines reached turning points.

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  • Shogi 2009 in Review

    By Galo S Mirth

    In 2009, the modern shogi title scene featured dramatic seven game finishes in the Meijin and Oi, and a dominant sweep in the Ryuo. Below is a compact English recap of the year, with Japanese sources for readers who want to dig deeper.

    Shogi board pieces and komadai
    Shogi board pieces and komadai. Source: Wikimedia Commons, File:Shogi_board_pieces_and_komadai.jpg. Author: Oliver Orschiedt. License: CC BY-SA 3.0.

    (more…)

  • Shogi 2007 in Review

    By Galo S Mirth

    A shogi board with pieces and komadai.
    A shogi board with pieces and komadai. Source: Wikimedia Commons, File:Shogi_board_pieces_and_komadai.jpg. Author: Oliver Orschiedt. License: CC BY-SA 3.0.

    In the 2007 shogi season (April 2007 to March 2008), the title picture mixed long running dynasties with a few sharp turning points: Toshiyuki Moriuchi kept the Meijin, Akira Watanabe continued his early run as Ryuo, and Koichi Fukaura captured his first major title by taking the Oi from Yoshiharu Habu. (more…)

  • Shogi 2005 in Review

    By Galo S Mirth

    Akira Watanabe (渡辺明), professional shogi player
    Akira Watanabe (渡辺明). Source: Wikimedia Commons, File:Akira_Watanabe.jpg. Author: nakashi. License: CC BY-SA 2.0.

    Shogi in 2005 featured a successful defense of the Meijin by Toshiyuki Moriuchi, another Ryuo defense by Akira Watanabe, and an especially busy year for Yoshiharu Habu, who held or won several major titles. This article summarizes the headline results and a few notable storylines from the year.

    Note on seasons: Professional shogi title matches often span two calendar years. For consistency, I cite each title by its numbered term (for example, “the 18th Ryuo”) and the official season label used by Japanese sources.

    1. Major title matches (headline results)

    Title Term Champion (result) Challenger Score
    Ryuo 18th Akira Watanabe (defended) Kazuki Kimura 4-0
    Meijin 63rd Toshiyuki Moriuchi (defended) Yoshiharu Habu 4-3
    Oi 46th Yoshiharu Habu (defended) Yasumitsu Sato 4-3
    Oza 53rd Yoshiharu Habu (defended) Yasumitsu Sato 3-0
    Kio 30th Yoshiharu Habu (won title) Koji Tanigawa 3-0
    Osho 55th Yoshiharu Habu (defended) Yasumitsu Sato 4-3
    Kisei 76th Yasumitsu Sato (defended) Yoshiharu Habu 3-2

    2. A few 2005 storylines

    Watanabe’s Ryuo defense and promotion

    In the 18th Ryuo match, Akira Watanabe defeated Kazuki Kimura by four straight wins to defend the title. Japanese sources also note that this defense triggered Watanabe’s promotion to 9-dan.

    Moriuchi holds the Meijin in a full seven-game match

    The 63rd Meijin match went the distance. Toshiyuki Moriuchi defeated Yoshiharu Habu 4-3 to defend the Meijin title, underscoring just how narrow the margin at the very top can be even between long-time rivals.

    Habu and Sato repeatedly collide in summer and autumn

    Yoshiharu Habu defended both the 46th Oi and the 53rd Oza against Yasumitsu Sato, by 4-3 and 3-0 respectively. Earlier in the year, Sato defended the 76th Kisei against Habu 3-2. Their repeated high-stakes matches are one of the clearest through-lines of the 2005 season.

    Sources (Japanese)

    • Wikipedia (JA): 第18期竜王戦 (oldid 99511030) https://ja.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E7%AC%AC18%E6%9C%9F%E7%AB%9C%E7%8E%8B%E6%88%A6&oldid=99511030
    • Wikipedia (JA): 第63期名人戦 (将棋) (oldid 98430896) https://ja.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E7%AC%AC63%E6%9C%9F%E5%90%8D%E4%BA%BA%E6%88%A6_(%E5%B0%86%E6%A3%8B)&oldid=98430896
    • Wikipedia (JA): 第46期王位戦 (oldid 98237095) https://ja.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E7%AC%AC46%E6%9C%9F%E7%8E%8B%E4%BD%8D%E6%88%A6&oldid=98237095
    • Wikipedia (JA): 第53期王座戦 (将棋) (oldid 98237441) https://ja.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E7%AC%AC53%E6%9C%9F%E7%8E%8B%E5%BA%A7%E6%88%A6_(%E5%B0%86%E6%A3%8B)&oldid=98237441
    • Wikipedia (JA): 第30期棋王戦 (oldid 98236281) https://ja.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E7%AC%AC30%E6%9C%9F%E6%A3%8B%E7%8E%8B%E6%88%A6&oldid=98236281
    • Wikipedia (JA): 第55期王将戦 (oldid 103417159) https://ja.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E7%AC%AC55%E6%9C%9F%E7%8E%8B%E5%B0%86%E6%88%A6&oldid=103417159
    • Wikipedia (JA): 第76期棋聖戦 (将棋) (oldid 98238318) https://ja.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E7%AC%AC76%E6%9C%9F%E6%A3%8B%E8%81%96%E6%88%A6_(%E5%B0%86%E6%A3%8B)&oldid=98238318