Official News Release

Following Watanabe Kazushi, whose promotion to 4-Dan has been decided before, Ishikawa Yuta 3-Dan's promotion has also been decided on Saturday, September 7th, after playing the 19th game of the 65th Shoureikai 3-Dan League (April 2019 to September 2019). The final results were 16 wins 2 losses for Watanabe 3-Dan, 13 wins 5 loses for Ishikawa 3-Dan. They will become 4-Dan on October 1st, 2019. The 3rd player in the league was Koga Yusei 3-Dan, 13 wins 5 loses.

Watanabe Kazushi　 Professional Player ID　319

Date of birth

October 6th, 1994 (24 years old)

Hometown

Shinjuku, Tokyo

Pupil of

7-Dan Toyokawa Takahiro

Enrollment in Shoureikai

February 2008

Enrollment in 3-Dan League

October 2013 (from the 54th league)

Favorite strategy

Bishop Exchange

Hobby

Playing Basketball

Background of starting playing shogi

Learned from his father when he was 5 years old.

Comment

I am glad to finish the league with a victory. I will do my best.

Ishikawa Yuta　 Professional Player ID　320

Date of birth

November 11th, 1994 (24 years old)

Hometown

Kawagoe-cho Mie-gun, Mie

Pupil of

7-Dan Mori Nobuo

Enrollment in Shoureikai

September 2006

Enrollment in 3-Dan League

April 2013 (from the 53th league)

Favorite strategy

3rd-file rook

Hobby

Watching Japanese anime

Background of starting playing shogi

Watched his father and grandfather playing shogi when he was 6 years old.

Comment

I thought I missed my chance again when I lost the first game. I feel very lucky for my promotion.

Sanmaido Tatsuya 6-Dan (26 years old) has been promoted to 7-Dan, winning the game described below.

Date of promotion

September 4th, 2019

Game

32th Ryuou Ranking Tournament, 3rd Group, Advancing Player Deciding Match
(opponent: Namekata Hisashi 8-Dan）

Ground of promotion

Ryuou Ranking Tournament Consecutive Advancement

Kato Yuria Ladies 1-Kyu（16 years old）has been promoted to Ladies 1-Dan, winning the game described below.

Date of promotion

August 25th, 2019

Game

27th Oyama Meijin Cup, Kurashiki Tournament
（opponent: Idoh Chihiro Ladies 2-Dan）

Ground of promotion

Kurashiki Tournament Best 4

Takada Shohei 7-Dan (57 year-old) retired, as described below.

Retirement date:

August 9th, 2019 (Friday)

Last game:

The 32th Ryuousen Group 6, upgrade deciding match
（opponent: Sugimoto Kazuo 4-Dan）

Cause of retirement:

Retirement rules of Free Class player

At this time, Japan Shogi Association has established a rule for when Ladies Professional player passes "Professional Admission Test" or when woman who belongs to Shoreikai is promoted to 4-Dan:


① A Ladies Professional player is entitled to participate in both Ladies tournaments and Professional tournaments, provided that she passes "Professional Admission Test".
② A woman who gets promoted to 4-Dan through Shoreikai is able to apply for Ladies Professional player status, provided that she applies within two weeks after she is promoted to 4-Dan.

Oohashi Takahiro 4-Dan (26 years old) has been promoted to 5-Dan, winning the game described below.

Date of promotion

Wed. July 31st, 2019

Game

61st Oi Tournament preliminary round
（opponent: Anyouji Takanori 6-Dan）

Reason of promotion

100 wins in official matches after becoming 4-Dan

Kajiura Hirotaka 4-Dan (24 years old) has been promoted to 5-Dan, winning the game described below.

Date of promotion

July 25th, 2019

Game

4th Yamada Challenge Cup
（opponent: Ishii Kentaro 5-Dan）

Ground of promotion

100 wins in official matches after becoming 4-Dan

Japan Shogi Association (JSA) had a selection meeting of 'Oyama Yasuharu Prize' and decided to award the indivisual category to 2 people and party category to 2 parties of 'the 26th Oyama Yasuharu Prize.' This award is set up to praise those who have contributed to spreading shogi and advancement cultures for long years.
The recipients are shown below.

Indivisual Category（2 people）

Koike Masao
Okada Hiromichi

Party Category（2 parties）

Fujita Kanko Inc.
Noda City

The Recipients of the 26th Oyama Yasuharu Award

Indivisual Category

Koike Masao （85 years old）living in Minami-alps city, Yamanashi pref.

Achievement
He works for over 30 years as the head of Yamanashi prefectural branch of JSA, arranges many games and makes great effort to develop shogi environment in Yamanashi prefecture.

Okada Hiromichi（80 years old）living in Yamagata city, Yamagata pref.

Achievement
He made a great contribution to develop shogi environment in Yamagata as the first head of Yamagata prefectural branch of JSA. He is currently the honorary head of Yamagata prefectural branch.

Party Category

Fujita Kanko Inc.

Achievement
'Chinzanso', which it runs, is known for the place where meijin-sen begins every year and where the conferral ceremony of meijin is held.

Noda City

Achievement
This city cooperates with JSA positively. Its activity bases on Sekine Kinjiro memorial house, where ladies meijin-sen is held. Also the first shogi summit was held in this city.

Kato Yuria Ladies 2-Kyu（16 years old), winning the game described below.

Date of promotion

June 13th, 2019

Game

27th Oyama Meijin Cup, Kurashiki Tournament
（opponent: Kagawa Manao Ladies 3-Dan）

Ground of promotion

Kurashiki Tournament Best 8

Free Class transferees for 2019 are as follows.

Waki Kenji 8-Dan
Izumi Masaki 8-Dan