Official News Release

On Saturday, September 26th, in the 19th round of the 67th Incentive Association 3-dan league tournament (June 2020 to September 2020) held at Shogi Kaikan in Tokyo, Tomita Seiya 3-Dan was promoted to 4-dan, following Ito Takumi 3-Dan who had already been promoted to 4-Dan. The final result was 15 wins and 3 losses for Ito 3-dan and 14 wins and 4 losses for Tomita 3-dan. The final results were 15 wins and 3 losses for Ito 3-Dan and 14 wins and 4 losses for Tomita 3-Dan.
The runner-up is Koga Yusei 3-Dan with 13 wins and 5 losses. This is the second time for Koga 3-Dan to win the runner-up spot, following the 65th Shoreikai 3-Dan League Tournament (April 2019 to September 2019), and he was qualified to enter the free class according to the regulations and exercised it.
As a result, Ito Takumi, Tomita Seiya, and Koga Yusei will be promoted to 4-Dan from the 3-Dan league. The date of promotion to 4-dan will be October 1, 2020.

Click here for the table of the 67th Shoreikai 3-Dan League Tournament

Ito Takumi - Badge Number 324

Birth date

October 10th 2002 (17years old)

Hometown

Setagaya-ku, Tokyo

Master

Miyata Toshio 8-Dan

Month/Year admitted to enter Shoreikai

September 2013

Month/Year admitted to enter Shoreikai 3-Dan League

April 2018(from the 63th Shoreikai 3-Dan League）

Signature tactics

Double Wing Attack

Hobby

Watching baseball games

Reason he started playing shogi

I learned it from my father when I was five years old.

Comment from Ito Takumi

It is a pity that I lost one match, but I am relieved to have been promoted.

Tomita Seiya - Badge Number 325

Birth date

February 13th 1996(24 years old)

Hometown

Mita-shi, Hyogo prefecture

Master

Kobayashi Kenji 9-Dan

Month/Year admitted to enter Shoreikai

2007年9月

Month/Year admitted to enter Shoreikai 3-Dan League

April 2013(from the 53th Shoreikai 3-Dan League)

Signature tactics

4th-file Rook

Hobby

Jogging, Talking with people

Reason he started playing shogi

I learned it from my father when I was five years old.

Comment from Seiya Tomita

In today's first game, I made a mistake in the opening and it was a very difficult game. I was about to give up, but I am glad that I was able to turn the game around in the end. I am happy that I managed to get promoted.

Koga Yusei - Badge Number 326

Birth date

2001年1月1日生まれ(19歳)

Hometown

Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka prefecture

Master

Nakata Isao 8-Dan

Month/Year admitted to enter Shoreikai

September 2011

Month/Year admitted to enter Shoreikai 3-Dan League

October 2017(from the 62th Shoreikai 3-Dan League)

Signature tactics

Static Rook

Hobby

Watching movies

Reason he started playing shogi

I learned it from my grandfather when I was three, four years old.

Comment from Yusei Koga

I thought it would be tough this time since I suffered consecutive defeats in the previous league tournament, but I am glad to have won a lot.

　Suzuki Kanna, Women's 2-Dan, aged 32, has been promoted to Women's 3-Dan by winning the game described below.

Date of promotion

September 22, 2020 (Tue, a national holiday)

Game

The 47th Okada Museum of Art Women's Meijin Tournament Women's Meijin League
（Opponent: Yamane Kotomi, Women's 2-Dan）

Promotion criteria met:

90 wins after Women's 2-Dan promotion

　Takasaki Issei, 6-Dan, aged 33,has been promoted to 8-Dan by winning the game described below.

Date of promotion

September 18, 2020 (Fri)

Game

The 62nd Ōi Tournament Preliminary
（Opponent: Ito Shingo,5-Dan）

Promotion criteria met:

150 wins in the official tournaments after 6-Dan promotion

　Naganuma Hiroshi, 7-Dan, aged 55, has been promoted to 8-Dan by winning the game described below.

Date of promotion

August 31, 2020 (Mon)

Game

The 62nd Ōi Tournament Preliminary
（Opponent: Ina Yusuke,7-Dan）

Promotion criteria met:

190 wins in the official tournaments after 7-Dan promotion

The fourth game of the 61st Oi Tournament seven-game match, where 18-year-old Fujii Souta is challenging 47-year-old Kimura Kazuki Oi, was held at Ohori Koen Nogakudo in Fukuoka, Fukuoka prefecture on August 19 and 20. Fujii beat Kimura and gained the Oi title. As a result, Fujii met the promotion criteria of “winning a title twice” to become 8-dan. Aged 18 years old and one month, Fujii became the youngest player in shogi history to become 8-dan, breaking the record of Kato Hifumi’s 18 years old and three months for the first time in 62 years. Fujii also became the youngest to become a double crown winner, breaking the record of Habu Yoshiharu’s 21 years old and 11 months for the first time in 28 years.

Youngest records to win a double crown

Ranking	Name	Date of Birth	Date of winning the second title	Age of winning the second title	Name of the second title	Title held at the time
1	Fujii Sota	July 19, 2002	August 20, 2020	18 years old and 1 month	The 61st Oi	Kisei
2	Habu Yoshiharu	September 27, 1970	September 22, 1992	21 years old and 11 months	The 40th Ouza	Kio
3	Nakahara Makoto (Retired)	September 2, 1947	January 12, 1971	23 years old and 4 months	The 17th Kisei	10-dan
4	Minami Yoshikazu	June 8, 1963	March 25, 1988	24 years old and 9 months	The 37th Osho	Kisei
5	Tanigawa Koji	April 6, 1962	April 5, 1988	25 years old and 11 months	The 13th Kio	Oi

*The records of youngest players to hold two titles at the same time.

Youngest records to become 8-dan

Ranking	Name	Date of birth	Date of becoming 8-dan	Age	Promotion criteria
1	Fujii Sota	July 19, 2002	August 20, 2020	18 years old and 1 month	Winning a title twice
2	Kato Hifumi (Retired)	January 1, 1940	April 1, 1958	18 years old and 3 months	Being promoted to A class in the Meijin tournament
3	Tanigawa Koji	April 6, 1962	April 1, 1982	19 years old and 11 months	Being promoted to A class in the Meijin tournament
4	Watanabe Akira	April 23, 1984	November 17, 2005	21 years old and 6 months	Winning a Ryuo title
5	Habu Yoshiharu	September 27, 1970	April 1, 1993	22 years old and 6 months	Being promoted to A class in the Meijin tournament

Reference Record

Name	Date of birth	Date of becoming 8-dan	Age	Promotion criteria
Kimura Yoshio	February 21, 1905	April 13, 1926	21 years old and 1 month	Promotion criteria met

*The record of the 14th lifetime Meijin Kimura Yoshio is shown as a reference record, since it was set in the Taisho era under the different criteria.
**The promotion criteria of “winning two titles” to become 8-dan was set on June 1, 2018.

Congratulatory Comments

The fourth game of the 61st Oi Tournament seven-game match, where Fujii Souta Kisei is challenging Kimura Kazuki Oi, was held at Ohori Koen Nogakudo in Fukuoka, Fukuoka prefecture on August 19 and 20. Fujii beat Kimura with 80 moves to win the match 4-0, and gained the Oi title for the first time.

Fujii will also be promoted to 8-dan, meeting the promotion criteria of “winning a title twice.”

Becoming a double crown and becoming 8-dan at the age of 18 years old and one month are both the youngest records in shogi history.

Watanabe Akira the double crown defeated Toyoshima Masayuki Meijin with 4th wins and won Meijin title by winning at 6th Game of 78th Meijin Championship 7-game held at Kansai Shogi Kikan in Osaka-shi, Osaka prefecture on August 14th and 15th (Fri, Sat). Watanabe achieved Meijin title for the first time ever in his career.

　Hoshino Yoshitaka4-Dan, aged 32, has been promoted to 5-Dan by winning the game described below.

Date of promotion

August 13, 2020 (Thu)

Game

The 79rd Junisen C-2 class
（Oppnent:Kondo Masakazu６-Dan）

Promotion criteria met:

Winning 100 official games

Wada Hana, a member of B2 class at Kanto Kenshū Kai, aged 18, submitted the application for a certificate of female professional eligibility. She will become a female professional 2-kyū at Tokyo headquarters from Sep 1st 2020. The badge number assigned will be 69. As she is a younger sister of Wada Aki , a female professional 1-dan, Wada sisters will be the 4th female professional sisters followed by Nakakura sisters, Ōba sisters and Satomi sisters.

Name

Wada Hana

Birthdate

January 14th 2002（18 years old）

Birthplace

Wako-shi, Saitama prefecture

Educational Background

Currently attending Waseda University

Master

Fujikura Yuki 5-dan

Admission to Kenshū Kai

October 2011

Tactical Approach

Central Rook (中飛車 Nakabisha)

Achievement

Winner of the 46th Women's Amateur Meijin Tournament

Hobby

Watching baseball

Trigger of playing shogi

She learned how to play shogi by watching her family's games.

　Sato Shuji 7-dan, aged 53, has been promoted to 8-dan by winning the following game.

Date of promotion:

July 31st 2020（Fri）

Game:

The 1st elimination round of the 14th Asahi Cup Open
（Opponent: Hiura Ichiro 8-dan）

Promotion criteria met:

190 wins in the official games after 7-dan promotion