Society

Shogi pro Sota Fujii, 14, extends record with 23rd win

Jun 07 (Japan Times) - Sota Fujii, the youngest professional shogi player at age 14, extended his series of wins on Wednesday since turning pro to 23, the third-longest winning streak on record.

The record for the longest ever winning streak is held by eighth-dan Hiroshi Kamiya, 56, at 28 wins in 1987, followed by ninth-dan Tadahisa Maruyama, 46, at 24 straight wins.

Fourth-dan Fujii, a junior high school third-grader, became a professional shogi player in October last year at the age of 14 years and two months. He has been winning since December, when he played for the first time as a pro.

On Wednesday, he defeated three shogi players in one day - fourth-dan Ryuma Tonari, 27, fifth-dan Satoru Sakaguchi, 38, and fifth-dan Hiroshi Miyamoto, 31 - in the Joshu Yamada Challenge Cup Tournament held in the city of Osaka.

A shogi sensation from Seto, Aichi Prefecture, Fujii is known for his remarkable ability to capture the opponent's king at the final stage, and has won the national tsume shogi competition to find the fastest ways to corner the king for three years in a row, beating high-ranking professionals.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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