TOKYO - In the first game of the best-of-seven title match for the prestigious "Meijin" title, the most historical of the eight major shogi titles, titleholder Sota Fujii, holding eight crowns at the age of 21, claimed victory over challenger Yoshiharu Toyoshima, a 33-year-old 9-dan player.
Fujii started the series with a win in Tokyo. The opening game of the Meijin match began on April 10th in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo, and on the second day, the 11th, resumed with Toyoshima, playing black, opening with the "sealed move" he had written at the end of the previous day's session. As both Fujii and Toyoshima carefully built their formations, eyeing for opportunities, the game progressed tensely until Toyoshima initiated an attack, leading to a fierce battle. At one point, Fujii was on the defensive, but as time ran short, Toyoshima made a critical error. Fujii did not miss the chance, turning the tables by effectively using his "knight" and "silver" pieces. At 9:22 PM, Toyoshima resigned after 141 moves, giving Fujii a victorious start to the series.
Fujii has been on a winning streak in title matches since the second game of the "Oza" title match last September, and with the victory on the 11th, he extended his streak to 16 consecutive wins, just one shy of the record held by the legendary 15th Meijin, Yasuharu Oyama. After achieving an unprecedented monopoly of all eight major titles last year, Fujii has already defended his "Osho" and "Kio" titles this year and is currently also defending his "Eio" title. The Meijin title match is scheduled to run through June this year, with the first player to reach four wins claiming the title. The second game of the series will be held on the 23rd and 24th of this month in Narita City, Chiba Prefecture.
After the match, Fujii remarked, "It was a game where I felt under pressure for a long time. The opening wasn't quite what I expected, and I had to play each move with difficulty. In the endgame, it was about how I could persevere, but once I was able to utilize the 'knight' to create an attacking formation, I felt for the first time that the game was turning in my favor. I think it was a game where I was being pushed for a long time, so I want to thoroughly review it and carry that into the next game."
On the other hand, Toyoshima commented, "I wanted to play the opening as it unfolded, but I found the 'sealed move' phase challenging. I think there were moments where I had a chance, but I should have taken more time to think when I played the 'lance.' It's been a while since I played a match with a 9-hour time limit, so it was good to have that experience. I'll prepare thoroughly and do my best again."
Source: NHK
