Kisei (shogi)

Kisei (棋聖) is one of the eight major titles in Japanese professional shogi. The word Kisei means an excellent player of shogi or go and has been translated as "shogi saint"[citation needed] (棋 ki 'shogi player' + 聖 sei 'excellent person').

The Kisei tournament started in 1962. With the creation of the Kisei, there were five major title tournaments along with the Meijin, Tenth Dan (Ryūō), Ōshō, and Ōi titles. It was held twice a year until the year 1994. The challenger for Kisei title holder is determined by first, second, and final preliminary rounds. The player that wins three games out of five first in the championship will become the new Kisei title holder.

Lifetime Kisei

The Lifetime Kisei (永世棋聖, eisei kisei) title is awarded to a player who has won Kisei Championship five times. Active players may qualify for this title, but it is only officially awarded upon their retirement or death.

The following professionals have qualified for this title:[1]

Winners

No. Year Winner Score Opponent
1 1962 Yasuharu Ōyama 3-1 Masao Tsukada
2 1963 first Yasuharu Ōyama (2) 3-0 Tatsuya Futakami
3 1963 second Yasuharu Ōyama (3) 3-1 Kozō Masuda
4 1964 first Yasuharu Ōyama (4) 3-2 Shigeru Sekine
5 1964 second Yasuharu Ōyama (5) 3-0 So-etsu Homma
6 1965 first Yasuharu Ōyama (6) 3-2 Kozō Masuda
7 1965 second Yasuharu Ōyama (7) 3-2 Tatsuya Futakami
8 1966 first Tatsuya Futakami 3-1 Yasuharu Ōyama
9 1966 second Yasuharu Ōyama (8) 3-0 Tatsuya Futakami
10 1967 first Michiyoshi Yamada 3-1 Yasuharu Ōyama
11 1967 second Michiyoshi Yamada (2) 3-2 Makoto Nakahara
12 1968 first Makoto Nakahara 3-1 Michiyoshi Yamada
13 1968 second Makoto Nakahara (2) 3-1 Yasuharu Ōyama
14 1969 first Makoto Nakahara (3) 3-0 Michiyoshi Yamada
15 1969 second Kunio Naitō 3-1 Makoto Nakahara
16 1970 first Yasuharu Ōyama (9) 3-1 Kunio Naitō
17 1970 second Makoto Nakahara (4) 3-0 Yasuharu Ōyama
18 1971 first Makoto Nakahara (5) 3-1 Yasuharu Ōyama
19 1971 second Makoto Nakahara (6) 3-1 Tatsuya Futakami
20 1972 first Makoto Nakahara (7) 3-1 Kunio Naitō
21 1972 second Michio Ariyoshi 3-2 Makoto Nakahara
22 1973 first Kunio Yonenaga 3-1 Michio Ariyoshi
23 1973 second Kunio Naitō (2) 3-2 Kunio Yonenaga
24 1974 first Yasuharu Ōyama (10) 3-1 Kunio Naitō
25 1974 second Yasuharu Ōyama (11) 3-0 Kunio Yonenaga
26 1975 first Yasuharu Ōyama (12) 3-1 Tatsuya Futakami
27 1975 second Yasuharu Ōyama (13) 3-0 Tatsuya Futakami
28 1976 first Yasuharu Ōyama (14) 3-1 Kiyozumi Kiriyama
29 1976 second Yasuharu Ōyama (15) 3-2 Kunio Yonenaga
30 1977 first Yasuharu Ōyama (16) 3-1 Keiji Mori
31 1977 second Makoto Nakahara (8) 3-2 Yasuharu Ōyama
32 1978 first Makoto Nakahara (9) 3-0 Michio Ariyoshi
33 1978 second Makoto Nakahara (10) 3-1 Tatsuya Futakami
34 1979 first Makoto Nakahara (11) 3-1 Hifumi Katō
35 1979 second Makoto Nakahara (12) 3-0 Hitoshige Awaji
36 1980 first Kunio Yonenaga (2) 3-1 Makoto Nakahara
37 1980 second Tatsuya Futakami (2) 3-1 Kunio Yonenaga
38 1981 first Tatsuya Futakami (3) 3-0 Makoto Nakahara
39 1981 second Tatsuya Futakami (4) 3-0 Hifumi Katō
40 1982 first Keiji Mori 3-0 Tatsuya Futakami
41 1982 second Makoto Nakahara (13) 3-1 Keiji Mori
42 1983 first Hidemitsu Moriyasu 3-2 Makoto Nakahara
43 1983 second Kunio Yonenaga (3) 3-1 Hidemitsu Moriyasu
44 1984 first Kunio Yonenaga (4) 3-0 Koji Tanigawa
45 1984 second Kunio Yonenaga (5) 3-2 Osamu Nakamura
46 1985 first Kunio Yonenaga (6) 3-1 Osamu Katsuura
47 1985 second Kunio Yonenaga (7) 3-0 Osamu Nakamura
48 1986 first Kiyozumi Kiriyama 3-1 Kunio Yonenaga
49 1986 second Kiyozumi Kiriyama (2) 3-1 Yoshikazu Minami
50 1987 first Kiyozumi Kiriyama (3) 3-0 Kazuyoshi Nishimura
51 1987 second Yoshikazu Minami 3-0 Kiyozumi Kiriyama
52 1988 first Torahiko Tanaka 3-2 Yoshikazu Minami
53 1988 second Makoto Nakahara (14) 3-2 Torahiko Tanaka
54 1989 first Makoto Nakahara (15) 3-1 Yoshikazu Minami
55 1989 second Makoto Nakahara (16) 3-2 Nobuyuki Yashiki
56 1990 first Nobuyuki Yashiki 3-2 Makoto Nakahara
57 1990 second Nobuyuki Yashiki (2) 3-1 Taku Morishita
58 1991 first Yoshikazu Minami (2) 3-2 Nobuyuki Yashiki
59 1991 second Koji Tanigawa 3-0 Yoshikazu Minami
60 1992 first Koji Tanigawa (2) 3-1 Masataka Gōda
61 1992 second Koji Tanigawa (3) 3-0 Masataka Gōda
62 1993 first Yoshiharu Habu 3-1 Koji Tanigawa
63 1993 second Yoshiharu Habu (2) 3-2 Koji Tanigawa
64 1994 first Yoshiharu Habu (3) 3-1 Koji Tanigawa
65 1994 second Yoshiharu Habu (4) 3-0 Akira Shima
66 1995 Yoshiharu Habu (5) 3-0 Hiroyuki Miura
67 1996 Hiroyuki Miura 3-2 Yoshiharu Habu
68 1997 Nobuyuki Yashiki (3) 3-1 Hiroyuki Miura
69 1998 Masataka Gōda 3-0 Nobuyuki Yashiki
70 1999 Koji Tanigawa (4) 3-0 Masataka Gōda
71 2000 Yoshiharu Habu (6) 3-2 Koji Tanigawa
72 2001 Masataka Gōda (2) 3-2 Yoshiharu Habu
73 2002 Yasumitsu Satō 3-2 Masataka Gōda
74 2003 Yasumitsu Satō (2) 3-0 Tadahisa Maruyama
75 2004 Yasumitsu Satō (3) 3-0 Toshiyuki Moriuchi
76 2005 Yasumitsu Satō (4) 3-2 Yoshiharu Habu
77 2006 Yasumitsu Satō (5) 3-0 Daisuke Suzuki
78 2007 Yasumitsu Satō (6) 3-1 Akira Watanabe
79 2008 Yoshiharu Habu (7) 3-2 Yasumitsu Satō
80 2009 Yoshiharu Habu (8) 3-2 Kazuki Kimura
81 2010 Yoshiharu Habu (9) 3-0 Koichi Fukaura
82 2011 Yoshiharu Habu (10) 3-0 Koichi Fukaura
83 2012 Yoshiharu Habu (11) 3-0[2] Taichi Nakamura
84 2013 Yoshiharu Habu (12) 3-1 Akira Watanabe
85 2014 Yoshiharu Habu (13) 3-0[3] Toshiyuki Moriuchi
86 2015 Yoshiharu Habu (14) 3-1[4][5] Masayuki Toyoshima
87 2016 Yoshiharu Habu (15) 3-2[6] Takuya Nagase
88 2017 Yoshiharu Habu (16) 3-1[7] Shintaro Saito
89 2018 Masayuki Toyoshima 3-2[8] Yoshiharu Habu
90 2019 Akira Watanabe 3-1[9] Masayuki Toyoshima
91 2020 Sōta Fujii 3-1[10] Akira Watanabe
92 2021 Sōta Fujii (2) 3-0[11] Akira Watanabe
93 2022 Sōta Fujii (3) 3-1[12] Takuya Nagase
94 2023 Sōta Fujii (4) 3-1[13] Daichi Sasaki
95 2024 Sōta Fujii (5) 3-0[14] Takayuki Yamasaki

Records

  • Most titles overall: Yasuharu Ōyama, Makoto Nakahara and Yoshiharu Habu, 16
  • Most consecutive titles: Yoshiharu Habu, 10 in a row (2008-2017)

See also

References

  1. ^ "Eisei Shōgō no Kitei wa Dō Natteriru Deshōka" 永世称号の規定はどうなっているのでしょうか。 [What are the requirements for lifetime titles?] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Archived from the original on 9 January 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
  2. ^ "Habu Nikan, Ōyama Jūgosei Meijin wo Nuku, Taitoru Kakutoku Hachijūikki" 羽生二冠, 大山十五世名人を抜く タイトル獲得81期 [Habu 2-crown wins 81st major title to move past 15th Lifetime Meijin Ōyama]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). July 5, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  3. ^ "Habu Kisei ga Nana Renpa Tasei, Ōyama ni Narabu, Moriuchi ni Sanrenshō" 羽生棋聖が7連覇達成、大山に並ぶ 森内に3連勝 [Habu defeats Moriuchi 3-0 to win title for 7th consecutive time and tie Ōyama's record.]. Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). July 5, 2014. Archived from the original on May 29, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  4. ^ Yamamura, Hideki (July 15, 2015). "Shōgi: Kiseisen Dai Yonkyoku Habu Kisei ga Seishite Sanshō Ippai Hachi Renpa" 将棋: 棋聖戦第4局 羽生棋聖が制して3勝1敗8連覇 [Habu wins game 4 to win Kisei match 3-1 and win title for the 8th consecutive time]. Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved July 29, 2015.[dead link‍]
  5. ^ "Shōgi, Habu Kisei ga Hachirenpa Yonkan wo Kenji" 将棋, 羽生棋聖が8連覇 4冠を堅持 [Habu Kisei defends title for 8th consecutive time, firmly maintains grip on his 4-crown status]. The Nikkei (in Japanese). Kyodo News. July 15, 2015. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  6. ^ "Habu Kisei ga Kyūrenpa! Goban Shōbu Dai Go Kyoku" 羽生棋聖が9連覇! 五番勝負第5局 [Habu wins for 9th consecutive time! Game 5 of the five game match]. Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). August 1, 2016. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  7. ^ "Habu Kisei ga Bōei, Jūrenpa Shōgi Taitoru Tsūsan Kyūjūhakki" 羽生棋聖が防衛, 10連覇 将棋タイトル通算98期に [Habu Kisei defends title for 10th consecutive time to win his 98th overall major title]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). July 11, 2017. Archived from the original on July 12, 2017. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  8. ^ Murakami, Kōji; Murase, Shinya; Satō, Keiji (July 17, 2018). "Toyoshima Hachidan ga Hatsu Taitoru, Shin Kisei ni Habu Ryūo wa Ikkan ni Kōtai" 豊島八段が初タイトル, 新棋聖に 羽生竜王は一冠に後退 [Toyoshima 8d is the new Kisei titleholder for his first major title. Habu Ryūo currently now holds only one of the eight major titles]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  9. ^ Murakami, Kōji (July 9, 2019). "Watanabe Akira Nikan ga Toyoshima Kisei ni Shōri Taitoru Dasshu, Sankan ni" 渡辺明二冠が豊島棋聖に勝利 タイトル奪取, 三冠に [Akira Watanabe 2-crown defeats Kisei title holder Toyoshima to capture Kisei title and become a 3-crown]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  10. ^ "Japanese shogi prodigy Sota Fujii becomes youngest to win major title". Kyodo News. July 16, 2020. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  11. ^ "Fujii Nikan ga Kisei Hatsu Bōei Sanrenshō de Sainenshō Kiroku Kōshin―Jūhassai, Hatsu no Kudan ni" 藤井二冠が棋聖初防衛 3連勝で最年少記録更新―18歳, 初の九段に [Fujii 2-crown successful in first title defense of Kisei title; wins match 3–0 to become the youngest person (and the first 18-year-old) to be promoted to the rank of 9-dan]. Jiji Press (in Japanese). July 3, 2021. Archived from the original on July 3, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  12. ^ "Fujii Sōta Gokan ga ｢Kisei｣ no Taitoru wo Bōei" 藤井聡太五冠が｢棋聖｣のタイトルを防衛 [Sōta Fujii 5-crown successfully defends Kisei title]. TV Asahi (in Japanese). July 17, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  13. ^ "Shōgi Fujii Sōta Nanakan ｢Kisei-sen｣ Yonrenpa Kotoshi Futatsume no Taitoru Bōei" 将棋 藤井聡太七冠 ｢棋聖戦｣ 4連覇 今年度2つ目のタイトル防衛 [Shogi's Sōta Fujii 7-crown successfully defends Kisei title; it's his second successful title defense this year and his fourth consecutive Kisei title match victory]. NHK News Web (in Japanese). July 18, 2023. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  14. ^ "Fujii Kisei, Sainenshō de ｢Eisei Shōgō｣ Bōei de Gorenpa, Nijūissai Jūikkagestu" 藤井棋聖, 最年少で ｢永世称号｣ 防衛で5連覇, 21歳11カ月 [Fujii Kisei defends title to win Kisei for the fifth consencutive year and also become the youngest person at age 21 years and 11 months to meet the criteria for "lifetime title holder"]. Tokyo Shimbun (in Japanese). Kyodo News. July 1, 2024. Retrieved July 3, 2024.