Teruichi Aono

Teruichi Aono
Native name青野照市
Born (1953-01-31) January 31, 1953 (age 71)
HometownYaizu, Shizuoka
Career
Achieved professional statusApril 1, 1974(1974-04-01) (aged 21)
Badge Number114
Rank9-dan
RetiredJune 13, 2024(2024-06-13) (aged 71)
TeacherHirotsu Hisao [ja] (9-dan)
Tournaments won4
Career record800–899 (.471)
Notable students
Websites
JSA profile page

Teruichi Aono (青野 照市, Aono Teruichi, born January 1, 1953) is a Japanese retired professional shogi player from Yaizu, Shizuoka who achieved the rank of 9-dan.[1]

Shogi professional

In February 2024, Aono became the 26th player to win 800 official games as a professional and was awarded the "Shogi Honor Fighting-spirit Award" as a result. He is, at age 71, the oldest ever to achieve this result, but he is also, the first to do so while having a winning percentage below 50 percent (his career record after the game was 800 wins and 895 losses) at the time.

In April 2024, the JSA announced Aono had met the conditions for mandatory retirement for "Free Class" players and his retirement would become official upon completion of his final scheduled game of the 2024–2025 shogi season.[2][3][4] Aono's retirement became official on June 13, 2024, after his loss to Masaki Izumi in a 37th Ryūō Group 6 game.[5] Aono finished his career with a record of 800 wins and 899 losses for a winning percentage of 0.471.[6]

Promotion history

The promotion history of Aono is as follows:[7]

  • 4-kyū: 1968
  • 1-dan: 1970
  • 4-dan: April 1, 1974
  • 5-dan: April 1, 1976
  • 6-dan: April 1, 1979
  • 7-dan: April 1, 1980
  • 8-dan: April 1, 1983
  • 9-dan: August 5, 1994
  • Retired: June 13, 2024

Titles and other championships

Aono challenged Makoto Nakahara for the 37th Ōza title in 1989 for his only appearance in a major title match.[8] He has, however, won four non-major shogi championships during his career: the 5th and 10th Shinjin-Ō [ja] titles (1974 and 1979); the 5th Meiki-sen [ja] (1978); and the 7th-8th All Star Kachinuki-sen [ja] (1984–85).[9]

Awards and honors

Aono has received a number of awards for shogi. These include the "Best Winning Percentage" and "Best New Player" awards in 1975, the "Most Consecutive Games Won" award in 1978, and the Kōzō Masuda Award in 1997 and 2017.[10]

In 2011, his efforts in using shogi to promote cultural exchange between Japan and other countries were recognized by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and he was awarded the Foreign Minister's Commendation. for Fiscal Year 2011.[11][12][13]

In February 2024, Aono was awarded the "Shogi Honor Fighting-spirit Award" in recognition of winning 800 official games as a professional.[4]

Annual Shogi Awards

  • 3rd Annual Awards (April 1975 – March 1976): Best New Player, Best Winning Percentage
  • 6th Annual Awards (April 1978 – March 1979): Most Consecutive Games Won
  • 25th Annual Awards (April 1997 – March 1998): Kōzō Masuda Award
  • 45th Annual Awards (April 2017 – March 2018): Kōzō Masuda Award

Other awards

Aono has also received the following other awards.[14]

  • 1993, February: Japan Foundation 20th Anniversary Commemorative Letter of Appreciation
  • 1998: 25 Years Service Award (Awarded by the JSA in recognition of being an active professional for twenty-five years)
  • 2000: Shogi Honor Fighting-spirit Award (Awarded by JSA in recognition of winning 600 official games as a professional)
  • 2000, December: Shizuoka Prefecture Award[15]
  • 2011, July: Japanese Foreign Minister's Commendation
  • 2013: 40 Years Service Award (Awarded by the JSA in recognition of being an active professional for forty years)
  • 2023: 50 Years Service Award (Awarded by the JSA in recognition of being an active professional for fifty years)
  • 2024: "Shogi Honor Fighting-spirit Award" (Awarded by JSA in recognition of winning 800 official games as a professional)

JSA executive

Aono has been selected multiple times to be a member of the Japan Shogi Association's board of directors throughout his career, and was chosen to be JSA senior managing director in 2013.[16] He served in that capacity until February 2017 when he and two other members of the board were dismissed as part of the JSA's response to the 29th Ryūō challenger controversy.[17]

Shogi promotion efforts

Aono is active in promoting shogi outside Japan including visiting England in 1979 to teach the game to local players,[18] and helping to arrange a visit of twenty Chinese elementary school students from Shanghai to visit an elementary school in Sendagaya, Tokyo in 2015 as part of an international exchange program involving shogi.[19]

9-square shogi

Aono created a new shogi variant ９マス将棋 kyū-masu shōgi "9-square shogi" published in 2016 that is useful for teaching the shogi.[20] It uses a 3x3 board and begins with several different start positions in which each player has between two and three pieces that may be in hand. Promotion is restricted to the last rank on each side. All other shogi rules apply. The game can be thought as a set of tsumeshogi (詰将棋 tsumeshōgi "checkmate") and brinkmate (必死 hisshi) problems.

Bibliography

Aono has written a number of pedagogical materials that have been translated into English including two books and journal articles as well as numerous Japanese-only materials.

  • Aono, Teruichi (1983). Guide to shogi openings: Unlock the secrets to joseki 将棋定跡のカギ: 和英 定跡問題集. Translated by Fairbairn, John. 山海堂. ISBN 4-381-00598-8.
  • Aono, Teruichi (2009) [First published in 1983]. Better moves for better shogi. Translated by Fairbairn, John (2nd ed.). Ishi Press. ISBN 978-4-87187-999-6.

References

  1. ^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Aono Teruichi" 棋士データベース: 青野照市 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Teruichi Aono] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  2. ^ "Shōdan･Intai･Kyūjo Kishi no Oshirase" 昇段･引退･休場棋士のお知らせ [Player promotions, retirements and leaves of absence] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. April 1, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  3. ^ Seto, Kanon (February 20, 2024). "Geneki Sainenchōkishi･Aono Teruichi Kudan ga Intai Ketteigo ni Happyakushō Totatsu ｢Kyō Gurai wa Kigen ga Ii｣" 現役最年長棋士･青野照市九段が引退決定後に800勝到達 ｢今日ぐらいは機嫌がいい｣ [Professional shogi's oldest currently active professional Teruichi Aono 9-dan wins his 800th official game; this result comes after it was announced he would be retiring from active play. Aono said "I'm feeling pretty good, at least for the moment".]. Sports Hochi (in Japanese). Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Aono Teruichi Kudan, Hapyakkushō (Shōgi Eiyo Kantōshō) wo Tassei" 青野照市九, 800勝 (将棋栄誉敢闘賞)を達成 [Teruichi Aono wins 800th official game and "Shogi Honor Fighting-spirit Award"] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. February 21, 2024. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  5. ^ "Aono Teruichi Hachidan ga Intai" 青野照市九段が引退 [Teruichi Aono 9-dan retires] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. June 14, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  6. ^ "Tsūsan Seiseki" 通算成績 [Career Records] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. June 20, 2024. Archived from the original on June 21, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  7. ^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Aono Teruichi Shōdan Rireki" 棋士データベース: 青野照市 昇段履歴 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Teruichi Aono Promotion History] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  8. ^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Aono Teruichi Taitoru Rireki" 棋士データベース: 青野照市 タイトル履歴 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Teruichi Aono Major Title History] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  9. ^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Aono Teruichi Yūshō Rireki" 棋士データベース: 青野照市 優勝履歴 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Teruichi Aono Championship History] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  10. ^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Aono Teruichi Shōgi Taishō" 棋士データベース: 青野照市 将棋大賞 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Teruichi Aono Annual Shogi Awards] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  11. ^ "Foreign Minister's Commendations for FY 2011". Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. July 25, 2011. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
  12. ^ "Foreign Minister's Commendations FY 2011 (Individuals)" (PDF). Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. July 25, 2011. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
  13. ^ "Shōgi Nyūsu: Aono Teruichi Kudan ga "Heisei Nijūsannendo Gaimudaijinhyōshō" wo Jushō" 将棋ニュース: 青野照市九段が｢平成23年度外務大臣表彰｣を受賞 [Shogi News: Teruichi Aono 9-dan awarded Foreign Minister Commendation for FY2011] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. July 26, 2011. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
  14. ^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Aono Teruichi Sonota Hyōshō" 棋士データベース: 青野照市 その他表彰 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Teruichi Aono Other Awards] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  15. ^ "Aono Teruichi Kudan, ｢Shizuoka Taishō｣ Jushō" 青野照市九段, ｢しずおか大賞｣ 受賞 [Teruichi Aono 9d receives "Shizuoka Prefecture Award"] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. December 2000. Archived from the original on February 11, 2001. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
  16. ^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Aono Teruichi Yakuin Rireki" 棋士データベース: 青野照市 役員履歴 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Teruichi Aono JSA Officer History] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
  17. ^ "3 shogi board members sacked over mishandling of software 'cheating' scandal". Mainichi Shimbun. February 28, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
  18. ^ Tanikawa, Miki (June 4, 1999). "A Rival of Chess Takes Wing Abroad: Mysteries of Shogi". International Herald Tribune. Retrieved October 10, 2017 – via The New York Times.
  19. ^ Tana, Shun (September 2015). "Shanhai-shi no Shōgakusei ga Sendagaya Shōgakkō wo Homon: Shōgi wo Tsujita Kōryujugyo ni Sanka" 上海市の小学生が千駄谷小学校を訪問: 将棋を通じた交流授業に参加 [Shanghai Elementary School Students Visit Sendagaya Elementary School: Participate in an Exchange Class Involving Shogi]. Shogi Sekai (in Japanese). pp. 172–173. Retrieved October 10, 2017 – via Google Books.
  20. ^ "Shoshinsha demo Sugu ni Jissen Dekiru! Kyū-masu Shōgi no Shokihaichi" 初心者でもすぐに実戦できる! 9マス将棋の初期配置 [Even Beginers Can Play 9-square Shogi Right Away]. Gold Online (in Japanese). Gentosha. August 27, 2016. Retrieved October 10, 2017.