Yūya Saitō

For the rugby union player, see Yuya Saito.
Yūya Saitō
Native name齊藤裕也
Born (1997-05-29) May 29, 1997 (age 27)
HometownKuwana, Mie, Japan
Career
Achieved professional statusOctober 1, 2022(2022-10-01) (aged 25)
Badge Number334
Rank4-dan
TeacherMasataka Sugimoto (9-dan)
Meijin classC2
Ryūō class6
Websites
JSA profile page

Yūya Saitō (齊藤 裕也, Yūya Saitō, May 29, 1997) is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 4-dan.

Early life and apprentice shogi professional

Yūya Saitō was born in Kuwana, Mie on May 29, 1997.[1] He learned how to play shogi from his parents at the age of five-years-old,[2][3] and eventually became good enough to enter the Japan Shogi Association's training group for the Tōkai region in Nagoya.[3] Saitō commuted back and forth to his training group games by highway bus, and performed well enough to be promoted to Group A2 and qualify for the JSA's apprentice school at the age of 15 years old in June 2012.[3] Saito entered the apprentice school that same month at the rank of 6-kyū under the tutelage of shogi professional Masataka Sugimoto.[2][3][4][5][6]

Saitō progressed slowly through the apprentice school, particularly in comparison to the progress of fellow Sugimoto student Sōta Fujii who is five years younger and who entered the apprentice school three months later than Saitō.[6] Fujii's progress was so remarkable that Saitō felt it was impossible to use it for motivation.[6] After being promoted to 2-dan, Saitō's progress stalled and poor results led to his demotion back to 1-dan, which he said was quite discouraging because he found himself competing against elementary school and junior high school students even though he had already entered university by that time.[6] By the time he was promoted to the rank of apprentice professional 3-dan in April 2022, he was already 25 years old and only one year away from mandatory retirement as an apprentice professional.[2][6] Saito began the 71st 3-dan League (April 2022 – September 2022) seeded 39th out of 41 players, which meant he would be at a disadvantage when it came to tie breakers.[6][7] His 3-dan league opponents, however, were closer to his age which made him feel less pressure to win, and he entered the final two rounds of play tied for first.[6] After splitting his final two games and seeing some of his closest competitors falter, Saitō obtained full professional status and the corresponding rank of 4-dan in September 2022 by tying for first with Nagisa Fujimoto with a record of 13 wins and 5 losses.[4][5][7] Saitō promotion to 4-dan made him the oldest player to do so after spending only one season in the 3-dan League.[8][9]

Shogi professional

Playing style

Saitō mainly plays Ranging Rook openings and states he was influenced by books about such openings written by Daisuke Suzuki.[6]

Promotion history

The promotion history for Saitō is as follows.[10]

  • 6-kyū: June 2012
  • 3-dan: April 2022
  • 4-dan: October 1, 2022

Personal life

Saitō graduated from the College of Policy Science of Ritsumeikan University in 2020.[6][11] He is the second alumnus, after Seiya Tomita, of Ritsumeikan University to become a professional shogi player.[11]

References

  1. ^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Saitō Yūya" 棋士データベース: 齊藤裕也 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Yūya Saitō] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Shin Yonden Tanjō no Oshirase" 新四段誕生のお知らせ [New 4-dans Announced] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. September 10, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d "Shōgi Saitō Yūya Shinyondan Jun'isen Shosen wo Sesu Dōmon no Fujii Meijin kara Shukufuku" 将棋 斉藤新四段 順位戦初戦を制す 同門の藤井名人から祝福 [New professional Yūya Saitō 4-dan wins first Meijin League game, and is congratulated by fellow stablemate Sōta Fujii Meijin]. Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). July 16, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Seto, Kanon (September 10, 2022). "Shōgi Shinyondan ni Jūnanasai･Fujimoto Nagisa Sandan to Nijyūnisai･Saitō Yūya Saitō wa Fujii Sōta Ryūō ni Tsuzuki Sugimoto Monka Futarime no Purokishi" 将棋新四段に17歳･藤本渚三段と22歳･齊藤裕也三段 齊藤は藤井聡太竜王に続き杉本門下2人目のプロ棋士 [Shogi's new 4-dans are 17-year-old Nagisa Fujimoto and 22-year-old Yūya Saitō; Saitō becomes the second student, after Sōta Fujii Ryūō, of shogi professional Masataka Sugimoto to be awarded professional status]. Sports Nippon (in Japanese). Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Kitano, Arata (September 10, 2022). "Kōkōsei no Fujimoto Sandan, Puro Iri ni ｢Ee｣ Fujii Ryūō to Dōmon no Saitō Sandan mo" 高校生の藤本三段, プロ入りに「えっ」藤井竜王と同門の齊藤三段も [High school student Fujimoto 3-dan and Saitō 3-dan obtain professional status: Fujimoto said "What?" when told he achieved 4-dan and Saitō studied under the same teacher as Fujii Ryūō]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Fujii Gokan Kyōdai Deishi ga Puro Shikaku Sugimoto Hachidan Monka Nininnme･Saitō Yūya Sandan Kusetsu Jūnen no Osozaki Nijūgosai" 藤井5冠兄弟子がプロ昇格 杉本八段門下2人目･斎藤裕也三段 苦節10年の遅咲き25歳 [Late bloomer Yūya Saitō's 10-year battle of endurance ends when he becomes the second pupil of Sugimoto 8-dan, after Sōta Fujii 5-crown, to obtain professional status.]. Sports Nippon (in Japanese). September 11, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Dai Nanajūichikai Shōreikai Sandan Rīgusen Nisennijūninen Shigatsu kara Nisennijūninen Kugatsu" 第71回奨励会三段リーグ戦 2022年4月～2021年9月 [71st Apprentice School 3-dan League: April 2022 to September 2022] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  8. ^ "Fujii Sōta Gokan no Anideshi, Saitō Yūya Sandan ga Puro Iri Sainenchō de ｢Ikki Nuke｣" 藤井聡太五冠の兄弟子, 斉藤裕也三段がプロ入り 最年長で ｢一期抜け｣ [Yūya Saitō 3-dan obtains professional status; Saitō, who has the same teacher as Sōta Fujii 5-crown, becomes the oldest person to obtain professional status after only one season in the 3-dan League]. Chunichi Shimbun (in Japanese). September 11, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  9. ^ "Fujii Gokan ni Tsugi Sugimoto Monka Futarime ... Saitō Yūya-san ga Sandan Rīgu wo Ikki de Nuke Puro Kishi ni ｢Tōkai Kikai ni Kōken Dekireba｣" 藤井五冠に次ぎ杉本門下2人目...齊藤裕也さんが三段リーグを1期で抜けプロ棋士に｢東海棋界に貢献できれば｣ [Yūya Saitō is the second student, after Sōta Fujii 5-crown, of shogi professional Masataka Sugimoto to obtain professional status. Saitū needed only 1 season in the 3-dan League to obtain professional status, and says he hopes 'to contribute to shogi in the Tūkai Region'.]. News One (in Japanese). Tōkai Television Broadcasting. September 10, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  10. ^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Saitō Yūya Shōdan Rireki" 棋士データベース: 齊藤裕也 昇段履歴 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Yūya Saitō Promotion History] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  11. ^ a b "Kōyūkai News: Ritsumeikan Beyond Borders News Vol.36" 交友会 News: 立命館 Beyond Borders News Vol.36 [Alumni Association News: Ritsumeikan Beyond Borders News No. 36] (in Japanese). Ritsumeikan Alumni Association. September 22, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
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