Photo/Illutration Sota Fujii is given flowers after becoming the youngest shogi player to win four major shogi titles in Ube, Yamaguchi Prefecture, on Nov. 13. (Jun Kaneko)

Shogi prodigy Sota Fujii added another record to his ascent to the pinnacle of the traditional board game by becoming the youngest player to hold four major shogi titles. He is just three months past his 19th birthday.

Fujii defeated Masayuki Toyoshima, 31, in the fourth game of the best-of-seven Ryuo title match held in Yamaguchi Prefecture on Nov. 13. Toyoshima was the defending champion.

With the Ryuo crown, Fujii became the sixth shogi player to win four of all eight titles, signaling the arrival of the Fujii era. He had won Kisei, Oi and Eio championships prior to his latest feat.

The previous record for capturing four titles was set by Yoshiharu Habu in 1993, when he was three months shy of turning 23 years old.

It was the third time this year for Fujii and Toyoshima to compete for a title. Until last year, Fujii had chalked up six losses and no wins against Toyoshima in official matches.

After winning the Ryuo title, Fujii, said late Nov. 13, “It has not sunk in yet, but I am honored to receive this prestigious title and I know I now need to work even harder to be worthy of the honor.”

Of the eight championships, winning Ryuo is considered the greatest achievement, alongside Meijin.

An individual who captures either of the Ryuo or Meijin titles is ranked at the top of all sitting players.

Although Akira Watanabe, 37, holds the Meijin and two other titles, Fujii is now ahead of him because the teen has four titles under his belt.

Fujii began brushing up in skills in December by training with artificial intelligence-based shogi software incorporating deep learning.

Describing Fujii’s strategy in an interview in September, Watanabe said his opponent was becoming “more aggressive” from the outset of each game.

“Until last year, Fujii’s approach seemed to be that it was OK as long as he was not put at a disadvantage in the opening game,” he said. “But this year, he played to take the lead more often.”

Fujii’s next target will likely be the Osho championship in 2022, given that he is leading the pack to become the challenger to go up against Watanabe.

As for Meijin, he has opportunities to grab the title in 2023 after he has turned 20.

(This article was written by Sinya Murase and Koji Murakami.)

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