Photo/Illutration Ichiyo Shimizu, the new president of the Japan Shogi Association, in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward on June 6 (Arata Kitano)

The Japan Shogi Association elected its first female president in its 101-year history.

Ichiyo Shimizu, 56, who holds a 7-dan “joryu kishi” ranking, was named to succeed 54-year-old Yoshiharu Habu, a 9-dan professional, who retired.

Shimizu is also an active player who has the distinction of being the first player to hold four joryu crowns simultaneously.

This is the first time for a non-kishi to be appointed as president.

“This is a big role that is beyond my capacity,” Shimizu said at a news conference. “The fact that the shogi association chose me is a challenge. I will do my best.”

Her term of office is two years.

Shimizu was approved for her fifth term as a full-time director at the association’s ordinary general meeting held in Tokyo on June 6.

She was then elected as the new president by a mutual vote of the board of directors.

According to association officials, Habu backed Shimizu as his replacement as president.

There are two types of professional shogi players.

One is “kishi,” who become professional after graduating from the “shorei-kai,” a training organization.

The other is “joryu kishi,” where only women can become professional players under a separate system.

This year marks the association’s 101st anniversary. In all this time there had not been a single female professional kishi.

All the past presidents have been male.

The turning point was the association’s transition from an incorporated association to a public interest incorporated association in 2011.

At that time, the qualifications for regular members of the association, who have the right to vote at general meetings and become directors, were expanded to include not only kishi (4-dan and above) but also joryu title holders with a joryu 4-dan ranking or higher.

In 2017, Shimizu became the first female executive director of the association. She has played a role in the management of the shogi world for four terms totaling eight years.

Shimizu started playing shogi at the age of 8 and became a joryu kishi in 1985 at the age of 16.

In 1988, she won her first title, “joryu meijin.”

In July 1996, she became the first woman to win all four joryu crowns in the offing.

In 2020, she was promoted to joryu 7-dan for the first time in the history of the board game for her “exceptional performance.”

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