Sota Ryuo Fujii becomes the youngest Meijin in history with seven titles after achieving the Meijin rank.
The fifth game of the 81st Meijin Tournament, in which Meijin Akira Watanabe will be challenged by Sota Ryuo Fujii (six crowns), will be held on May 31st (Wednesday) and June 1st (Thursday), 2023 in
Meijin Akira Watanabe VS Sotai Ryuo Fujii 81st Meijin Tournament 7th match 5th game | Shogi News | Japan Shogi Federation
https://www.shogi.or.jp/news/2023/06/230531_n_01.html
[Game Live] Meijin Watanabe - Sotai Ryuo Fujii Is it a counterattack by the master or the birth of the youngest master? Explanation: Yasuji Takami 7-dan ~ From the evening break on the 2nd day ~ [81st Shogi Meijin Tournament, 5th game] - YouTube
In the fifth game, which started with Meijin Watanabe's first turn, Meijin Watanabe chose Yagura's battle style and Ryuo Fujii chose Gangi's battle style. The end of the game ended with Meijin Watanabe having a slight advantage in terms of evaluation value, but perhaps due to a miscalculation during the offensive, Ryuo Fujii regained his strength, and in the end Meijin Watanabe was attacked by Ryuo Fujii harshly. I conceded.
Ryuo Fujii became the youngest master in history by attaining the master rank at the age of 20 years and 10 months, breaking the record held by Koji Tanigawa, the 17th master, who achieved the rank in 1983 at the age of 21 years and 2 months, for the first time in 39 years and 11 months. It was born.
In addition, this is his seventh title, following Ryuo, Oshi, Eio, Kioh, Osho, and Kisei, making it the first time in 27 years that Yoshiharu Hanyu has achieved seven titles since 9-dan Yoshiharu Hanyu achieved it in 1996. Hanyu 9-dan was 25 years and 4 months old when he achieved his seventh crown, making Ryuo Fujii the youngest player in history to achieve his seventh crown.
Ryuo Fujii has already defeated the challenge of Tatsuya Sugai, 8-dan, in the Eio match this season with 3 wins and 1 loss. After this, Daichi Sasaki 7-dan was determined to be the challenger for both the Kiseisen and the Oujisen.
Furthermore, the only title in the shogi match that Ryuo Fujii has not held is the throne. The 71st Championship Challenger Determination Tournament, which will decide the challengers for Takuya Nagase's title, has been decided up to the top 16, and Ryuo Fujii defeated Daisuke Nakagawa 8-dan to advance to the top 8.
Meijin Watanabe has always held at least one title since taking the title from Toshiyuki Moriuchi (then Ryuo) in 2004, so this is the first time in 19 years that he has been without a title.
The content of the press conference was as follows.
Sponsor: Mainichi Shimbun:
How does it feel to have achieved celebrity status?
Sota Fujii new master:
I didn't really feel it right after that, but it's slowly starting to dawn on me.
Mainichi Shimbun:
What do you think about Koji Tanigawa's 17th Master's record as the youngest master?
Fujii:
I thought Mr. Tanigawa's record was amazing, so I'm glad that he was able to break it as a result.
Mainichi Shimbun:
One more thing, what do you think about achieving seven crowns?
Fujii:
I think Mr. Hanyu's record is special as he has won all the titles. Personally, I don't feel like I was able to rank alongside them, but I am very happy that I was able to win the title this time.
Mainichi Shimbun:
Please tell us about your enthusiasm for the upcoming Kiseisen, the defense of the Ouji Championship, and the goal of winning the Eighth Crown.
Fujii:
In both cases, my opponent is Sasaki 7-dan, and I think he is a very strong opponent, so I want to prepare for this as well and make it a good match. I'm not at the stage where I'm thinking about the title match yet, but I want to do my best to advance even just a little bit.
Sponsor: Asahi Shimbun:
What would you like to report to your master, Masataka Sugimoto, 8th Dan?
Fujii:
There was a time when we were both in class C class 1, and our master was promoted and I wasn't able to make it. Seeing him do that made me want to do my best next season, so I think being able to see my master's back has led to what happened after that.
Tokyo Shimbun:
``Meijin'' is not only a title, but also a general noun that refers to someone who has mastered a particular art. How does it feel to have reached the level of 'master' yourself?
Fujii:
I think master is a title that has special meaning in that sense as well. I still don't believe that I have reached that position, but I have a strong desire to work even harder in the future so that I can play shogi worthy of the title of master.
Yomiuri Shimbun:
Earlier, we talked about Hanyu 9-dan's seven crowns as 'all crowns.' Once again, how do you feel about winning all titles?
Fujii:
I think that is still a very long way off at this point. I think it's an honor in itself to be able to aim for it, so I hope I can take advantage of that and do my best to get even a little closer.
Yomiuri Shimbun:
Before the game, the words ``Ungai Soten'' were written. These words were also written two years ago during Kisei's first defense, at which time he explained, ``I want to see a different landscape by becoming stronger.'' What kind of scenery did you see as the youngest master this time?
Fujii:
Personally, I am writing this with the idea that if I become stronger in thinking about shogi, I will be able to think and make decisions differently than before, rather than focusing on the results themselves. In that respect, the Meijin match had a longer duration compared to the previous title matches, and there were scenes where I felt like I was able to put in the reading and point. In that respect, I feel that it was a fruitful series.
Chunichi Shimbun:
In the previous Kioh match, there was a continuous exchange of horns, but the Meijin match was different. Looking from the outside, it looked like it was a battle of strength, but how did you feel about overcoming it and winning the title?
Fujii:
Meijin tournaments are no longer based on fixed rules, but shogi has become a game that tests your ability to think from an early stage. It was refreshing for me to think carefully about each move and formulate a plan from the beginning, as I didn't have much experience with it. As a result, there were parts that went well and parts that turned out not to be so successful, so for me personally, there were a lot of shogi games that were fun to play, and I think it was a rewarding series.
Q:
There were many matches against Meijin Watanabe, including Kiseisen, which was my first title challenge. Please tell us what you have learned from Meijin Watanabe so far, and what kind of person Meijin Watanabe is to you.
Fujii:
Mr. Watanabe has been at the top since I started playing shogi, and after becoming a shogi player, I was looking forward to taking on the challenge of winning my first title and competing against him for number five. We have faced each other many times in title matches, and I have a strong impression that he has strengths that I don't have.
Q:
Mr. Tanigawa once said, ``Great records help players grow.'' Now that you have become the youngest player in history and achieved seven titles, what heights do you aim for from now on?
Fujii:
I would like to continue to work towards my first goal of becoming stronger. The rank of master is important, and I feel that I have to play shogi that is appropriate for that level, and for that reason, there is currently a lot of variation in the accuracy of my moves for each game, so I hope to improve it even a little. I want to do my best.
Asahi Shimbun:
I think Meijin-rank is also the title that I had when I was 6 years old and had an ambition to become a shogi master when I grow up. I would like to hear your perspective from when you were young, how you feel after getting the title you dreamed of.
Fujii:
I have always admired the word ``master'' since I was a child, so I am deeply moved by the fact that I was able to earn the title this time. However, from my point of view, I realize that this is not the end and that there is a long way to go, so I want to keep that in mind as I move forward.
Asahi Shimbun:
It has been a little over 6 years since I was promoted to 4th Dan, and I believe these were also days of technological innovation in AI. Now that AI has evolved so much, it can be said that we are in an age where we are being questioned in some ways about how shogi players fight, and how humans fight. What does Shin Meijin Fujii think about this?
Fujii:
As AI surpasses shogi players, of course we will take advantage of it, but I also feel that we need to present shogi that will be enjoyed by those watching. . To that end, I'm not just trying to get closer to AI, but I'm also trying to bring my own ideas to the table.
ABEMA:
ABEMA has been broadcasting on ABEMA since 2017, when Shinmeijin Fujii belonged to Class C 2, and many fans have watched Fujii's growth and success. Please give us a comment to the viewers on the other side of the camera about the past six years and how it feels to have become a new master once again.
Fujii:
Thank you for watching the game. ABEMA has been broadcasting my training since I was a 4th dan, and I think that has been a source of encouragement for me as well. From there, I was able to move up the rankings one by one, and I'm happy that I was able to become a master this time, and I would like to continue playing shogi that is interesting and worthy of being a master.
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