Kisei (棋聖) is one of the eight major titles in Japanese professional shogi. The word Kisei means an excellent player of shogi or go and has been translated as "shogi saint" (棋 ki 'shogi player' + 聖 sei 'excellent person').
The Kisei tournament started in 1962. With the creation of the Kisei, there were five major title tournaments along with the Meijin, Tenth Dan (Ryūō), Ōshō, and Ōi titles. It was held twice a year until the year 1994. The challenger for Kisei title holder is determined by first, second, and final preliminary rounds. The player that wins three games out of five first in the championship will become the new Kisei title holder.
Lifetime Kisei
The Lifetime Kisei (永世棋聖, eisei kisei) title is awarded to a player who has won Kisei Championship five times. Active players may qualify for this title, but it is only officially awarded upon their retirement or death.
The following professionals have qualified for this title:
- Yasuharu Ōyama (deceased)
- Makoto Nakahara (retired)
- Kunio Yonenaga (deceased)
- Yoshiharu Habu (active)
- Yasumitsu Satō (active)
- Sōta Fujii (active)
Winners
| No. | Year | Winner | Score | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1962 | Yasuharu Ōyama | 3-1 | Masao Tsukada |
| 2 | 1963 first | Yasuharu Ōyama (2) | 3-0 | Tatsuya Futakami |
| 3 | 1963 second | Yasuharu Ōyama (3) | 3-1 | Kozō Masuda |
| 4 | 1964 first | Yasuharu Ōyama (4) | 3-2 | Shigeru Sekine |
| 5 | 1964 second | Yasuharu Ōyama (5) | 3-0 | So-etsu Homma |
| 6 | 1965 first | Yasuharu Ōyama (6) | 3-2 | Kozō Masuda |
| 7 | 1965 second | Yasuharu Ōyama (7) | 3-2 | Tatsuya Futakami |
| 8 | 1966 first | Tatsuya Futakami | 3-1 | Yasuharu Ōyama |
| 9 | 1966 second | Yasuharu Ōyama (8) | 3-0 | Tatsuya Futakami |
| 10 | 1967 first | Michiyoshi Yamada | 3-1 | Yasuharu Ōyama |
| 11 | 1967 second | Michiyoshi Yamada (2) | 3-2 | Makoto Nakahara |
| 12 | 1968 first | Makoto Nakahara | 3-1 | Michiyoshi Yamada |
| 13 | 1968 second | Makoto Nakahara (2) | 3-1 | Yasuharu Ōyama |
| 14 | 1969 first | Makoto Nakahara (3) | 3-0 | Michiyoshi Yamada |
| 15 | 1969 second | Kunio Naitō | 3-1 | Makoto Nakahara |
| 16 | 1970 first | Yasuharu Ōyama (9) | 3-1 | Kunio Naitō |
| 17 | 1970 second | Makoto Nakahara (4) | 3-0 | Yasuharu Ōyama |
| 18 | 1971 first | Makoto Nakahara (5) | 3-1 | Yasuharu Ōyama |
| 19 | 1971 second | Makoto Nakahara (6) | 3-1 | Tatsuya Futakami |
| 20 | 1972 first | Makoto Nakahara (7) | 3-1 | Kunio Naitō |
| 21 | 1972 second | Michio Ariyoshi | 3-2 | Makoto Nakahara |
| 22 | 1973 first | Kunio Yonenaga | 3-1 | Michio Ariyoshi |
| 23 | 1973 second | Kunio Naitō (2) | 3-2 | Kunio Yonenaga |
| 24 | 1974 first | Yasuharu Ōyama (10) | 3-1 | Kunio Naitō |
| 25 | 1974 second | Yasuharu Ōyama (11) | 3-0 | Kunio Yonenaga |
| 26 | 1975 first | Yasuharu Ōyama (12) | 3-1 | Tatsuya Futakami |
| 27 | 1975 second | Yasuharu Ōyama (13) | 3-0 | Tatsuya Futakami |
| 28 | 1976 first | Yasuharu Ōyama (14) | 3-1 | Kiyozumi Kiriyama |
| 29 | 1976 second | Yasuharu Ōyama (15) | 3-2 | Kunio Yonenaga |
| 30 | 1977 first | Yasuharu Ōyama (16) | 3-1 | Keiji Mori |
| 31 | 1977 second | Makoto Nakahara (8) | 3-2 | Yasuharu Ōyama |
| 32 | 1978 first | Makoto Nakahara (9) | 3-0 | Michio Ariyoshi |
| 33 | 1978 second | Makoto Nakahara (10) | 3-1 | Tatsuya Futakami |
| 34 | 1979 first | Makoto Nakahara (11) | 3-1 | Hifumi Katō |
| 35 | 1979 second | Makoto Nakahara (12) | 3-0 | Hitoshige Awaji |
| 36 | 1980 first | Kunio Yonenaga (2) | 3-1 | Makoto Nakahara |
| 37 | 1980 second | Tatsuya Futakami (2) | 3-1 | Kunio Yonenaga |
| 38 | 1981 first | Tatsuya Futakami (3) | 3-0 | Makoto Nakahara |
| 39 | 1981 second | Tatsuya Futakami (4) | 3-0 | Hifumi Katō |
| 40 | 1982 first | Keiji Mori | 3-0 | Tatsuya Futakami |
| 41 | 1982 second | Makoto Nakahara (13) | 3-1 | Keiji Mori |
| 42 | 1983 first | Hidemitsu Moriyasu | 3-2 | Makoto Nakahara |
| 43 | 1983 second | Kunio Yonenaga (3) | 3-1 | Hidemitsu Moriyasu |
| 44 | 1984 first | Kunio Yonenaga (4) | 3-0 | Koji Tanigawa |
| 45 | 1984 second | Kunio Yonenaga (5) | 3-2 | Osamu Nakamura |
| 46 | 1985 first | Kunio Yonenaga (6) | 3-1 | Osamu Katsuura |
| 47 | 1985 second | Kunio Yonenaga (7) | 3-0 | Osamu Nakamura |
| 48 | 1986 first | Kiyozumi Kiriyama | 3-1 | Kunio Yonenaga |
| 49 | 1986 second | Kiyozumi Kiriyama (2) | 3-1 | Yoshikazu Minami |
| 50 | 1987 first | Kiyozumi Kiriyama (3) | 3-0 | Kazuyoshi Nishimura |
| 51 | 1987 second | Yoshikazu Minami | 3-0 | Kiyozumi Kiriyama |
| 52 | 1988 first | Torahiko Tanaka | 3-2 | Yoshikazu Minami |
| 53 | 1988 second | Makoto Nakahara (14) | 3-2 | Torahiko Tanaka |
| 54 | 1989 first | Makoto Nakahara (15) | 3-1 | Yoshikazu Minami |
| 55 | 1989 second | Makoto Nakahara (16) | 3-2 | Nobuyuki Yashiki |
| 56 | 1990 first | Nobuyuki Yashiki | 3-2 | Makoto Nakahara |
| 57 | 1990 second | Nobuyuki Yashiki (2) | 3-1 | Taku Morishita |
| 58 | 1991 first | Yoshikazu Minami (2) | 3-2 | Nobuyuki Yashiki |
| 59 | 1991 second | Koji Tanigawa | 3-0 | Yoshikazu Minami |
| 60 | 1992 first | Koji Tanigawa (2) | 3-1 | Masataka Gōda |
| 61 | 1992 second | Koji Tanigawa (3) | 3-0 | Masataka Gōda |
| 62 | 1993 first | Yoshiharu Habu | 3-1 | Koji Tanigawa |
| 63 | 1993 second | Yoshiharu Habu (2) | 3-2 | Koji Tanigawa |
| 64 | 1994 first | Yoshiharu Habu (3) | 3-1 | Koji Tanigawa |
| 65 | 1994 second | Yoshiharu Habu (4) | 3-0 | Akira Shima |
| 66 | 1995 | Yoshiharu Habu (5) | 3-0 | Hiroyuki Miura |
| 67 | 1996 | Hiroyuki Miura | 3-2 | Yoshiharu Habu |
| 68 | 1997 | Nobuyuki Yashiki (3) | 3-1 | Hiroyuki Miura |
| 69 | 1998 | Masataka Gōda | 3-0 | Nobuyuki Yashiki |
| 70 | 1999 | Koji Tanigawa (4) | 3-0 | Masataka Gōda |
| 71 | 2000 | Yoshiharu Habu (6) | 3-2 | Koji Tanigawa |
| 72 | 2001 | Masataka Gōda (2) | 3-2 | Yoshiharu Habu |
| 73 | 2002 | Yasumitsu Satō | 3-2 | Masataka Gōda |
| 74 | 2003 | Yasumitsu Satō (2) | 3-0 | Tadahisa Maruyama |
| 75 | 2004 | Yasumitsu Satō (3) | 3-0 | Toshiyuki Moriuchi |
| 76 | 2005 | Yasumitsu Satō (4) | 3-2 | Yoshiharu Habu |
| 77 | 2006 | Yasumitsu Satō (5) | 3-0 | Daisuke Suzuki |
| 78 | 2007 | Yasumitsu Satō (6) | 3-1 | Akira Watanabe |
| 79 | 2008 | Yoshiharu Habu (7) | 3-2 | Yasumitsu Satō |
| 80 | 2009 | Yoshiharu Habu (8) | 3-2 | Kazuki Kimura |
| 81 | 2010 | Yoshiharu Habu (9) | 3-0 | Koichi Fukaura |
| 82 | 2011 | Yoshiharu Habu (10) | 3-0 | Koichi Fukaura |
| 83 | 2012 | Yoshiharu Habu (11) | 3-0 | Taichi Nakamura |
| 84 | 2013 | Yoshiharu Habu (12) | 3-1 | Akira Watanabe |
| 85 | 2014 | Yoshiharu Habu (13) | 3-0 | Toshiyuki Moriuchi |
| 86 | 2015 | Yoshiharu Habu (14) | 3-1 | Masayuki Toyoshima |
| 87 | 2016 | Yoshiharu Habu (15) | 3-2 | Takuya Nagase |
| 88 | 2017 | Yoshiharu Habu (16) | 3-1 | Shintaro Saito |
| 89 | 2018 | Masayuki Toyoshima | 3-2 | Yoshiharu Habu |
| 90 | 2019 | Akira Watanabe | 3-1 | Masayuki Toyoshima |
| 91 | 2020 | Sōta Fujii | 3-1 | Akira Watanabe |
| 92 | 2021 | Sōta Fujii (2) | 3-0 | Akira Watanabe |
| 93 | 2022 | Sōta Fujii (3) | 3-1 | Takuya Nagase |
| 94 | 2023 | Sōta Fujii (4) | 3-1 | Daichi Sasaki |
| 95 | 2024 | Sōta Fujii (5) | 3-0 | Takayuki Yamasaki |
Records
- Most titles overall: Yasuharu Ōyama, Makoto Nakahara and Yoshiharu Habu, 16
- Most consecutive titles: Yoshiharu Habu, 10 in a row (2008-2017)
See also
References
- "Eisei Shōgō no Kitei wa Dō Natteriru Deshōka" 永世称号の規定はどうなっているのでしょうか。 [What are the requirements for lifetime titles?] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Archived from the original on 9 January 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
- "Habu Nikan, Ōyama Jūgosei Meijin wo Nuku, Taitoru Kakutoku Hachijūikki" 羽生二冠, 大山十五世名人を抜く タイトル獲得81期 [Habu 2-crown wins 81st major title to move past 15th Lifetime Meijin Ōyama]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). July 5, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
- "Habu Kisei ga Nana Renpa Tasei, Ōyama ni Narabu, Moriuchi ni Sanrenshō" 羽生棋聖が7連覇達成、大山に並ぶ 森内に3連勝 [Habu defeats Moriuchi 3-0 to win title for 7th consecutive time and tie Ōyama's record.]. Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). July 5, 2014. Archived from the original on May 29, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- Yamamura, Hideki (July 15, 2015). "Shōgi: Kiseisen Dai Yonkyoku Habu Kisei ga Seishite Sanshō Ippai Hachi Renpa" 将棋: 棋聖戦第4局 羽生棋聖が制して3勝1敗8連覇 [Habu wins game 4 to win Kisei match 3-1 and win title for the 8th consecutive time]. Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved July 29, 2015.
- "Shōgi, Habu Kisei ga Hachirenpa Yonkan wo Kenji" 将棋, 羽生棋聖が8連覇 4冠を堅持 [Habu Kisei defends title for 8th consecutive time, firmly maintains grip on his 4-crown status]. The Nikkei (in Japanese). Kyodo News. July 15, 2015. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- "Habu Kisei ga Kyūrenpa! Goban Shōbu Dai Go Kyoku" 羽生棋聖が9連覇! 五番勝負第5局 [Habu wins for 9th consecutive time! Game 5 of the five game match]. Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). August 1, 2016. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
- "Habu Kisei ga Bōei, Jūrenpa Shōgi Taitoru Tsūsan Kyūjūhakki" 羽生棋聖が防衛, 10連覇 将棋タイトル通算98期に [Habu Kisei defends title for 10th consecutive time to win his 98th overall major title]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). July 11, 2017. Archived from the original on July 12, 2017. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- Murakami, Kōji; Murase, Shinya; Satō, Keiji (July 17, 2018). "Toyoshima Hachidan ga Hatsu Taitoru, Shin Kisei ni Habu Ryūo wa Ikkan ni Kōtai" 豊島八段が初タイトル, 新棋聖に 羽生竜王は一冠に後退 [Toyoshima 8d is the new Kisei titleholder for his first major title. Habu Ryūo currently now holds only one of the eight major titles]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved July 18, 2018.
- Murakami, Kōji (July 9, 2019). "Watanabe Akira Nikan ga Toyoshima Kisei ni Shōri Taitoru Dasshu, Sankan ni" 渡辺明二冠が豊島棋聖に勝利 タイトル奪取, 三冠に [Akira Watanabe 2-crown defeats Kisei title holder Toyoshima to capture Kisei title and become a 3-crown]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved July 10, 2019.
- "Japanese shogi prodigy Sota Fujii becomes youngest to win major title". Kyodo News. July 16, 2020. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
- "Fujii Nikan ga Kisei Hatsu Bōei Sanrenshō de Sainenshō Kiroku Kōshin―Jūhassai, Hatsu no Kudan ni" 藤井二冠が棋聖初防衛 3連勝で最年少記録更新―18歳, 初の九段に [Fujii 2-crown successful in first title defense of Kisei title; wins match 3–0 to become the youngest person (and the first 18-year-old) to be promoted to the rank of 9-dan]. Jiji Press (in Japanese). July 3, 2021. Archived from the original on July 3, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
- "Fujii Sōta Gokan ga ｢Kisei｣ no Taitoru wo Bōei" 藤井聡太五冠が｢棋聖｣のタイトルを防衛 [Sōta Fujii 5-crown successfully defends Kisei title]. TV Asahi (in Japanese). July 17, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- "Shōgi Fujii Sōta Nanakan ｢Kisei-sen｣ Yonrenpa Kotoshi Futatsume no Taitoru Bōei" 将棋 藤井聡太七冠 ｢棋聖戦｣ 4連覇 今年度2つ目のタイトル防衛 [Shogi's Sōta Fujii 7-crown successfully defends Kisei title; it's his second successful title defense this year and his fourth consecutive Kisei title match victory]. NHK News Web (in Japanese). July 18, 2023. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
- "Fujii Kisei, Sainenshō de ｢Eisei Shōgō｣ Bōei de Gorenpa, Nijūissai Jūikkagestu" 藤井棋聖, 最年少で ｢永世称号｣ 防衛で5連覇, 21歳11カ月 [Fujii Kisei defends title to win Kisei for the fifth consencutive year and also become the youngest person at age 21 years and 11 months to meet the criteria for "lifetime title holder"]. Tokyo Shimbun (in Japanese). Kyodo News. July 1, 2024. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
External links
| Professional shogi title tournaments | |
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