Kōru Abe

Kōru Abe
Native name	阿部光瑠
Born	(1994-10-25) October 25, 1994 (age 30)
Hometown	Hirosaki
Career
Achieved professional status	April 1, 2011(2011-04-01) (aged 16)
Badge Number	283
Rank	7-dan
Teacher	Osamu Nakamura (9-dan)
Tournaments won	1
Meijin class	C2
Ryūō class	4
Websites
JSA profile page

Kōru Abe (阿部 光瑠, Abe Kōru, born October 25, 1994) is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 7-dan.

Early life, amateur shogi and apprentice professional

Abe was born in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture on October 25, 1994.^[1] He learned how to play shogi from his father when he was five years old.^[2][3] As an elementary school student, Abe was interested in both Go and shogi. He was a big fan of the manga series Hikaru no Go and actually wanted to become a Go professional, but switched his focus to shogi after finding Go too difficult to learn.^[3] He started attending a formal shogi class at local department store when he was a fourth grade elementary school student, and won the 5th All Japan Elementary School Student Kurashiki Ōshō Tournament [ja] in 2006 as a sixth-grader.^[3][4] Later that same year, he was accepted into the Japan Shogi Association's apprentice school as a student of shogi professional Osamu Nakamura at the rank of 6-kyū.^[2][3]

Abe advanced through the apprentice school fairly smoothly, being promoted to the rank of 1-dan in 2008, and then to 3-dan in 2009.^[3] He obtained full professional status and the rank of 4-dan after tying for first place in the 48th 3-dan League (October 2010 – March 2011) in 2011 with a record of 13 wins and 5 losses.^[2][3][5]

Shogi professional

In 2013, Abe was one of five shogi professionals selected to play against five computer shogi programs in the 2nd Denōsen exhibition match . Abe defeated the computer program Shūso [ja] in the first game of the match, which turned out to be the only victory scored by the shogi professionals.^[6][7]

In October 2014, Abe defeated Yūki Sasaki to 2 games to 1 to win the 45th Shinjin-Ō [ja] tournament.^[8][9][10]

Promotion history

Abe's promotion history is as follows.^[11]

• 6-kyū: September 2006
• 3-dan: April 2009
• 4-dan: April 1, 2011
• 5-dan: November 4, 2014
• 6-dan: November 5, 2015
• 7-dan: January 28, 2022

Titles and other championships

Abe has yet to appear in a major title match, but he has won one non-major title championship.^[12]

References

1. "Kishi Dētabēsu: Abe Kōru" 棋士データベース: 阿部光瑠 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Kōru Abe] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
2. "Kadokura Keita･Abe Kōru Shinyondan Tanjō no Oshirase" 門倉啓太･阿部光瑠　新四段誕生のお知らせ [Keita Kadokura and Kōru Abe are the new 4-dans] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. March 23, 2011. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
3. Geneki Purō Kishi DētaBukku 2016 [Jō] A-Ta Gyō 現役プロ棋士データブック2016 [上] あ-た [2016 Active Shogi Professional Databook [First volume] Letter "A" to Letter "Ta"] (in Japanese). MyNabi Publishing/Japan Shogi Association. 2015. p. 9. Retrieved May 23, 2019 – via Google Books.
4. "Daigokai Zenkoku Shōgakusei Kurashiki Ōshōsen" 第5回全国小学生倉敷王将戦 [5th All Japan Elementary School Student Kurashiki Ōshō Tournament] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. 2006. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
5. "Dai Yonjūhakkai Shōreikai Sandan Rīgusen Nisenjūnen Jūgatsu kara Nisenjūichinen Sangatsu" 第48回奨励会三段リーグ戦 2010年10月～2011年3月 [48th apprentice school 3-dan league: October 2010 to March 2011] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. 2010. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
6. "Geneki Purokishi ga Shōgi Sofuto ni Senshō Denōsen Daiichikyoku" 現役プロ棋士が将棋ソフトに先勝 電王戦第1局 [Shogi professionals strike first. Pro defeats shogi program in Game 1 of the Denōsen]. The Nikkei (in Japanese). March 23, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
7. "Pro shogi players defeated by computer programs". The Japan Times. Kyodo News. April 22, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
8. "Abe Yondan ga Hatsuyūshō Shōgi Shinjin-Ōsen" 阿部四段が初優勝 将棋新人王戦 [Abe 4d wins Shinjin-Ō tournament for first championship as a professional] (in Japanese). Japanese Communist Party. October 25, 2014. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
9. "Dai Yonjūgoki Shinjin-Ōsen" 第45期新人王戦 [45th Shinjin-Ō tournament] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. 2014. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
10. "Nakamura Kudan Monka, Ve Futatsu Kagawa Joryū Ōshō Bōei･Abe Yondan ga Shinjin-Ō" 中村九段門下, Ｖ二つ　香川女流王将防衛･阿部四段が新人王 [Nakamura 9d protegees score two victories: Women's professional Kagawa defends her Ōshō title and Abe 4d wins Shinjin-Ō tournament]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). October 28, 2014. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
11. "Kishi Dētabēsu: Abe Kōru Shōdan Rireki" 棋士データベース: 阿部光瑠 昇段履歴 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Kōru Abe Promotion History] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
12. "Kishi Dētabēsu: Abe Kōru Yūshō Rireki" 棋士データベース: 阿部光瑠 優勝履歴 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Kōru Abe Championship History] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved May 23, 2019.

External links

• ShogiHub: Professional Player Info· Abe, Koru