Yūki Sasaki (shogi)

Yūki Sasaki
Native name	佐々木勇気
Born	(1994-08-05) August 5, 1994 (age 30)
Hometown	Misato, Japan
Career
Achieved professional status	October 1, 2010(2010-10-01) (aged 16)
Badge Number	280
Rank	8-dan
Teacher	Kazuo Ishida [ja] (9-dan)
Tournaments won	2
Meijin class	A
Ryūō class	1
Websites
JSA profile page

Yūki Sasaki (佐々木 勇気, Sasaki Yūki, born August 5, 1994) is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 8-dan.

Early life, amateur shogi and apprentice professional

Sasaki was born in Geneva, Switzerland on August 5, 1994.^[1][2][3] His family moved to France when he was two years old and then returned to Misato in Saitama Prefecture, Japan when he was about five.^[4][5]

As a young boy, Sasaki liked playing outdoors. His middle ear, however, became inflamed from swimming, and his doctor advised his parents to limit his playing to indoors for a while until it healed. Sasaki's father played the game go, but Sasaki started studying shogi at the prodding of his mother because she was worried that her son might mistakenly swallow one of the go pieces.^[6]

As a first-grade elementary school student, he was already playing against adults at his local shogi club and was soon going to the club six days a week.^[7] In 2003, Sasaki won the lower-grade section of the 2nd Elementary School Student Kurashiki Ōshō Tournament [ja] as a third-grade student,^[8] and then the following year he won the 29th Elementary School Student Meijin Tournament [ja] as a fourth-grade student to become just the second fourth grader, after Akira Watanabe, to win the tournament.^[5][9]

In September 2004, Sasaki was accepted into the Japan Shogi Association's apprentice school at the rank of 6-kyū under the guidance of shogi professional Kazuo Ishida [ja].^[2] In April 2008, Sasaki was promoted to the rank of appentice-professional 3-dan as a second-year junior high school student, which at the time tied the record for being the second fastest person to do so since entering the apprentice school.^[5] He obtained full professional status and the rank of 4-dan in October 2010 after winning the 47th 3-dan League (April 2010 – September 2010) with a record of 14 wins and 4 losses.^[10] Sasaki was 16 years and 1 month old and still a junior high school student when he was awarded professional status, thus becoming just the sixth junior high school student to turn professional.^[2]

Shogi professional

Sasaki's first non-title tournament as a professional came in October 2013 when he defeated Shōta Chida 2 games to 1 to win the 3rd Kakogawa Seiryū Tournament [ja].^[11][12][13]

In June 2017, Sasaki ended Sōta Fujii's record-breaking winning streak.^[14]

In March 2023, Sasaki and Fujii met in the championship of the 72nd NHK Cup tournament, with Fujii winning the game.^[15] The following year the two met again in the championship game of the 73rd NHK Cup tournament, but this time it was Sasaki who came out victorious.^[16]

In August 2024, Sasaki defeated Akihito Hirose 2 games to none to win the best-of-three 37th Ryūō Challenger Determination Match and advance to a major title match for the first time.^[17] In the 37th Ryūō Title Match (October – December 2024), Sasaki was tied with Fujii Ryūō at two wins apiece after 4 games, but lost the next two games to lose the match 4 games to 2.^[18]

Promotion history

Sasaki's promotion history is as follows:^[19]

• 6-kyū: 2004
• 3-dan: 2008
• 4-dan: October 1, 2010
• 5-dan: March 11, 2014
• 6-dan: July 11, 2017
• 7-dan: November 16, 2018
• 8-dan: March 9, 2023

Titles and other championships

Sasaki has appeared in one major title, but he has yet to win a major title;^[20] he, however, has won two non-title tournaments.^[21]

Awards and honors

Sasaki won the Japan Shogi Association's Annual Shogi Awards for "Most Games Played" (65 games) in 2017,^[22] and the Kōzō Masuda Award for the Yūki Side Pawn Capture in 2018.^[23]

References

1. Murase, Shinya (July 2, 2017). "Fujii Yondan, Morikaeseruka Suisu Umare Sasaki Godan ni Kusen" 藤井四段, 盛り返せるか スイス生まれ佐々木五段に苦戦 [Can Fujii 4-dan battle back? In difficult struggle with Swiss-born Sasaki 5-dan]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved December 4, 2020.
2. "Fujii Sōta Yondan no Renshō Sutoppushita Sasaki Yūki Godan wa Konna hito" 藤井聡太四段の連勝ストップした佐々木勇気五段はこんな人 [Introducing Yuki Sasaki 5-dan, the one who stopped Sota Fujii's winning streak]. Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). July 2, 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
3. "Kishi Dētabēsu: Sasaki Yūki" 棋士データベース: 佐々木勇気 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Yūki Sasaki] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
4. "Fujii Yondan no Taikyokushitsu de ｢Sugoi Mezuki｣ ｢Tsugi｣ no Taisensha ga Jitto Miteita" 藤井四段の対局室で ｢凄い目付き｣「次｣の対戦者がじっと見ていた [Fujii 4-dan's next scheduled opponent shows up at the playing sight and watches from start to finish with an intense expression on his face.]. J-Cast (in Japanese). June 27, 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
5. "Fujii Yondan Tometa Sasaki Godan, Suisu Umare Ikeman" 藤井四段止めた佐々木五段, スイス生まれイケメン [Sasaki 5-dan, who stopped Fujii 4-dan's winning streak, is a young handsome Swiss-born shogi professional]. Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). July 2, 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
6. Sasaki, Yūki (August 17, 2017). "Ikeman Jitsuryokuha Kishi･Sasaki Yūki Rokudan ｢Kikake wa Chūjien｣ Fujii Sōta Yondan Taikyoku de Chūmoku" イケメン実力派棋士･佐々木勇気六段 ｢きっかけは中耳炎｣ 藤井聡太四段対局で注目 [Yūki Sasaki 6-dan is young, handsome and a very strong player. He's received lots of attention for his game against Sōta Fujii 4-dan, but it all started with a "middle ear infection".]. Sankei Shimbun (Interview) (in Japanese). Interviewed by Yūsuke Tanaka. p. 2. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
7. Sasaki, Yūki (August 17, 2017). "Ikeman Jitsuryokuha Kishi･Sasaki Yūki Rokudan ｢Kikake wa Chūjien｣ Fujii Sōta Yondan Taikyoku de Chūmoku" イケメン実力派棋士･佐々木勇気六段 ｢きっかけは中耳炎｣ 藤井聡太四段対局で注目 [Yūki Sasaki 6-dan is young, handsome and a very strong player. He's received lots of attention for his game against Sōta Fujii 4-dan, but it all started with a "middle ear infection".]. Sankei Shimbun (Interview) (in Japanese). Interviewed by Yūsuke Tanaka. p. 3. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
8. "Dai Nikai Zenkoku Shōgakusei Kurashiki Ōshōsen" 第2回全国小学生倉敷王将戦 [2nd All Japan Elementary School Student Kurashiki Ōshō Tournament] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. 2003. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
9. "Shōgakusei Shōgi Meijinsen Rekidai Yūshōsha Ichiran" 小学生将棋名人戦 歴代優勝者一覧 [Elementary School Student Meijin Tournament: List of Winners] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
10. "Dai Yonjūnanakai Shōreikai Sandan Rīgusen" 第47回奨励会三段リーグ戦 [47th Apprentice School 3-dan League] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. 2010. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
11. "Kishi Dētabēsu: Sasaki Yūki Yūshō Rireki" 棋士データベース: 佐々木勇気 優勝履歴 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Yūki Sasaki Championship History] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
12. "Dai Sanki Kakogawa Seiryūsen ... Sasaki Yondan no Yūshō" 第3期 加古川青流戦...佐々木四段の優勝 [Sasaki 4d wins the 3rd Kakogawa Seiryū Tournament] (in Japanese). Igo & Shogi Channel. October 28, 2013. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
13. "Dai Sanki Kakogawa Seiryūsen" 棋第3期 加古川青流戦 [3rd Kakogawa Seiryū Tournament]. 平成26年版 将棋年鑑 2014 (Shogi Yearbook: Heisei 26 (2014) edition) (in Japanese). MyNabi Publishing/Japan Shogi Association. 2014. p. 394. ISBN 978-4-8399-5175-7. Retrieved July 11, 2018 – via Google Books.
14. Kakumi Kobayashi (July 2, 2017). "Record-setting winning streak of shogi prodigy Sota Fujii halted at 29 games". The Japan Times. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
15. "Fujii Sōta Ryūō, NHKhaisen de Sasaki Yūki Hachidan Kudashi Hatsuyūshō...Shijō Hatsu no Ippan Kisen Zenseha" 藤井聡太竜王, NHK杯で佐々木勇気八段下し初優勝...史上初の一般棋戦全制覇 [Sōta Fujii Ryūo defeats Yūki Sasaki to win NHK Cup for the first time; Fujii's win also makes him the first professional shogi player to win all non-major title tournaments in a single year]. Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). April 5, 2024. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
16. Maruyama, Susumu (March 17, 2024). "｢Sanjūrenshō wo Tometa Otoko｣ Sasaki Yūki Hachidan, Fujii Sōta Meijin Yaburi Yūshō NHKhai" ｢30連勝を止めた男｣ 佐々木八段, 藤井聡太名人破り優勝 NHK杯 ["The man who stopped Sōta Fujii's 29-game winning streak" Yūki Sasaki 8-dan defeats Fujii, the reigning Meijin, yet again, this time to win the NHK Cup]. Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved April 5, 2024.
17. "Sasaki Yūki Hachidan, Fujii Sōta Ryūō e no Chōsenken wo Kakutoku..Ryūōsen Chōsensha Kettei Sanban Shōbu" 佐々木勇気八段, 藤井聡太竜王への挑戦権を獲得...竜王戦挑戦者決定三番勝負 [Yūki Sasaki 8-dan wins the best-of-three Ryūō Challenger Determination Match to earn the right to challenge Sōta Fujii Ryūō]. Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). August 13, 2024. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
18. "Shōgi ｢Ryūōsen｣ Fujii Sōta Nanakan Sasaki Yūki Hachidan ni Kachi Taitoru Bōei" 将棋 ｢竜王戦｣ 藤井聡太七冠 佐々木八段に勝ちタイトル防衛 [Shogi's "Ryūō Tournament": Sōta Fujii 7-crown defeats Yūki Sasaki 8-dan to defend title]. NHK (in Japanese). December 13, 2024. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
19. "Kishi Dētabēsu: Sasaki Yūki Shōdan Rireki" 棋士データベース: 佐々木勇気 昇段履歴 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Yūki Sasaki Promotion History] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
20. "Kishi Dētabēsu: Sasaki Yūki Taitoru Rireki" 棋士データベース: 佐々木勇気 タイトル履歴 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Yūki Sasaki Major Title History] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
21. "Kishi Dētabēsu: Sasaki Yūki Yūshō Rireki" 棋士データベース: 佐々木勇気 優勝履歴 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Yūki Sasaki Championship History] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
22. "Shōgi Nyūsu: Dai Yonjūyonkai Shōgi Taishō Jushōsha no Oshirase" 将棋ニュース: 第44回将棋大賞受賞者のお知らせ [Shogi News: 44th Annual Award Winners] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. March 31, 2017. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
23. "Saiyūshūkishi Habu Yoshiharu Ryūō, Tokubetsushō ni Fujii Sōta Rokudan. Dai Yonjūgokai Shōgi Taishō Kimaru" 最優秀棋士賞に羽生善治竜王, 特別賞に藤井聡太六段. 第45回将棋大賞決まる [Shogi News: 45th Annual Award Winners] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. April 2, 2018. Retrieved April 9, 2018.

External links

• ShogiHub: Professional Player Info · Sasaki, Yuki