Ōza (shogi)
Ōza (王座 ) is one of the eight titles in Japanese professional shogi .
The word literally means "king's seat", i.e., "throne ". The tournament started in 1953 as a knockout tournament with three games in the final match and was a non-title tournament up until 1982.[ 1] The challenger for the title is determined through three preliminary rounds. The player that wins three games out of five in the championship match becomes the new Ōza title holder.
[ 2]
The tournament is sponsored by Nikkei, Inc. (日本経済新聞社 nihon keizai shinbunsha ), a newspaper conglomerate that publishes The Nikkei and the Nikkei 225 stock market index. The current Ōza title holder is Sōta Fujii .
Lifetime Ōza
"Lifetime Ōza" (名誉王座 ) is the title given to a player who won the championship five times in a row or ten times in total. Active players may qualify for this title, but it is only officially awarded upon their reaching the age of 60 years, retirement or death.[ 3]
Lifetime Ōza title holders
Winners
From 1953 until 1982, the tournament was just regular tournament and not a major title match. From 1953 to 1969, two finalists would play a 3-game match to determine the overall winner; the 1st Oza match (1953), however, was only a single game. From 1970 to 1982, the winner of the previous year's tournament would play the winner of a qualifying tournament in a 3-game match.[ 6]
For the 31st Oza Match (1983), the tournament was officially elevated to major title match status and starting with the 32nd Oza Match, the format switched to a best-of-five.
No.
Year
Winner
Score
Opponent
31
1983
Makoto Nakahara
2–1
Kunio Naitō
32
1984
Makoto Nakahara (2)
3–2
Hidemitsu Moriyasu
33
1985
Makoto Nakahara (3)
3–1
Kōji Tanigawa
34
1986
Makoto Nakahara (4)
3–0
Kiyozumi Kiriyama
35
1987
Yasuaki Tsukada
3–2
Makoto Nakahara
36
1988
Makoto Nakahara (5)
3–0
Yasuaki Tsukada
37
1989
Makoto Nakahara (6)
3–2
Teruichi Aono
38
1990
Kōji Tanigawa
3–1
Makoto Nakahara
39
1991
Bungo Fukusaki
3–2
Kōji Tanigawa
40
1992
Yoshiharu Habu
3–0
Bungo Fukusaki
41
1993
Yoshiharu Habu (2)
3–1
Koji Tanigawa
42
1994
Yoshiharu Habu (3)
3–0
Kōji Tanigawa
43
1995
Yoshiharu Habu (4)
3–0
Keiji Mori
44
1996
Yoshiharu Habu (5)
3–0
Akira Shima
45
1997
Yoshiharu Habu (6)
3–0
Akira Shima
46
1998
Yoshiharu Habu (7)
3–2
Kōji Tanigawa
47
1999
Yoshiharu Habu (8)
3–1
Tadahisa Maruyama
48
2000
Yoshiharu Habu (9)
3–2
Takeshi Fujii
49
2001
Yoshiharu Habu (10)
3–1
Toshiaki Kubo
50
2002
Yoshiharu Habu (11)
3–0
Yasumitsu Satō
51
2003
Yoshiharu Habu (12)
3–2
Akira Watanabe
52
2004
Yoshiharu Habu (13)
3–1
Toshiyuki Moriuchi
53
2005
Yoshiharu Habu (14)
3–0
Yasumitsu Satō
54
2006
Yoshiharu Habu (15)
3–0
Yasumitsu Satō
55
2007
Yoshiharu Habu (16)
3–0
Toshiaki Kubo
56
2008
Yoshiharu Habu (17)
3–0
Kazuki Kimura
57
2009
Yoshiharu Habu (18)
3–0
Takayuki Yamasaki
58
2010
Yoshiharu Habu (19)
3–0
Takeshi Fujii
59
2011
Akira Watanabe
3–0
Yoshiharu Habu
60
2012
Yoshiharu Habu (20)
3–1
Akira Watanabe
61
2013
Yoshiharu Habu (21)
3–2[ 7]
Taichi Nakamura
62
2014
Yoshiharu Habu (22)
3–2[ 8]
Masayuki Toyoshima
63
2015
Yoshiharu Habu (23)
3–2[ 9]
Amahiko Satō
64
2016
Yoshiharu Habu (24)
3–0[ 10]
Tetsuro Itodani
65
2017
Taichi Nakamura
3–1[ 11]
Yoshiharu Habu
66
2018
Shintarō Saitō
3–2[ 12]
Taichi Nakamura
67
2019
Takuya Nagase
3–0[ 13]
Shintarō Saitō
68
2020
Takuya Nagase (2)
3–2[ 14]
Toshiaki Kubo
69
2021
Takuya Nagase (3)
3–1[ 15]
Kazuki Kimura
70
2022
Takuya Nagase (4)
3–1[ 16]
Masayuki Toyoshima
71
2023
Sōta Fujii
3–1[ 17]
Takuya Nagase
72
2024
Sōta Fujii (2)
3–0[ 18]
Takuya Nagase
Records
Most titles overall: Yoshiharu Habu, 24
Most consecutive titles: Yoshiharu Habu, 19 in a row (1992-2010)
See also
References
^ Hodges, George, ed. (1977). "Introduction to the Ôza tournament". Shogi (6): 4.
^ "Ōzasen" 王座戦 [Oza Title Match] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association . Retrieved 27 June 2014 .
^ "Nakahara Makoto Eisei 10-dan・Meiyo Ōza Tanjō e" 中原 誠 永世十段・名誉王座"誕生へ [Makoto Nakahara was crowned as Lifetime 10-dan and Lifetime Ōza] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. 29 August 2007. Retrieved 19 July 2023 .
^ "Kishi Shokai: Nakahara Makoto" 棋士紹介: 中原誠 [Player Introduction: Makoto Nakahara] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved 24 October 2014 .
^ "Kishi Shokai: Habu Yoshiharu" 棋士紹介: 羽生善治 [Player Introduction: Yoshiharu Habu] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved 24 October 2014 .
^ Tanabe, Tadayuki (2006). Shōgi Hachi Daikisen Hiwa 将棋八大棋戦秘話 [Shogi, Untold Stories from 8 Major Title Matches ] (in Japanese). Sedagaya, Tokyo: Kawade Shobo Shinsha Publishers, Inc. p. 169. ISBN 4309268706 .
^ "Habu ga Ōza Bōei, Tsūsan Nijūikki Dōichi Taitoru Saita" 羽生が王座防衛 通算21期 同一タイトル最多 [Habu defends Ōza title, wins Ōza for the 21st time overall to set record for most times winning the same title]. The Nikkei (in Japanese). October 21, 2013. Retrieved August 7, 2018 .
^ Fukamatsu, Shinji (October 24, 2014). "Habu Ōza ga Bōei Taitoru Kakutoku Kyūjūki ni Shōgi Ōzasen" 羽生王座が防衛 タイトル獲得は90期に 将棋王座戦 [Habu Defends Oza Title for his 90th Major Title Overall]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Archived from the original on November 1, 2014. Retrieved December 4, 2017 .
^ Fukamatsu, Shinji (October 26, 2015). "Habu Ōza ga Bōei ni Seiko Shōgi Ōzasen, Yonnen Renzoku Nijūsankime" 羽生王座が防衛に成功 将棋王座戦, 4年連続23期目 [Habu Successfully Defends Oza Title for 4th Consecutive Year to Hold Title for 23rd Time Overall]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 26, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2018 .
^ Yamamura, Hideki (October 4, 2016). "Habu Sankan ga Ōza Bōei, Itodani Hachidan ni Sanrenshō" 羽生3冠が王座防衛 糸谷八段に3連勝 [Habu 3-crown defends Oza title by defeating Itodani 8d three straight games]. Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved October 5, 2016 .
^ Yamamura, Hideki (October 11, 2017). "Nakamura Taichi Rokudan ga Hatsu no Ōza Kakutoku, Habu Kisei Ikkan e Kōtai" 中村太地六段が初の王座獲得 羽生棋聖1冠へ後退 [Taichi Nakamura 6d wins Oza title for first major title. Habu Kisei drops to a 1-crown]. Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved October 12, 2017 .
^ "Shōgi, Saitō ga Hatsu Taitoru Ōza Kakutoku Saishūkyoku de Nakamura Yaburu" 将棋, 斎藤が初タイトル王座獲得 最終局で中村破る [Saitō wins first major shogi title; defeats Nakamura in final game to capture Ōza title.]. Hokkaido Shimbun (in Japanese). October 30, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2018 .
^ Yamamura, Hideki (October 1, 2019). "Nagase Eiō ga Ōza Dasshu Saitō, Hatsu Bōei Narazu" 永瀬叡王が王座奪取 斎藤, 初防衛ならず [Nagase Eiō capture Ōza title; Saitō unsuccessful in first title defense]. Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved October 1, 2019 .
^ "Shōgi・Nagase Ōza ga Bōei Sanshō Nihai de Kubo Kudan Yaburu" 将棋・永瀬王座が初防衛 3勝2敗で久保九段破る [Nagase Ōza defends title; defeats Kubo 9-dan 3 games to 2]. The Nikkei (in Japanese). October 14, 2020. Retrieved October 15, 2020 .
^ "Nagase Ōza Sanrenpa, Sanshō Ippai de Kimura Kudan Kudasu Shōgi Ōzasen" 永瀬王座3連覇, 3勝1敗で木村九段下す 将棋王座戦 [Nagase Ōza threepeats by defeating Kimura 9-dan 3 games to 1]. The Nikkei (in Japanese). October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021 .
^ "Nagase Ōza ga Bōei ni Seikō, Yonrenpa Tassei" 永瀬王座が防衛に成功, 4連覇達成 [Nagase Ōza successfully defends title, win Ōza title for the fourth consecutive time]. Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). October 4, 2022. Retrieved October 6, 2022 .
^ Inoue, Yukana (October 11, 2023). "Sota Fujii becomes first ever to win all eight major shogi titles" . The Japan Times . Retrieved October 12, 2023 .
^ "Fujii Sōta Nanakan Sanrenshō de 「Ōza」 no Taitoru Hatsubōei" 藤井聡太七冠 3連勝で 「王座」 のタイトル初防衛 [Sōta Fujii 7-crown defends Ōza title; he wins first three games in his first defense of the Ōza crown.]. NHK (in Japanese). September 30, 2024. Retrieved October 1, 2024 .
External links
Professional shogi title tournaments