Mamoru Hatakeyama (畠山 鎮, Hatakeyama Mamoru, born June 3, 1969) is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 8-dan.
Early life and apprenticeship
Hatakeyama was born in Kanagawa Prefecture on June 3, 1969.[1] He earned how to play shogi when he was seven years old after watching his eldest brother playing against his father.[2] Although he and his twin brother Naruyuki learned the game at the same age, he always seem to following in Naruyuki's footsteps.[2]
He entered the Japan Shogi Association's apprentice school in 1984 as apprentice to shogi professional Masayuki Moriyasu [ja] at the rank of 6-kyū, even though Naruyuki had entered a year earlier and was already ranked 3-kyū.[3][2] Hatakeyama was promoted to 1-dan in 1986 (the same year as Naruyuki), and to full-professional status and the rank of 4-dan in October 1989 along with Naruyuki after both brothers finished the 5th 3-dan League (April 1989 – September 1989) with records of 12 wins and 6 losses.[3][2]
In 2014, Hatakeyama received the Japan Shogi Association's "25 Years Service Award" for being an active professional for twenty-five years.[3][9] In September 2023, he was awarded the JSA's "Shogi Honor Award"for winning 600 official games.[9]
Personal life
Hatakeyama's twin brother Naruyuki is also a professional shogi player. They are the only twins to become professional in history and both became (4-dan) professionals on the same day.[3][2]
