The Annual Shogi Awards (将棋大賞 ''shōgi taishō'') are a number of prizes awarded yearly by the

Japan Shogi Association The , or JSA, is the primary organizing body for professional shogi in Japan. The JSA sets the professional calendar, negotiates sponsorship and media promotion deals, helps organize tournaments and title matches, publishes shogi-related materia ...

professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skil ...

and amateur

shogi , also known as Japanese chess, is a strategy board game for two players. It is one of the most popular board games in Japan and is in the same family of games as Western chess, ''chaturanga, Xiangqi'', Indian chess, and '' janggi''. ''Shōgi'' ...

players who have achieved particular success. The first Annual Shogi Awards were presented in 1974.

Winners

Below is a table of the awards given and the award winners for each year.

Kōzō Masuda Awards

The Kōzō Masuda Award (升田幸三賞 ''Masuda Kōzō shō'') and the Kōzō Masuda Special Prize (升田幸三賞特別賞 ''Masuda Kōzō shō takubetsu shō'') are two prizes awarded to professional or amateur players who have made an outstanding contribution to the development and evolution of shogi openings by way of innovation or excellence in shogi theory or tactics. The awards are named after the innovative player,

Kōzō Masuda was a Japanese professional shogi player who achieved the rank of 9-dan. He is a former Meijin who was known for playing very creative shogi. For instance, top player Yoshiharu Habu considered Masuda's playing style to be 30 years ahead of its t ...

. The Masuda Award is given out yearly since 1995 while the Masuda Special Prize is awarded infrequently.

Winners

Masuda Award

* 1995 (22nd Annual Shogi Awards)

Kunio Naitō is a retired Japanese professional shogi player who achieved the rank of 9-dan. Promotion history The promotion history for Naitō is as follows: *1954: 6-kyū *1956: 1-dan *1958, October 1: 4-dan *1961, April 1: 5-Dan *1962, April 1: 6-dan *1 ...

for the

Side Pawn Capture, Bishop-33 In shogi, Side Pawn Capture Bishop-33 (横歩取り3三角 or 横歩取り☖3三角 ''yokofudori san-san kaku'') is a set of variations stemming from the Side Pawn Capture opening, in which White first trades pawns on the eighth file and then b ...

variations. * 1996 (23rd Annual Shogi Awards)

Makoto Nakahara is a retired Japanese professional shogi player who achieved the rank of 9-dan. He is one of the strongest shogi players of the Shōwa period (1926–1989) and holds the titles of Lifetime Kisei, Lifetime Meijin, , Lifetime Ōi, and Lifetime ...

for the Nakahara variation of Side Pawn Capture and the Nakahara castle. * 1997 (24th Annual Shogi Awards)

Takeshi Fujii is a Japanese professional shogi player, ranked 9-dan. He is a former Ryūō title holder, and a former non-executive director of the Japan Shogi Association. Fujii is known for developing the Fujii System, a class of strategies for Fourth Fil ...

for the

Fujii System In shogi, the Fujii System (藤井システム ''fujii shisutemu'') is a set of Fourth File Rook strategies used against various Static Rook strategies. It was created as a way to attack Static Rook Anaguma castle positions. It is named after Tak ...

. * 1998 (25th Annual Shogi Awards)

Teruichi Aono Teruichi Aono (青野照市 ''Aono Teruichi,'' born January 1, 1953) is a 9-dan professional shogi player from Yaizu, Shizuoka. Shogi professional Promotion history The promotion history of Aono is as follows: * 4-kyū: 1968 * 1-dan: 1970 ...

for the Saginomiya joseki. * 1999 (26th Annual Shogi Awards)

Makoto Chūza is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 7-dan. Early life Chūza was born in Wakkanai, Hokkaido on February 3, 1970. He was accepted into the Japan Shogi Association's apprentice school at the rank of 6-kyū in November 1981 under the ...

for the Side Pawn Capture, Chūza's Rook. * 2000 (27th Annual Shogi Awards)

Kunio Yonenaga was a Japanese professional shogi player and president of Japan Shogi Association (May, 2005 - December 18, 2012). He received an honorary title Lifetime Kisei due to his remarkable results in the Kisei title tournament. He is a former Meijin ...

for the Yonenaga King. * 2001 (28th Annual Shogi Awards) Hiroyuki Miura for the Millenium castle. * 2002 (29th Annual Shogi Awards) Masakazu Kondō for the

Cheerful Central Rook In shogi, Cheerful Central Rook (ゴキゲン中飛車 ''gokigen nakabisha'', also Gokigen Central Rook or Go-As-You-Please Central Rook) is a type of Central Rook opening in which the Central Rook player's bishop diagonal remains open. This is ...

. * 2003 (30th Annual Shogi Awards) Kōichi Kodama for the Crab Silvers. * 2004 (31st Annual Shogi Awards)

Kōji Tanigawa is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 9-dan. He is the 17th Lifetime Meijin and also a former president of the Japan Shogi Association (JSA). Early life Kōji Tanigawa was born in Kobe on April 6, 1962. He entered the Japan Shogi Associ ...

for his ...S-77+ move in his A-class Ranking Match against

Akira Shima is a Japanese professional shogi player, ranked 9-dan. He was the first Ryūō title holder and is also a former managing director of the Japan Shogi Association. Shogi professional Shima is a member of the so-called ''Shōwa 55'' group (55� ...

. * 2005 (32nd Annual Shogi Awards) Daisuke Suzuki for the New Quick Ishida (4. P-7d). * 2006 (33rd Annual Shogi Awards) Hitoshige Awaji for the

Tempo Loss Bishop Exchange In shogi, Tempo Loss Bishop Exchange or One-Move-Loss Bishop Exchange or Bishop Exchange With Tempo Loss (一手損角換わり ''ittezon kakugawari'') is a Bishop Exchange (Static Rook) opening that has White trading the bishops very early in ...

. * 2007 (34th Annual Shogi Awards)

Yasumitsu Satō is a Japanese professional shogi player from Yawata City in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. He is currently the president of the Japan Shogi Association. He became a professional in 1987 and is ranked 9-dan. He has won 13 major titles, is a former M ...

for the ambition and variety of moves in Direct Opposing Rook. * 2008 (35th Annual Shogi Awards)

Kenji Imaizumi is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 5-dan. Imaizumi (a former 3-dan professional shogi apprentice) was the first amateur to become a professional player via the Professional Admission Test (プロ編入試験 ''puro henyū shiken'' ...

for the 1... R-32 opening. * 2009 (36th Annual Shogi Awards)

Toshiaki Kubo is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 9- dan. He is a former Ōshō and Kiō title holder.　 Early life Kubo was born in Kakogawa, Hyōgo on August 27, 1975. He learned shogi when he was about four years old, and at the encourageme ...

for his 6. R-7e move in the 2nd. match against

for the 34th

Kiō is one of the eight major title tournaments in professional shogi. The word means the 'king of shogi' (棋 ''ki'' 'shogi' + 王 ''ō'' 'king'). Overview The tournament started in 1974 as a continuation of the Saikyōshakettei tournament (最強� ...

title. * 2010 (37th Annual Shogi Awards)

Eiji Iijima is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 8-dan. Iijima invented the Iijima Bishop Pullback strategy which is named after him. He received the 16th Masuda Award (April 2009March 2010) for developing the strategy. Promotion history Iij ...

for the Iijima Bishop Pullback. * 2011 (38th Annual Shogi Awards)

Yoshitaka Hoshino is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 5-dan. He also holds an Esports professional shogi player license from the (JeSU). Early life Hoshino was born in Ageo, Saitama on August 10, 1988. He became interested in shogi when he was abou ...

for the

Super High Speed Silver-37 In shogi, Super High Speed Silver-37 or Ultra Quick Right Silver (超速3七銀 or 超速▲3七銀 ''chōsoku san-nana gin'') is a rapid attacking formation used with a Static Rook opening by Black often against White's Cheerful Central Roo ...

strategy. * 2012 (39th Annual Shogi Awards)

for the move 13. K-57 in his first game against

for the Ōshō title. * 2013 (40th Annual Shogi Awards)

for the

Bishop Exchange Fourth File Rook In shogi, the Bishop Exchange Fourth File Rook (角交換四間飛車 ''kaku kōkan shikenbisha'') or Open Bishop Diagonal Fourth File Rook (角道オープン四間飛車 ''kaku michi shikenbisha'') is a Fourth File Rook (Ranging Rook) op ...

. * 2014 (41st Annual Shogi Awards)

Ayumu Matsuo is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 8-dan. Early life Matsuo was born on March 29, 1980, in Nisshin, Aichi. His father, a professor at Nagoya University, taught him how to play shogi when he was a third-grade elementary school studen ...

for the ...K-52 variation of Side Pawn Capture. * 2015 (42nd Annual Shogi Awards)

Tatsuya Sugai is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 8-dan. He is a former holder of the Ōi title. Promotion history The promotion history for Sugai is as follows: * 6-kyū: September 29, 2004 * 4-dan: April 1, 2010 * 5-dan: August 21, 2011 * 6-dan: ...

for his many tactical variations against

Central Rook Anaguma Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

, Quick Ishida and others. * 2016 (43rd Annual Shogi Awards)

Eisaku Tomioka is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 8-dan. Early life Eisaku Tomioka was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture on May 19, 1964. He learned how to play shogi as a kindergartener from his father, and was the best player in his class as ...

for the Tomioka variation of Bishop Exchange, Reclining Silver. * 2017 (44th Annual Shogi Awards)

Shōta Chida is a Japanese professional shogi player, ranked 7-dan. Chida is known for his novel research into shogi opening theory using computer shogi engines. Early life Shōta Chida was born on April 10, 1994, in Minoh, Osaka. He learned how to play sh ...

for the Bishop Exchange, Reclining Silver variations K-42/G-62/R-81. * 2018 (45th Annual Shogi Awards)

for the Aono Side Pawn Capture, and Yūki Sasaki for the Yūki Side Pawn Capture . *2019 (46th Annual Shogi Awards)

Sōta Fujii is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 9-dan. He is the current holder of the Eiō, Kisei, Ōi, Ōshō and Ryūō titles. He is the youngest person to be awarded professional status by the Japan Shogi Association and one of only fiv ...

for the move 38. ... Rx7g+ in the final match of the 5th class of the 31st

Ryūō Ryūō (also Ryu-O, Ryu-oh, Ryuuou; in Japanese 龍王, 竜王, lit. "Dragon King") is an annual Japanese professional shogi tournament and the title of its winner. The current Ryūō title holder is Sōta Fujii. The Ryūō Tournament (''Ryūō-s ...

Ranking tournament against Naohiro Ishida on June 5, 2018. *2020 (47th Annual Shogi Awards) The shogi engine

elmo Elmo is a red Muppet monster character on the long-running PBS/ HBO children's television show ''Sesame Street''. A furry red monster who has a falsetto voice and illeism, he hosts the last full five-minute segment (fifteen minutes prio ...

for developing the " elmo castle". *2021 (48th Annual Shogi Awards)

Takahiro Ōhashi is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 7-dan. Early life and apprenticeship Ōhashi was born in Shingū, Wakayama on September 22, 1992. He learned how to play shogi as fourth-grade elementary school student, and entered the Japan Sho ...

for the Yōryū Fourth File Rook *2022 (49th Annual Shogi Awards) Shōta Chida for the

Bishop Exchange In shogi, Bishop Exchange (角換わり or 角換り ''kakugawari'') is a Double Static Rook opening in which the players exchange their bishops relatively early so as to have bishops in hand. Throughout the game, both players have a bishop dro ...

Gold-33 Quick Silver Attack

Masuda Special Prize

* 2003 Katsumi Tateishi for the Tateishi Fourth File Rook. * 2005

Taku Morishita is a Japanese professional shogi player, ranked 9-dan. He is a former director of the Japanese Shogi Association, and is currently serving as an executive director. He was the challenger for the Meijin title in 1995 against Yoshiharu Habu. H ...

for the

Morishita System In shogi, the Morishita System (森下システム ''morishita shisutemu'') is a strategy used by Black in Double Fortress (Static Rook) openings. The strategy was invented by professional player Taku Morishita for which he won the prestigious Kō ...

. * 2007

Kazuo Manabe was a Japanese professional shogi player, ranked 9-dan. Promotion history Manabe's promotion history is as follows: * 1967: 6-kyū * April 1, 1973: 4-dan * April 1, 1976: 5-dan * April 1, 1978: 6-dan * April 1, 1980: 7-dan * April 1, 1988: 8-d ...

for his splendid, phantom ...*B-42 move in his (last) match against

Masayuki Toyoshima is a Japanese professional shogi player, ranked 9-dan. He is a former holder of the Ryūō, Meijin, Ōi, Kisei and Eiō titles. Toyoshima, together with Akira Inaba, Tetsurō Itodani and Akihiro Murata, is one of four Kansai-based young s ...

. * 2011

Takayuki Yamasaki is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 8-dan. Early life Yamasaki was born in Hiroshima, Japan on February 14, 1981. He entered the Japan Shogi Association's apprentice school in 1992 at the rank 6-kyū as a student of shogi profession ...

for the New Yamasaki variation of Side Pawn Capture. * 2014

Yasuaki Tsukada is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 9-dan. He is a former Ōza title holder and the inventor of the influential Tsukada Special strategy, which he used to win numerous games in the 1980s, is named after him. Early life Tsukada was b ...

for the

Tsukada Special In shogi, Tsukada Special (塚田スペシャル ''tsukada supesharu'') is a Floating Rook variant of the Double Wing Attack shogi opening developed by professional Yasuaki Tsukada in the 1980s. The strategy is characterized by an aggressive offe ...

developed in the mid 1980s. * 2016

Hifumi Katō is a retired Japanese professional shogi player who achieved the rank of 9-dan. He is a former Meijin, Tenth Dan, Ōi, Kiō and Ōshō major title holder. He has the nicknames ''123'', is composed of the characters ja, 一, translit=hi, la ...

for his developments and many novel contributions for

Climbing Silver Climbing Silver (棒銀 ''bōgin'', literally "pole-silver") is a shogi strategy. Climbing Silver involves advancing a silver upward along with an advanced or dropped pawn supported by the rook aiming to break through the opponent's camp on thei ...

over his 62-year career. * 2017

Nobuyuki Ōuchi is a deceased Japanese professional shogi player who achieved the rank of 9-dan.He won the first Kiō title in 1976, and also served as senior managing director of the Japan Shogi Association from 1993 to 1999. He was awarded the Japanese gove ...

for his many developments in the strategy for

Bear-in-the-hole The Bear-in-the-hole or Anaguma castle (穴熊 ''anaguma'', badger, lit. "hole-bear") is a castle used in shogi. (An anaguma is a Japanese badger.) It is commonly used in professional shogi. History The Bear-in-the-hole was initially a castle ...

Ranging Rook Ranging Rook or Swinging Rook (振り飛車 ''furibisha'') openings in shogi position the rook to the center or left of the player's board to support an attack there. Ranging Rook strategies used in Ranging Rook vs Static Rook are among the old ...

. *2018

Tadahisa Maruyama is a Japanese professional shogi player, ranked 9-dan. He is a former Meijin and Kiō title holder. Early life, amateur shogi and apprenticeship Maruyama was born in Kisarazu, Chiba on September 5, 1970. He won the 9th in 1984, and the follow ...

for his research on

opening including

. *2019 Kenji Waki for the

Waki System In shogi, Waki System (脇システム ''waki shisutemu'') is a symmetrical Double Fortress (Static Rook) opening. It is characterized in part by positioning Black's bishop on the 46 square and White's bishop on the 64 square allowing for a bish ...

. *2020

for the move 58...S*31 in Game 2 of the 91st Kisei title match. *2022

Torahiko Tanaka is a retired Japanese professional shogi player ranked 9- dan. He is a former Kisei title holder and also a former senior managing director of the Japan Shogi Association. Early life Tanaka was born on April 29, 1957, in Toyonaka, Osaka. In ...

for his developments in opening strategy for Static Rook Anaguma and Yagura Without Pushing the Rook Pawn among others.

References

{{Reflist 1974 establishments in Japan Shogi Japanese awards