is one of the eight major titles in Japanese professional
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'' ...
. The word ''Kisei'' means an excellent player of shogi or
go and has been translated as "shogi saint" (棋 ''ki'' 'shogi player' + 聖 ''sei'' 'excellent person').
The Kisei tournament started in 1962. With the creation of the Kisei, there were five major title tournaments along with the
Meijin
is one of the eight titles in Japanese professional shogi, and is the most prestigious title, along with Ryūō. The word ''meijin'' (名 ''mei'' "excellent, artful", 人 ''jin'' "person") refers to a highly skilled master of a certain field (t ...
,
Tenth Dan
The ranking system is used by many Japanese, Okinawan, Korean, and other martial art organizations to indicate the level of a person's ability within a given system. Used as a ranking system to quantify skill level in a specific domain, it was ...
(
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 ...
),
Ōshō, and
Ōi titles. It was held twice a year until the year 1994. The challenger for Kisei title holder is determined by first, second, and final preliminary rounds. The player that wins three games out of five first in the championship will become the new Kisei title holder.
Lifetime Kisei
The title is awarded to a player who has won Kisei Championship five times. Active players may qualify for this title, but it is only officially awarded upon their retirement or death.
The following professionals have qualified for this title:
*
Yasuharu Ōyama
Yasuharu Ōyama (大山 康晴 Ōyama Yasuharu, March 13, 1923 - July 26, 1992) was a professional shogi player, 15th Lifetime Meijin and president of Japan Shogi Association (1976 - 1989). He studied shogi under . He won 80 titles (2nd on record ...
(deceased)
*
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 ...
(retired)
*
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 ...
(deceased)
*
Yoshiharu Habu
is a professional shogi player and a chess FIDE Master. His master is Tatsuya Futakami. He is the only person to simultaneously hold seven major professional shogi titles at the same time and is also the only person to qualify as a lifetime tit ...
(active)
*
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 ...
(active)
Winners
Records
* Most titles overall: Yasuharu Ōyama, Makoto Nakahara and Yoshiharu Habu, 16
* Most consecutive titles: Yoshiharu Habu, 10 in a row (2008-2017)
See also
*
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'' ...
*
Kisei (Go)
References
External links
Japan Shogi Association : Kisei Tournament
{{Shogi title tournaments
Shogi tournaments