is a Japanese
professional shogi player
A professional shogi player (将棋棋士 ''shōgi kishi'' or プロ棋士 ''puro kishi'' "professional player") is a shogi player who is usually a member of a professional guild of shogi players.
There are two categories of professional playe ...
, ranked 8-
dan and former
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 (''Ryū ...
title holder.
Early life and apprentice professional
Itodani was born in
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui has b ...
, Japan on October 5, 1988.
He learned how to play shogi when he was five years old
and he won the 1st and 2nd Elementary School Ōshō tournaments for grades 1 to 3 in 1995 and 1996 as an
elementary school student. He entered 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 ...
's
apprentice school in October 1998 at the rank of 6-
kyū
is a Japanese language, Japanese term used in modern martial arts as well as in Japanese tea ceremony, tea ceremony, ikebana, flower arranging, Go (game), Go, shogi, academic tests and other similar activities to designate various grades, leve ...
as a
protegee of shogi professional . He was promoted to 1-dan in February 2003
and to 3-dan in 2004.
From October 2004 to March 2005, he participated in the
36th 3-dan League finishing in fourth place with a record of 13 wins and 5 losses. The following season in the 37th 3-dan League (April 2005September 2005), he finished in third place with a record of 12 wins and 6 losses and earned one "promotion point" towards professional status. He obtained professional status and the rank of 4-dan in April 2006 after winning the 38th 3-dan League (October 2005March 2006) with a record of 14 wins and 4 losses.
Shogi professional
Itodani, together with
Akira Inaba
is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 8-Dan (rank)#Modern usage in shogi, dan.
Shogi professional
Inaba, together with Tetsurō Itodani, Masayuki Toyoshima and Akihiro Murata, is one of four Japan Shogi Association#Headquarters and oth ...
,
Masayuki Toyoshima and
Akihiro Murata, is one of four
Kansai-based young shogi professionals who are collectively referred to as the "Young Kansai Big Four" (関西若手四天王 ''Kansai Wakate Shitennō'').
Promotion history
The
promotion history of Itodani is as follows:
* 6-
kyū
is a Japanese language, Japanese term used in modern martial arts as well as in Japanese tea ceremony, tea ceremony, ikebana, flower arranging, Go (game), Go, shogi, academic tests and other similar activities to designate various grades, leve ...
: 1998
* 4-dan: April 1, 2006
* 5-dan: May 1, 2008
* 6-dan: January 12, 2012
* 7-dan: September 8, 2014
* 8-dan: December 4, 2014
Titles and other championships
Itodani has appeared in major title matches four times. He defeated
Toshiyuki Moriuchi
is a Japanese professional shogi player, ranked 9-Dan (rank)#Modern usage in shogi, dan. He is a Meijin (shogi)#Lifetime Meijin, Lifetime Meijin who won the title eight times, and also a former Ryūō, Kiō and Ōshō (shogi), Ōshō title holde ...
in 2014 to win the
27th Ryūō title for his only major title victory. He also won the in October 2006 for his only non-major-title tournament championship. Itodani actually started the 37th Shinjin-Ō tournament while still an
apprentice professional 3-dan, but was promoted to professional 4-dan during the tournament.
Awards and honors
Itodani was awarded the Japan Shogi Association
Annual Shogi Awards
The Annual Shogi Awards (将棋大賞 ''shōgi taishō'') are a number of prizes awarded yearly by the Japan Shogi Association to professional and amateur shogi players who have achieved particular success. The first Annual Shogi Awards were pre ...
for "Best New Player" and "Most Consecutive Games Won" in 2006 and "Excellent Player" in 2014.
Year-end prize money and game fee ranking
Itodani has finished in the "Top 10" of the JSA's three times since turning professional: second in 2015 with
JPY 55,310,000 in earnings, fourth in 2016 with JPY 35,430,000 in earnings and eighth in 2021 with JPY 18,760,000 in earnings.
Personal life
Itodani lived with his family and attended junior and senior high schools in Hiroshima while a member of the JSA's apprentice school.
A year after turning professional in 2006, he was accepted into
Osaka University
The , abbreviated as UOsaka or , is a List of national universities in Japan, national research university in Osaka, Japan. The university traces its roots back to Edo period, Edo-era institutions Tekijuku (1838) and Kaitokudō, Kaitokudo (1724), ...
majoring in
philosophy
Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
;
so, he moved from Hiroshima to
Minoh, Osaka
file:箕面市役所.jpg, 270px, Minoh City Hall
is a Cities of Japan, city in northwestern Osaka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 139,118 in 62451 households and a population density of 2900 persons per km2. The total ...
to attend university.
After completing his undergraduate studies in 2011, Itodani enrolled in the university's
graduate school
Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachel ...
to continue his study of philosophy, particularly his research of the German philosopher
Martin Heidegger
Martin Heidegger (; 26 September 1889 – 26 May 1976) was a German philosopher known for contributions to Phenomenology (philosophy), phenomenology, hermeneutics, and existentialism. His work covers a range of topics including metaphysics, art ...
. He received his
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...
in March 2017, which made him the first major-title winner to receive an advanced
academic degree
An academic degree is a qualification awarded to a student upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education, usually at a college or university. These institutions often offer degrees at various levels, usually divided into und ...
.
References
External links
* ShogiHub
Professional Player Info · Itodani, Tetsuro* Shogi Fan:
{{DEFAULTSORT:Itodani, Tetsuro
1988 births
Japanese shogi players
Japan Shogi Association players
Living people
Osaka University alumni
Shogi players from Hiroshima Prefecture
People from Hiroshima
Ryūō
Shinjin-Ō