was 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 ...

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 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 ...

from 1993 to 1999. He was awarded the Japanese government's

Order of the Rising Sun The is a Japanese honors system, Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government, created on 10 April 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge feat ...

in 2015.

Early life and education

Ōuchi was born on October 2, 1941, in

Minato, Tokyo is a Special wards of Tokyo, special ward of Tokyo, Japan. It is also called Minato City in English. Minato was formed in 1947 as a merger of Akasaka, Tokyo, Akasaka, Azabu and Shiba, Tokyo, Shiba wards following Tokyo City's Local Autonomy Ac ...

. In 1954, he entered the

's apprentice school 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 ...

under guidance of shogi professional

Ichitarō Doi was a Japanese professional shogi player who achieved the rank of 8- dan (the highest rank at the time), and was the first president of the Japan Shogi Association. Doi was a student of , the thirteenth Lifetime Meijin, along with contempor ...

. He was promoted to the rank of apprentice professional 1-dan in 1958, and obtained professional status and the rank of 4-dan in April 1963. Ōuchi was the first graduate of

Chuo University , commonly referred to as or , is a private research university in Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan. The university finds its roots in a school called Igirisu Hōritsu Gakkō (English Law School), which was founded in 1885, and became a university in 1 ...

to become a professional shogi player.

Professional shogi

Ōuchi was the challenger for the

Meijin is one of the eight titles in Japanese professional shogi player, professional shogi, and is the most prestigious title, along with Ryūō. The word ( "excellent, artful", "person") refers to a highly skilled master of a certain field (the ...

title in 1975 against

Makoto Nakahara is a Japanese retired professional shogi player who achieved the rank of 9- dan. He was one of the strongest shogi players of the Shōwa period Shōwa most commonly refers to: * Hirohito (1901–1989), the 124th Emperor of Japan, known posthum ...

. He retired from professional shogi in April 2010.

Promotion history

The promotion history for Ōuchi is as follows: * 6-

: 1954 * 1-dan: 1958 * 4-dan: April 1, 1963 * 5-Dan: April 1, 1984 * 6-dan: April 1, 1985 * 7-dan: April 1, 1970 * 8-dan: April 1, 1972 * 9-dan: April 1, 1984 * Retired: April 20, 2010

Titles and other championships

Ōuchi appeared in major title matches a total of four times and won one major title. He won the Kiō title in 1976 for his only major title. In addition to his one major title, Ōuchi won eight other shogi championships during his career.

Non-title championships

Note: Tournaments marked with an asterisk (*) are no longer held.

Awards and honors

Ōuchi received a number of awards and honors throughout his career for his accomplishments both on an off the shogi board. These include awards given out annually by the for performance in official games as well as other awards for career accomplishments, and awards received from governmental organizations, etc. for contributions made to Japanese society. In November 2015, Ōuchi became the 25th professional shogi player to be awarded the

for his contributions to the promotion of Japanese culture.

Annual Shogi Awards

*2nd Annual Awards (April 1974March 1975): Most Consecutive Games Won, Distinguished Service Award *3rd Annual Awards (April 1975March 1976): Fighting-spirit Award *5th Annual Awards (April 1977March 1978): Most Consecutive Games Won *14th Annual Awards (April 1986March 1987): Special Award *36th Annual Awards (April 2008March 2009): Tokyo Shogi Press Club Award *45th Annual Awards (April 2017March 2018): Masuda Special Prize (for numerous contributions made to the Bear-in-the-hole castle in Ranging Rook openings)

Other awards

*1982: Sankei Children's Book Award () *1987: Shogi Honor Award (Awarded by the JSA in recognition of winning 600 official games as a professional) *1987: 25 Years Service Award (Awarded by the JSA in recognition of being an active professional for twenty-five years) *2000: Shogi Honor Fighting-spirit Award (Awarded by JSA in recognition of winning 800 official games as a professional) *2002: 40 Years Service Award (Awarded by the JSA in recognition of being an active professional for forty years) *2015:

Death

Ōuchi died on June 23, 2017, at age 75. The cause of death was not made public. A memorial service for Ōuchi was held on July 17, 2017, at the

headquarters Headquarters (often referred to as HQ) notes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The term is used in a wide variety of situations, including private sector corporations, non-profits, mil ...

of the in Tokyo. The service was attended by roughly 500 people, including relatives, friends and fans.

References

External links

*ShogiHub
Professional Player Info · Ouchi, Nobuyuki
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ouchi, Nobuyuki Japanese shogi players Japan Shogi Association players Shogi players Professional shogi players from Tokyo Chuo University alumni Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun Kiō 1941 births 2017 deaths People from Minato, Tokyo NHK Cup (shogi)