Osho (shogi)
Ōshō (王将) is one of the seven titles in Japanese professional shogi. The word refers to the piece called "the King" in shogi. This is not to be confused with the title "Amateur Ōshō" that is awarded to the winner of the Amateur Ōshō Tournament each year.
The challenger for the title is determined by three-step preliminary round that comprises 1st heat, 2nd heat and league competition. Seven members of the league are top four of previous year's league and only top three of 2nd heat. The player who wins the most in the league will becomes the challenger.
Championship match is held from January to March every year.
The player that wins four games out of seven first in the championship series will become the new Ōshō title holder. Until 1964, however, when three-win lead (3-0 or 4-1) occurred, then champion ( = new Ōshō title holder) was determined and games of the rest of series were handicap shogi where one of the champion's two lance was removed in advance.
Lifetime Ōshō
Lifetime Ōshō ("Eisei-Ōshō" = Lifetime Ōshō) is the title given to a player who has won the championship ten times. A active player may qualify for the title, but it is only official awarded upon retirement or death.
- Lifetime title holders
- Yasuharu Oyama
- Yoshiharu Habu
Winners
| Year | Winner | Score | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Kozoh Masuda | 4-1 | Yoshio Kimura |
| 1953 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-3 | Yuzoh Maruta |
| 1954 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-2 | Kozoh Masuda |
| 1955 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-1 | Shigeyuki Matsuda |
| 1956 | Kozoh Masuda | 3-0 | Yasuharu Oyama |
| 1957 | Kozoh Masuda | 4-2 | Yasuharu Oyama |
| 1958 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-3 | Kozoh Masuda |
| 1959 | Yasuharu Oyama | 3-0 | Kazukiyo Takashima |
| 1960 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-2 | Tatsuya Futakami |
| 1961 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-2 | Tatsuya Futakami |
| 1962 | Yasuharu Oyama | 3-0 | Hifumi Katoh |
| 1963 | Tatsuya Futakami | 4-2 | Yasuharu Oyama |
| 1964 | Yasuharu Oyama | 3-0 | Tatsuya Futakami |
| 1965 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-1 | Hiroji Katoh |
| 1966 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-3 | Michiyoshi Yamada |
| 1967 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-1 | Hifumi Katoh |
| 1968 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-2 | Hifumi Katoh |
| 1969 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-0 | Kunio Naitoh |
| 1970 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-1 | Tatsuya Futakami |
| 1971 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-3 | Makoto Nakahara |
| 1972 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-3 | Michio Ariyoshi |
| 1973 | Makoto Nakahara | 4-0 | Yasuharu Oyama |
| 1974 | Makoto Nakahara | 4-2 | Kunio Yonenaga |
| 1975 | Makoto Nakahara | 4-3 | Kunio Yonenaga |
| 1976 | Makoto Nakahara | 4-1 | Michio Ariyoshi |
| 1977 | Makoto Nakahara | 4-2 | Yasuharu Oyama |
| 1978 | Makoto Nakahara | 4-2 | Michio Ariyoshi |
| 1979 | Hifumi Katoh | 4-1 | Makoto Nakahara |
| 1980 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-2 | Hifumi Katoh |
| 1981 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-1 | Kunio Yonenaga |
| 1982 | Yasuharu Oyama | 4-3 | Makoto Nakahara |
| 1983 | Kunio Yonenaga | 4-1 | Yasuharu Oyama |
| 1984 | Kunio Yonenaga | 4-1 | Keiji Mori |
| 1985 | Makoto Nakahara | 4-1 | Kunio Yonenaga |
| 1986 | Osamu Nakamura | 4-2 | Makoto Nakahara |
| 1987 | Osamu Nakamura | 4-2 | Makoto Nakahara |
| 1988 | Yoshikazu Minami | 4-3 | Osamu Nakamura |
| 1989 | Yoshikazu Minami | 4-0 | Akira Shima |
| 1990 | Kunio Yonenaga | 4-3 | Yoshikazu Minami |
| 1991 | Yoshikazu Minami | 4-2 | Kunio Yonenaga |
| 1992 | Koji Tanigawa | 4-1 | Yoshikazu Minami |
| 1993 | Koji Tanigawa | 4-0 | Satoshi Murayama |
| 1994 | Koji Tanigawa | 4-2 | Makoto Nakahara |
| 1995 | Koji Tanigawa | 4-3 | Yoshiharu Habu |
| 1996 | Yoshiharu Habu | 4-0 | Koji Tanigawa |
| 1997 | Yoshiharu Habu | 4-0 | Koji Tanigawa |
| 1998 | Yoshiharu Habu | 4-1 | Yasumitsu Satoh |
| 1999 | Yoshiharu Habu | 4-1 | Taku Morishita |
| 2000 | Yoshiharu Habu | 4-0 | Yasumitsu Satoh |
| 2001 | Yoshiharu Habu | 4-1 | Koji Tanigawa |
| 2002 | Yasumitsu Satoh | 4-2 | Yoshiharu Habu |
| 2003 | Yoshiharu Habu | 4-0 | Yasumitsu Satoh |
| 2004 | Toshiyuki Moriuchi | 4-2 | Yoshiharu Habu |
| 2005 | Yoshiharu Habu | 4-0 | Toshiyuki Moriuchi |
| 2006 | Yoshiharu Habu | 4-3 | Yasumitsu Satoh |
| 2007 | Yoshiharu Habu | 4-3 | Yasumitsu Satoh |
| 2008 | Yoshiharu Habu | 4-1 | Toshiaki Kubo |
| 2009 | Yoshiharu Habu | 4-3 | Koichi Fukaura |
| 2010 | Toshiaki Kubo | 4-2 | Yoshiharu Habu |
| 2011 | Toshiaki Kubo | 4-2 | Masayuki Toyoshima |
| 2012 | Yasumitsu Satoh | 4-1 | Toshiaki Kubo |
| 2013 | Akira Watanabe | 4-1 | Yasumitsu Satoh |
See also
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