Oza (shogi)

Ōza (王座) is one of the seven titles in Japanese professional shogi. The word literally means "king's seat", i.e., "throne". The tournament started in 1953 and was a non-title tournament up until 1982. The challenger for the title is determined through three preliminary rounds. The player that wins three games out of five in the championship match becomes the new Ōza title holder. [1]

Lifetime Ōza

"Lifetime Ōza" (名誉王座) is the title given to a player who won the championship five times in a row or ten times in total. Active players may qualify for this title, but it is only officially awarded upon their retirement or death.[2]

Lifetime Ōza title holders

Winners

From 1953 until 1982, the tournament was just regular tournament and not a major title match. From 1953 to 1969, two finalists would play a 3-game match to determine the overall winner; the 1st Oza match (1953), however, was only a single game. From 1970 to 1982, the winner of the previous year's tournament would play the winner of a qualifying tournament in a 3-game match. [5]

No. Year Winner Score Opponent
1 1953 Yasuharu Ōyama 1-0 Yūzō Maruta
2 1954 Yasuharu Ōyama 2-1 Kōzō Masuda
3 1955 Yasuharu Ōyama 2-1 Renshō Nada
4 1956 Seiichi Kobori 2-1 Kazukiyo Takashima
5 1957 Shigeyuki Matsuda 2-1 Seiichi Kobori
6 1958 Masao Tsukuda 2-1 Tatsuya Futakami
7 1959 Yasuharu Ōyama 2-0 Michiyoshi Yamada
8 1960 Yūzō Maruta 2-1 Yasuharu Ōyama
9 1961 Sōetsu Honma 2-0 Hifumi Katō
10 1962 Hifumi Katō 2-0 Michihito Kumagai
11 1963 Renshō Nada 2-1 Hirobumi Sekizawa
12 1964 Yasuharu Ōyama 2-0 Hifumi Katō
13 1965 Yūzō Maruta 2-0 Kunio Naitoh
14 1966 Yasuharu Ōyama 2-0 Yūzō Maruta
15 1967 Michiyoshi Yamada 2-0 Kunio Naitoh
16 1968 Yasuharu Ōyama 2-0 Hifumi Katō
17 1969 Makoto Nakahara 2-1 Michio Ariyoshi
18 1970 Makoto Nakahara 2-0 Tatsuya Futakami
19 1971 Makoto Nakahara 2-0 Hifumi Katō
20 1972 Makoto Nakahara 2-0 Kunio Naitoh
21 1973 Makoto Nakahara 2-0 Genichi Ōno
22 1974 Makoto Nakahara 2-1 Yasuharu Ōyama
23 1975 Kiyozumi Kiriyama 2-0 Makoto Nakahara
24 1976 Makoto Nakahara 2-0 Kiyozumi Kiriyama
25 1977 Makoto Nakahara 2-0 Nobuyuki Ōuchi
26 1978 Makoto Nakahara 2-0 Nobuyuki Ōuchi
27 1979 Makoto Nakahara 2-0 Nobuyuki Ōuchi
28 1980 Yasuharu Ōyama 2-0 Makoto Nakahara
29 1981 Yasuharu Ōyama 2-1 Osamu Katsuura
30 1982 Kunio Naitoh 2-0 Yasuharu Ōyama

For the 31st Oza Match (1983), the tournament was officially elevated to major title match status and starting with the 32nd Oza Match, the format switched to a best-of-five.

No. Year Winner Score Opponent
31 1983 Makoto Nakahara 2-1 Kunio Naitoh
32 1984 Makoto Nakahara 3-2 Hidemitsu Moriyasu
33 1985 Makoto Nakahara 3-1 Koji Tanigawa
34 1986 Makoto Nakahara 3-0 Kiyozumi Kiriyama
35 1987 Yasuaki Tsukada 3-2 Makoto Nakahara
36 1988 Makoto Nakahara 3-0 Yasuaki Tsukada
37 1989 Makoto Nakahara 3-2 Teruichi Aono
38 1990 Koji Tanigawa 3-1 Makoto Nakahara
39 1991 Bungo Fukusaki 3-2 Koji Tanigawa
40 1992 Yoshiharu Habu 3-0 Bungo Fukusaki
41 1993 Yoshiharu Habu 3-1 Koji Tanigawa
42 1994 Yoshiharu Habu 3-0 Koji Tanigawa
43 1995 Yoshiharu Habu 3-0 Keiji Mori
44 1996 Yoshiharu Habu 3-0 Akira Shima
45 1997 Yoshiharu Habu 3-0 Akira Shima
46 1998 Yoshiharu Habu 3-2 Koji Tanigawa
47 1999 Yoshiharu Habu 3-1 Tadahisa Maruyama
48 2000 Yoshiharu Habu 3-2 Takeshi Fujii
49 2001 Yoshiharu Habu 3-1 Toshiaki Kubo
50 2002 Yoshiharu Habu 3-0 Yasumitsu Satoh
51 2003 Yoshiharu Habu 3-2 Akira Watanabe
52 2004 Yoshiharu Habu 3-1 Toshiyuki Moriuchi
53 2005 Yoshiharu Habu 3-0 Yasumitsu Satoh
54 2006 Yoshiharu Habu 3-0 Yasumitsu Satoh
55 2007 Yoshiharu Habu 3-0 Toshiaki Kubo
56 2008 Yoshiharu Habu 3-0 Kazuki Kimura
57 2009 Yoshiharu Habu 3-0 Takayuki Yamasaki
58 2010 Yoshiharu Habu 3-0 Takeshi Fujii
59 2011 Akira Watanabe 3-0 Yoshiharu Habu
60 2012 Yoshiharu Habu 3-1 Akira Watanabe
61 2013 Yoshiharu Habu 3-2 Taichi Nakamura
62 2014 Yoshiharu Habu 3-2 Masayuki Toyoshima

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Ōzasen" 王座戦 [Oza Title Match] (in Japanese). 日本将棋連盟 (Japan Shogi Association). Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  2. ↑ "Puro Kisen no Kitei ni Kansuru Goshitsumon - Q: Eisei Shōgō no Kitei wa Dō Natteiru no Deshōka." プロ棋戦の規定に関するご質問 — Q:永世称号の規定はどうなっているのでしょうか。 [Questions Regarding Professional Shogi — Q: What are the requirements for lifetime titles?] (in Japanese). 日本将棋連盟 (Japan Shogi Association).
  3. ↑ "Kishi Shokai: Nakahara Makoto" 棋士紹介: 中原誠 [Player Introduction: Makoto Nakahara] (in Japanese). 日本将棋連盟 (Japan Shogi Association). Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  4. ↑ "Kishi Shokai: Habu Yoshiharu" 棋士紹介: 羽生善治 [Player Introduction: Yoshiharu Habu] (in Japanese). 日本将棋連盟 (Japan Shogi Association). Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  5. ↑ Tanabe, Tadayuki (2006). Shōgi Hachi Daikisen Hiwa 将棋八大棋戦秘話 [Shogi, Untold Stories from 8 Major Title Matches] (in Japanese). Sedagaya, Tokyo: Kawade Shobo Shinsha Publishers, Inc. p. 169. ISBN 4309268706.

External links