Ōza (shogi)

Ōza (王座) is one of the eight titles in Japanese professional shogi.

The word literally means "king's seat", i.e., "throne". The tournament started in 1953 as a knockout tournament with three games in the final match and was a non-title tournament up until 1982.[1] 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. [2]

The tournament is sponsored by Nikkei, Inc. (日本経済新聞社 nihon keizai shinbunsha), a newspaper conglomerate that publishes The Nikkei and the Nikkei 225 stock market index.

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.[3]

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.[6]

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 Tsukada 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 Naitō
14 1966 Yasuharu Ōyama 2–0 Yūzō Maruta
15 1967 Michiyoshi Yamada 2–0 Kunio Naitō
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 Naitō
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 Naitō 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 Naitō
32 1984 Makoto Nakahara (2) 3–2 Hidemitsu Moriyasu
33 1985 Makoto Nakahara (3) 3–1 Kōji Tanigawa
34 1986 Makoto Nakahara (4) 3–0 Kiyozumi Kiriyama
35 1987 Yasuaki Tsukada 3–2 Makoto Nakahara
36 1988 Makoto Nakahara (5) 3–0 Yasuaki Tsukada
37 1989 Makoto Nakahara (6) 3–2 Teruichi Aono
38 1990 Kōji Tanigawa 3–1 Makoto Nakahara
39 1991 Bungo Fukusaki 3–2 Kōji Tanigawa
40 1992 Yoshiharu Habu 3–0 Bungo Fukusaki
41 1993 Yoshiharu Habu (2) 3–1 Koji Tanigawa
42 1994 Yoshiharu Habu (3) 3–0 Kōji Tanigawa
43 1995 Yoshiharu Habu (4) 3–0 Keiji Mori
44 1996 Yoshiharu Habu (5) 3–0 Akira Shima
45 1997 Yoshiharu Habu (6) 3–0 Akira Shima
46 1998 Yoshiharu Habu (7) 3–2 Kōji Tanigawa
47 1999 Yoshiharu Habu (8) 3–1 Tadahisa Maruyama
48 2000 Yoshiharu Habu (9) 3–2 Takeshi Fujii
49 2001 Yoshiharu Habu (10) 3–1 Toshiaki Kubo
50 2002 Yoshiharu Habu (11) 3–0 Yasumitsu Satō
51 2003 Yoshiharu Habu (12) 3–2 Akira Watanabe
52 2004 Yoshiharu Habu (13) 3–1 Toshiyuki Moriuchi
53 2005 Yoshiharu Habu (14) 3–0 Yasumitsu Satō
54 2006 Yoshiharu Habu (15) 3–0 Yasumitsu Satō
55 2007 Yoshiharu Habu (16) 3–0 Toshiaki Kubo
56 2008 Yoshiharu Habu (17) 3–0 Kazuki Kimura
57 2009 Yoshiharu Habu (18) 3–0 Takayuki Yamasaki
58 2010 Yoshiharu Habu (19) 3–0 Takeshi Fujii
59 2011 Akira Watanabe 3–0 Yoshiharu Habu
60 2012 Yoshiharu Habu (20) 3–1 Akira Watanabe
61 2013 Yoshiharu Habu (21) 3–2[7] Taichi Nakamura
62 2014 Yoshiharu Habu (22) 3–2[8] Masayuki Toyoshima
63 2015 Yoshiharu Habu (23) 3–2[9] Amahiko Satō
64 2016 Yoshiharu Habu (24) 3–0[10] Tetsuro Itodani
65 2017 Taichi Nakamura 3–1[11] Yoshiharu Habu
66 2018 Shintarō Saitō 3–2[12] Taichi Nakamura
67 2019 Takuya Nagase 3–0[13] Shintarō Saitō

Records
  • Most titles overall: Yoshiharu Habu, 24
  • Most consecutive titles: Yoshiharu Habu, 19 in a row (1992-2010)

See also

References
  1. Hodges, George, ed. (1977). "Introduction to the Ôza tournament". Shogi (6): 4.
  2. "Ōzasen" 王座戦 [Oza Title Match] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  3. "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). Japan Shogi Association.
  4. "Kishi Shokai: Nakahara Makoto" 棋士紹介: 中原誠 [Player Introduction: Makoto Nakahara] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  5. "Kishi Shokai: Habu Yoshiharu" 棋士紹介: 羽生善治 [Player Introduction: Yoshiharu Habu] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  6. 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.
  7. "Habu ga Ōza Bōei, Tsūsan Nijūikki Dōichi Taitoru Saita" 羽生が王座防衛 通算21期 同一タイトル最多 [Habu defends Ōza title, wins Ōza for the 21st time overall to set record for most times winning the same title]. The Nikkei (in Japanese). October 21, 2013. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  8. Fukamatsu, Shinji (October 24, 2014). "Habu Ōza ga Bōei Taitoru Kakutoku Kyūjūki ni Shōgi Ōzasen" 羽生王座が防衛 タイトル獲得は90期に 将棋王座戦 [Habu Defends Oza Title for his 90th Major Title Overall]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Archived from the original on November 1, 2014. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  9. Fukamatsu, Shinji (October 26, 2015). "Habu Ōza ga Bōei ni Seiko Shōgi Ōzasen, Yonnen Renzoku Nijūsankime" 羽生王座が防衛に成功 将棋王座戦, 4年連続23期目 [Habu Successfully Defends Oza Title for 4th Consecutive Year to Hold Title for 23rd Time Overall]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 26, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  10. Yamamura, Hideki (October 4, 2016). "Habu Sankan ga Ōza Bōei, Itodani Hachidan ni Sanrenshō" 羽生3冠が王座防衛　糸谷八段に3連勝 [Habu 3-crown defends Oza title by defeating Itodani 8d three straight games]. Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved October 5, 2016.
  11. Yamamura, Hideki (October 11, 2017). "Nakamura Taichi Rokudan ga Hatsu no Ōza Kakutoku, Habu Kisei Ikkan e Kōtai" 中村太地六段が初の王座獲得 羽生棋聖１冠へ後退 [Taichi Nakamura 6d wins Oza title for first major title. Habu Kisei drops to a 1-crown]. Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  12. "Shōgi, Saitō ga Hatsu Taitoru Ōza Kakutoku Saishūkyoku de Nakamura Yaburu" 将棋, 斎藤が初タイトル王座獲得 最終局で中村破る [Saitō wins first major shogi title; defeats Nakamura in final game to capture Ōza title.]. Hokkaido Shimbun (in Japanese). October 30, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
  13. Yamamura, Hideki (October 1, 2019). "Nagase Eiō ga Ōza Dasshu Saitō, Hatsu Bōei Narazu" 永瀬叡王が王座奪取 斎藤, 初防衛ならず [Nagase Eiō capture Ōza title; Saitō unsuccessful in first title defense]. Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  • 61st Oza Match Official Site (in Japanese) by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun and the Japanese Shogi Association
  • Shogi Kingdom (in Japanese) by Nihon Keizai Shimbun
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