Shogi Star Sota Fujii Wins Ryuo Title for 4th Consecutive Time, Says Relaxing in Hot Springs Helped Him Play Well

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:26 JST, December 13, 2024

Sota Fujii defeated eighth-dan Yuuki Sasaki 4-2 in the best-of-seven Ryuo shogi championship series and won the title for the fourth consecutive time on Thursday.

In addition to the Ryuo title, Fujii also holds the Meijin, Oi, Oza, Kio, Osho and Kisei titles.

“I enjoyed the hot springs during my stay, so that helped me play in good condition,” Fujii said at a press conference on Friday morning at Ibusuki Hakusuikan in Ibusuki, Kagoshima Prefecture, the venue of the sixth match.

At the start of the press conference, he held up a small board with the characters for “soi,” meaning creativity, written on it.

“I wrote it with the hope that I could make an ingenious move during the match or play a game that I would be satisfied with,” he said.

The Ryuo tournament is sponsored by The Yomiuri Shimbun, with special support from Nomura Holdings, Inc.