Fourth Match of Ryuo Shogi Series Held at Racecourse; Victory Would Make Fujii Eligible For Lifetime Title

The Yomiuri Shimbun

19:22 JST, November 12, 2025

KYOTO — The fourth match of the best-of-seven Ryuo title series began at Kyoto Racecourse in Kyoto City on Wednesday, as shogi prodigy Sota Fujii seeks to defend his title.

If Fujii, 23, defeats 8-dan challenger Yuki Sasaki, 31, in the match, Fujii will win the Ryuo title for the fifth consecutive time. He would also become eligible to earn the lifetime Ryuo title after his retirement.

Fujii would be the third shogi player to be eligible for a lifetime Ryuo title, following Yoshiharu Habu and Akira Watanabe.

The match is held at the Kiku-no-ma VIP room at the racecourse. This is the first time that an official pro shogi match has been played at a horse racing venue of the Japan Racing Association.

Played in front of a large ink wash painting of a horse, the match was expected to end Thursday evening.

In addition to Ryuo, shogi’s most prestigious title, Fujii currently holds five other titles among the eight in shogi.