Why Ito Takumi, the New King of New Wisdom, Beat Sota Fujii, the Seven Crowns
The "Prince of Sangenjaya," who broke his monopoly on all the Shogi titles, is still immersed in Shogi after his accomplishment.
Dominating all shogi titles for 254 days straight, amidst a streak of 22 consecutive title defenses, the “Invincible Genius” Sota Fujii, 21, was defeated by the “New King.” Returning to his hometown of Sangenjaya (Setagaya Ward, Tokyo)—
“No one noticed,” chuckled Ito Takumi, the new King of New Wisdom, 21.
“Fortunately, I received many congratulations from various people. But I haven’t been recognized enough to be stopped on the street yet. (laughs).”
The 5-game Eiou title match, concluded on June 20th, saw each player taking two wins, leading to a decisive final game—a full-set intense battle. This marked Ito Takumi’s first title victory.
“The final Game 5 of the Eio match was a tough shogi game from start to finish. Particularly at move 101, when Fujii-san threatened my king with a rook move, and I had to maneuver my king to escape. However, despite the difficulties, I managed to somehow create a resilient position in the end.”
Ito Takumi started playing shogi at the age of 5 and honed his skills at the “Sangenjaya Shogi Club,” where his mentor, 71-year-old 8-dan Toshio Miyata, served as instructor. He achieved the rank of 4-dan at the young age of 17 and made his professional debut. However, until the Eiou match, he had suffered ten consecutive losses to Sota Fujii in official matches, showing little ability to compete.
Even when asked about the reasons for his victory, Eiou remained humble.
“I think it’s because I was able to do my best in difficult situations that led to the result. This time, I was lucky to win. In terms of ability, I think Fujii-san is clearly superior, so I don’t consider myself in a position to be called a rival.”
However, the perspective among shogi players is different. There is no sense of treating the outcome of this match as a major event.
The 5-game Eiou title match saw a strategic opening known as “Kakugawari,” where both players exchanged their bishops early on. Ito Takumi’s decisive performance in defeating the “Kakugawari,” a favored tactic of the absolute champion Sota Fujii, hinted at the arrival of a true “Fujii-Ito era.”
Truly immersed in the world of shogi.
His mentor, 8-dan Miyata, also beams proudly at his beloved disciple’s achievement.
“He won the title and returned from Yamanashi to Tokyo the next day, saying he was studying at a research meeting. That’s quite impressive. In our time, it would have been definitely a celebration with sake, but times have changed.”
Without even raising a celebratory toast, focusing on research. Indeed, when asked about his “regular spot” in Sangenjaya, Ito Takumi’s response was guarded.
“Well, not particularly. I don’t go out much.”
However, his mentor Miyata sees this statement as a questionable move in shogi terms.
“Near the station, there are about two ramen shops that I often visit. Ito’s autograph? No way! (laughs) He won the title, but his recognition is still at the level of Setagaya. I hope he becomes Ito of Tokyo and Japan from now on.”
The young warrior who has become the second in rank in the shogi world after Sota Fujii is now trying to open the door to a new era.
From the July 19, 2024 issue of FRIDAY
PHOTO： Hiroyuki Komatsu
