The strongest shogi player of the Reiwa era has claimed another great honor while continuing to rewrite shogi records. It is also becoming more likely that he can achieve the feat of having sole possession of all eight major titles.
Sota Fujii, the challenger in the best-of-seven Osho title match, swept Akira Watanabe, whose titles include the Meijin and who was aiming to hold the Osho title for the fourth consecutive time. At 19 years and 6 months old, Fujii, whose titles include the prestigious Ryuo, thus became the youngest player in history to hold five major titles.
Watanabe is a shogi player thoroughly versed in the methods to win big matches, having captured the Ryuo at age 20 and holding the title nine years in a row. His strong play and presence earned him the nickname "the devil." This time, however, even Watanabe couldn't get anywhere close to Fujii.
