Yoshiharu Habu

Yoshiharu Habu, 2011
Association	Japan
Born	September 27, 1970 Tokorozawa
title	FIDE Masters (2004)
Current  Elo rating	2399 (December 2019)
Best Elo rating	2415 (February 2014 to January 2015)
Tab at the FIDE (English)

Yoshiharu Habu ( Jap. 羽生善治 , Habu Yoshiharu * 27. September 1970 in Tokorozawa ) is a professional Japanese Shogi poker players and chess - FIDE Master .

biography

Even before he went to kindergarten, he moved to Hachiōji with his parents . He met Shogi in elementary school when classmates taught him the basics. He was so enthusiastic about the game that his mother enrolled him in a shogi club when he was seven; Although he finished his first tournament with one win and two losses, he was determined to continue with Shogi and made rapid progress, so that in October 1981, at the age of 11, he achieved a 5th amateur dan.

During his primary school years, Habu regularly took part in regional and national tournaments for children. In these tournaments he played against other children his age, some of whom have now also become professional shog players. These include, for example, Toshiyuki Moriuchi , Yasumitsu Sato , Manabu Senzaki . These players are now known as Generation Habu , not only because they were all born in the same year but also because of their outstanding achievements as players.

Professional player

Habu, who attended the same elementary school as Toshiyuki Moriuchi, began his career as a shogi professional in 1985. At the Japan Shogi Association (JSA) he has player number 175. His teacher is Tatsuya Futakami . He reached the 9th professional Dan in 1994. By September 2017 he had won 99 titles. From February 14th to July 30th 1996 he was the only player to win all seven Grand Slam titles (Ryu-oh, Meijin, Kisei, Oi, Oza, Kioh and Osho). On December 5, 2017, he won the Ryo-oh for the seventh time, earning the honorary title of Ryo-oh titleholder for life as the last of the seven Grand Slam titles. He is also the first and only person who has managed this so far.

history

promotion

• 1982, December 2nd: 6-kyu
• 1983, February 2: 5-Kyu (6 wins, 3 losses)
• 1983, March 28: 4-Kyu (6 wins, no losses)
• 1983, May 11th: 3-Kyu: (6 wins, no losses)
• 1983, July 7th: 2-Kyu: (6 wins, no losses)
• 1983, August 24: 1-Kyu: (6 wins, no losses)
• 1984, January 11: 1-dan (12 wins, 4 losses)
• 1984, September 10: 2-Dan (14 wins, 5 losses)
• 1985, April 25th: 3-Dan (12 wins, 4 losses)
• 1985, December 12th: 4-Dan (13 wins, 4 losses)
• 1988, April 1st: 5-Dan (because of the C1-Class Meijinsen promotion)
• 1989, October 1st: 6-Dan (as Ryu-oh challenger)
• 1990, October 1st: 7-Dan (as Ryu-oh defending champion himself)
• 1993, April 1st: 8-Dan (connected A-Class Meijinsen)
• 1994, April 1st: 9-Dan (special support)

Titles and other championships

title

title	Years	Number of titles
Ryu-oh	1989, 1992, 1994, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2017	7th
Meijin	1994–1996, 2003, 2008–10, 2014–2015	9
Kisei	1993-1995, 2000, 2008-2016	15th
Oi	1993-2001, 2004-2006, 2011-2016	18th
Oza	1992-2010, 2012-2016	24
Kioh	1991-2002, 2005	13
Osho	1996-2001, 2003, 2005-2009	12

Honorary title "Titleholder for life": Ryo-oh, Meijin, Kisei, Oi, Oza, Kioh, Osho.

Non-title tournament

competition	Years
Asahi Open	1989, 1991, 1998, 2004-2007
NHK Cup (Shogi)	1989, 1992, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2008–2011
Nihon Series	1991, 1998, 2003, 2010-2011
Ginga-sen	1997, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006
Hayazashi Senshuken	1992, 1995
Shinjin-Oh (Shogi)	1988

chess

Habu topped the Japanese Elo ranking in July 2016 .

Honors

In January 2018 Habu was the first Shogi player to receive the Japanese People's Honor Award .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Japanese shogi pro Habu becomes first to qualify for 7 lifetime titles . In: Mainichi Daily News . December 5, 2017 ( mainichi.jp [accessed January 20, 2018]).
2. ↑ Japan Times

Web links

Commons : Yoshiharu Habu  - Collection of Images

• Habu's site at the Japan Shogi Association Japanese
• Page at ShogiHub English
• Biography and interview by The Japan Times Online (English)
• Interview from chessbase.com (English)