Kazuki Kimura
| Kazuki Kimura | |
|---|---|
| Native name | 木村一基 |
| Born | June 23, 1973 |
| Hometown | Yotsukaidō |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Career | |
| Achieved professional status | April 1, 1997 (aged 23) |
| Badge Number | 222 |
| Rank | 9-dan |
| Teacher | Yūji Sase (Honorary 9-dan) |
| Major titles won | 1 |
| Tournaments won | 2 |
| Meijin class | B1 |
| Ryūō class | 1 |
| Notable students | Satoshi Takano |
| Websites | |
| JSA profile page | |
Kazuki Kimura (木村 一基, Kimura Kazuki, born June 23, 1973) is a Japanese professional shogi player, ranked 9-dan. He is a former Ōi title holder. He is also the oldest player to win a major title for the first time.
Early life
Kimura was born in Yotsukaidō, Chiba Prefecture on June 23, 1973.[1] He learned how to play shogi at a friend's house when he was in kindergarten, and started regularly going to a local shogi club when he was a second-grade elementary school student.[2]
Kimura first met his future mentor shogi professional Yūji Sase when the two played a 2-piece handicap game. Kimura soon began taking lessons from Sase at his house, where he occasionally played practice games against Hiroe Nakai, who was another one of Sase's students.[2] In 1985, he advanced to the quarterfinals of the 10th Elementary Student Meijin Tournament as sixth-grade elementary school student, and later that same year entered the Japan Shogi Association's apprentice school under the guidance of Sase.[2][3]
At first, Kimura progressed fairly quickly and was promoted to the rank of 3-dan in the fall of 1990 when he was an eleventh-grade high school student, but it took more than six years before he was able to obtain professional status and the rank of 4-dan in April 1997.[2][3]
Shogi professional
In June 2019, Kimura defeated Yoshiharu Habu to earn the right to challenge Masayuki Toyoshima for the 60th Ōi title.[4] In the title match against Toyoshima, Kimura lost the first two games before coming back to tie the score at two wins apiece. Toyoshima won Game 5 and needed just one more win to defend his title; Kimura, however, won the last two games to win the match 4 games to 3. The victory not only gave Kimura his first major title, but it also made him the oldest first time winner of a major title at the age of 46 years and 3 months, breaking the record of 37 years and 6 months set by Michio Ariyoshi in 1973.[5]
In June–August 2020, Kimura was unable to defend his Ōi title against Sōta Fujii, losing the 61st Ōi title match 4 games to none.[6][7]
Promotion history
The promotion history for kimura is as follows:[8]
- 1985: 6-kyū
- 1988: 1-dan
- 1997, April 1: 4-dan
- 1999, April 1: 5-dan
- 2001, December 17: 6-dan
- 2003, April 1: 7-dan
- 2007, April 1: 8-dan
- 2017, June 26: 9-dan
Titles and other championships
Kimura has appeared in a major title match eight times, and has won one title;[9] he has also won two non-major-title championships during his career.[10]
Awards and honors
Kimura has received a number of Japan Shogi Association Annual Shogi Awards throughout his career. He won the ""Best New Player" award for 1997–1998; the "Best Winning Percentage" award for 1998–1999; the "Best Winning Percentage", "Most Games Won" and "Most games Played" awards for 2000–2001; the "Fighting-spirit" award for 2008–2009; and, the “Special Award” for 2019.[11][12]
Year-end prize money and game fee ranking
Kimura has finished in the "Top 10" of the JSA's year-end prize money and game fee rankings seven times since turning professional.
| Year | Amount | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | ¥22,860,000 | 8th[13] |
| 2007 | ¥23,840,000 | 8th[14] |
| 2008 | ¥29,580,000 | 6th[15] |
| 2009 | ¥29,420,000 | 5th[16] |
| 2011 | ¥20,520,000 | 7th[17] |
| 2014 | ¥16,340,000 | 10th[18] |
| 2019 | ¥32,090,000 | 7th[19] |
- Note: All amounts are given in Japanese yen and include prize money and fees earned from official tournaments and games held from January 1 to December 31.
References
- ^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Kimura Kazuki" 棋士データベース: 木村一基 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Kazuki Kimura] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Kimura Kazuki Shichidan ni Kiku Nebari wa Saizen no Gambari. ｢Korekara, Subete Kachitai｣" 木村一基七段に聞く 粘りは最善の頑張り。｢これからは, すべて勝ちたい」 [According to Kazuki Kimura 7d, never giving up is the best approach, "I want to win all my games from here on."]. Nikkei Net (Interview) (in Japanese). Nikkei Shimbun. 2005-06-08. Archived from the original on November 21, 2005. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
- ^ a b Geneki Purō Kishi DētaBukku 2016 [Jō] A-Ta Gyō 現役プロ棋士データブック2016 [上] あ-た [2016 Active Shogi Professional Databook [First volume] Letter "A" to Letter "Ta"] (in Japanese). MyNabi Publishing/Japan Shogi Association. 2015. p. 38 – via Google Books.
- ^ Yamamura, Hideki (June 6, 2019). "Habu, Ōi Chōsen Nogasu Ketteisen de Kimura ni Yabureru" 羽生, 王位挑戦逃す 決定戦で木村に敗れる [Habu lets chance to challenge for Ōi title slip away and is defeated by Kimura in the deciding game.]. Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved June 13, 2019.
- ^ "「Chūnensei no Hoshi」Yonjūrokusai・Kimura ga Shin Ōi Shōgi Sainenchō Hatsu Taitoru" 「中年の星」46歳・木村が新王位 将棋最年長初タイトル ['Middle-age star': 46-year-old Kimura is the new Ōi title holder; becomes oldest player to win major title for first time.]. The Nikkei (in Japanese). September 26, 2019. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
- ^ "Sota Fujii becomes youngest shogi player with two major titles". Japan Times. JiJi Press. August 20, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- ^ Niidoi, Hitoaki (August 20, 2020). "Japanese teen shogi star Fujii wins Oi tournament to become youngest to hold 2 major titles". Mainichi Shimbun. Japanese original by Hiroaki Niidoi, Osaka Cultural News Department. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- ^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Kimura Kazuki Shōdan Rireki" 棋士データベース: 木村一基 昇段履歴 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Kazuki Kimura Promotion History] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
- ^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Kimura Kazuki Taitoru Rireki" 棋士データベース: 木村一基 タイトル履歴 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Kazuki Kimura Major Title History] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- ^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Kimura Kazuki Yūshō Rireki" 棋士データベース: 木村一基 優勝履歴 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Kazuki Kimura Championship History] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
- ^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Kimura Kazuki Shōgi Taishō" 棋士データベース: 木村一基 将棋大賞 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Kazuki Kimura Annual Shogi Awards] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
- ^ "Shōgi Taishō, Saiyūshūkishishō ni Watanabe Sankan...Nikaime" 将棋大賞, 最優秀棋士賞に渡辺明三冠...2回目 [Shogi Annual Awards: Watanabe 3-crown wins “Player of the year” for the second time.]. Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). April 1, 2020. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
- ^ "2006nen Kakutoku Shōkin - Taikyokuryō Besuto 20" 2006年獲得賞金・対局料ベスト20 [2006 Prize Money/Game Fees Top 20] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. 2007-03-01. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
- ^ "2007nen Kakutoku Shōkin - Taikyokuryō Besuto 20" 2007年獲得賞金・対局料ベスト20 [2007 Prize Money/Game Fees Top 20] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. 2008-03-01. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
- ^ "2008nen Kakutoku Shōkin - Taikyokuryō Besuto 20" 2008年獲得賞金・対局料ベスト20 [2008 Prize Money/Game Fees Top 20] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. 2009-03-02. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
- ^ "2009nen Kakutoku Shōkin - Taikyokuryō Besuto 20" 2009年獲得賞金・対局料ベスト20 [2009 Prize Money/Game Fees Top 20] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. 2010-03-05. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
- ^ "2011nen Kakutoku Shōkin - Taikyokuryō Besuto 20" 2012年獲得賞金・対局料ベスト20 [2011 Prize Money/Game Fees Top 20] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. 2012-02-16. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
- ^ "2014nen Kakutoku Shōkin - Taikyokuryō Besuto 10" 2014年獲得賞金・対局料ベスト10 [2014 Prize Money/Game Fees Top 10] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. 2015-02-03. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
- ^ "2019nen Kakutoku Shōkin - Taikyokuryō Besuto 10" 2019年獲得賞金・対局料ベスト10 [2019 Prize Money/Game Fees Top 10] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. February 3, 2020. Retrieved February 4, 2020.