Sota Fujii Wins Seventh Straight Oi Title, Preserves Six-Crown Dominance in Japan

Summary

Sota Fujii has won the Oi title for the seventh consecutive time. He defeated Takumi Ito in the sixth game of the best-of-seven series, finishing with a 4–2 record. The decisive game lasted 140 moves and was described by Fujii as extremely difficult and unpredictable. Both players used all their thinking time before entering one-minute play. The victory allows Fujii to retain six major shogi titles. His seven Oi championships match his personal record in the Kisei tournament. Fujii said the challenging games had helped him continue developing as a player. His next title defense begins on October 9 against Shintaro Hattori in the Ryuo match. Read the full story for more on Fujii’s latest milestone and Japan’s unique shogi tradition.

Fujii defeats Ito in a demanding title battle

Sota Fujii, Japan’s leading professional shogi player, has secured his seventh consecutive Oi title after defeating challenger Takumi Ito in the sixth game of the 67th Oi title match. The game resumed on the ninth at Motoyu Jinya, a historic hot-spring inn in Hadano, Kanagawa Prefecture, after being adjourned from the previous day.

Playing the second move, Fujii won after 140 moves, giving him a 4–2 victory in the best-of-seven series. The result not only extended his remarkable reign in the Oi tournament, but also preserved his status as a holder of six major shogi titles. Fujii currently holds the Oi, Ryuo, Meijin, Kisei, Kiou and Oushou crowns, while Ito holds the Eio and Oza titles.

A record-level achievement

Fujii’s seventh consecutive Oi championship equals his personal best for consecutive title-match victories. His total of seven Oi championships also matches his record in the Kisei tournament, where he has likewise won seven titles in a row and captured the crown seven times overall.

In Japan, professional shogi titles are contested through prestigious multi-game series, often demanding exceptional concentration over several weeks. The Oi match is one of the country’s eight major title events and is widely followed by fans, media and the wider Japanese public. Fujii’s continued success has brought renewed international attention to shogi, a traditional Japanese board game related to chess but distinguished by its drop rule, which allows captured pieces to return to play.

An intense and difficult final game

The sixth game was far from a routine victory. On move 69, Ito, playing first, placed a silver piece on the seventh file to attack Fujii’s rook. Fujii responded by advancing a pawn on the fourth file rather than directly addressing the threat. On move 72, he promoted a pawn to a gold general, creating a highly complicated position.

From that point, both players launched aggressive attacks while the outcome remained unclear. Fujii used all of his allotted thinking time on move 110, and Ito followed one move later. Both then entered the final phase under shogi’s one-minute rule, in which players must make every move within 60 seconds. Fujii ultimately completed the attack and secured the win.

Fujii reflects on growth through difficult games

After the match, Fujii described the position as uncomfortable from the beginning. “Overall, I was being restricted and it was a difficult position,” he said, adding that he felt unable to identify the critical points clearly in the endgame. He characterized the entire game as extremely challenging.

Reflecting on his seventh consecutive Oi title, Fujii said many of his recent victories had remained impossible to predict until the closing stages. He noted that the matches had been exceptionally complex, but said he felt he had gained a great deal from being able to play such demanding games. His comments suggest that, even at the height of his dominance, the 23-year-old champion continues to view difficult competition as an important source of improvement.

Next challenge awaits in the Ryuo match

Fujii’s next title defense will begin on October 9, when he faces Shintaro Hattori, a seventh-dan professional, in the 39th Ryuo title match. The upcoming seven-game series will provide another test of Fujii’s extraordinary ability to maintain focus across Japan’s demanding professional shogi calendar.