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Sota Fujii Sweeps Ryuo to Earn Lifetime Status as Third 'Eisei' Holder

The sweep confers lifetime Ryuo eligibility that is formally recognized only upon retirement.

Overview

  • Sota Fujii, 23, defeated challenger Yuki Sasaki in Game 4 in Kyoto to complete a 4-0 defense of the 38th Ryuo title.
  • Winning a fifth straight Ryuo crown satisfies the eisei criterion of five consecutive victories for the title.
  • He now holds eisei distinctions for Ryuo, Kisei and Oi, joining a select group of four players with three or more such honors.
  • Previous Ryuo eisei holders are Akira Watanabe and Yoshiharu Habu.
  • At 23 years and three months, he is the youngest to reach the Ryuo eisei milestone since Habu, and he currently holds six of shogi’s eight major titles.