Yoshiharu Habu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yoshiharu Habu
羽生善治
Habu in 2018
Born	(1970-09-27) September 27, 1970 (age 54) Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan
Career
Achieved professional status	December 18, 1985(1985-12-18) (aged 15)
Badge Number	175
Rank	9 dan
Teacher	Tatsuya Futakami
Lifetime titles	Lifetime Meijin Lifetime Ryūō Lifetime Kisei Lifetime Ōi Lifetime Ōza Lifetime Kiō Lifetime Ōshō
Major titles won	99
Tournaments won	45
Meijin class	B1
Ryūō class	2
Websites
JSA profile page
Chess career
Country	Japan
Title	FIDE Master (2004)
FIDE rating	2399 (February 2016)
Peak rating	2415 (February 2014)

Yoshiharu Habu (Japanese: 羽生 善治, Hepburn: Habu Yoshiharu, born September 27, 1970) is a famous professional shogi player and a chess FIDE Master. Shogi is a Japanese board game similar to chess. Habu has won many major shogi titles, like the Ryūō, Meijin, and Kisei.

He was the first person to hold seven major shogi titles at the same time. He is also the only player to earn "lifetime" titles for seven major championships. This means he is recognized as a master of those titles forever. In 2018, Habu received Japan's special People's Honour Award. In 2023, he became the president of the Japan Shogi Association (JSA).

Early Life and Shogi Journey

Yoshiharu Habu was born in Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan, in 1970. He moved to Hachioji, Tokyo when he was very young.

Discovering Shogi

Habu first learned about shogi in elementary school. His classmates showed him how the pieces move. He loved the game so much that his mother signed him up for a tournament in 1978. Even though he didn't win much at first, his parents kept taking him to the shogi club every weekend.

Habu got better very quickly. By age eleven, in 1981, he was already an amateur 5-dan player.

The "Habu Generation"

When he was a kid, Habu played against other children who also became professional shogi players. These players, born around 1970, are now known as the Habu generation ^[ja]. They are famous for their amazing skills and achievements in shogi.

In 1982, Habu won the 7th Elementary School Meijin tournament ^[ja] (小学生将棋名人戦, Shōgakusei shōgi meijinsen). He wanted to become a professional player. He joined the Japan Shogi Association's apprentice school and became a student of Tatsuya Futakami.

Becoming a Shogi Professional

Habu became a professional 4-dan player in 1985 when he was only 14 years old. He was one of the youngest professionals in shogi history.

First Major Titles

In 1989, at age 19, Habu won his first major title, the Ryūō championship. This made him the youngest titleholder at that time. Even though he lost the Ryūō title the next year, he won the Kiō championship in 1991. Since then, he has held at least one major title every year for a long time.

By 1994, Habu was officially promoted to 9-dan, the highest rank in shogi.

Holding Many Titles

In 1992, Habu won the Ōza championship. He held this title for 19 years in a row!

His biggest achievement came in 1996. Habu became the first professional shogi player to hold all seven major titles at the same time. These titles were the Meijin, Ryūō, Kisei, Ōi, Ōza, Kiō, and Ōshō. This was a huge moment in shogi history.

Breaking Records

In 2012, Habu won his 81st shogi title overall. This made him the player with the most titles ever, passing the record of Yasuharu Ōyama.

In 2014, he won his 1300th official game. He was the youngest and fastest player to reach this many wins. His winning percentage was very high, showing how skilled he was.

In 2017, Habu won his seventh Ryūō title. This earned him the "Lifetime Ryūō" title. It also made him the first shogi professional to qualify for lifetime titles in all seven major championships. This is why he is sometimes called "Lifetime Seven Crown" (永世七冠 (Eisei Nanakan)).

Recent Achievements

On January 5, 2018, Habu received Japan's People's Honor Award. This is a very special award given to people who have made great contributions to society. He also received the Medal with Purple Ribbon in November 2018.

In November 2018, Habu played his 2000th official game. He was the youngest and fastest player to reach this milestone.

In December 2018, Habu lost the Ryūō title. This was the first time in 27 years that he did not hold a major title. After this, he chose to be called "Habu 9-dan" instead of "Ex-Ryūō Habu".

In 2019, Habu won the 68th NHK Cup tournament. This was his eleventh time winning this tournament. He also broke the record for the most non-major title championships in his career, with 45 wins.

On June 4, 2019, Habu became the shogi professional with the most victories of all time, with 1,434 wins.

In 2022, Habu became the first shogi professional to reach 1,500 wins. For this, he received the new Special Shogi Honor Fighting Spirit Award ^[ja].

In 2023, Habu challenged Sōta Fujii for the Ōshō title. It was their first time playing each other in a major title match. Fujii won the match.

Playing Style

Habu is known for his amazing skill in Static Rook strategies, both for attacking and defending. He can play well in fast games or slow, thoughtful games.

"Habu's Zone"

Habu's favorite shogi piece is the silver. He thinks it's important for both attack and defense. He is very good at using silver and gold pieces in specific spots on the board (squares 23 and 83, or 87 and 27 for the other player). Even though it's usually hard to win after placing pieces there, Habu often succeeds. Because of this, these spots are sometimes called "Habu's zone" by other shogi players.

He is also famous for making brilliant moves even when he seems to be losing, especially near the end of a game. These surprising moves are sometimes called "Habu's magic."

His long-time rival, Toshiyuki Moriuchi, once said that Habu gets stronger as the players around him get stronger. He is always trying to be as good as, or better than, other shogi professionals.

Promotion History

Here is how Yoshiharu Habu moved up in rank as a shogi player:

• 6-kyu: December 2, 1982
• 5-kyu: February 2, 1983
• 4-kyu: March 28, 1983
• 3-kyu: May 11, 1983
• 2-kyu: July 7, 1983
• 1-kyu: August 24, 1983
• 1-dan: January 11, 1984
• 2-dan: September 10, 1984
• 3-dan: April 25, 1985
• 4-dan: December 12, 1985 (Became a professional)
• 5-dan: April 1, 1988
• 6-dan: October 1, 1989
• 7-dan: October 1, 1990
• 8-dan: April 1, 1993
• 9-dan: April 1, 1994 (Highest rank)

Major Titles and Other Championships

There are eight major titles in shogi. Habu has won many of them.

Major Titles Won

Habu has qualified for "Lifetime" titles in all seven of these major championships. This means he is recognized as a master of these titles forever. He holds the record for the most wins in the Kisei (tied), Ōi, Ōza, and Kiō titles. He also holds the record for the most consecutive wins in the Kisei, Ōza, and Kiō titles.

Other Tournaments Won

Besides the major titles, Habu has won many other important tournaments.

He is also a "Lifetime NHK Cup Champion". Tournaments marked with an asterisk (*) are no longer held.

Awards and Honors

Habu has received many awards for his amazing career.

Annual Shogi Awards

The Japan Shogi Association gives out Annual Shogi Awards each year. Habu has won many of these, including:

• Player of the Year: 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018
• Best Winning Percentage: 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1996, 2001
• Most Games Won: 1988, 1989, 1990, 1995, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
• Most Games Played: 1989, 1990, 1993, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014
• Most Consecutive Games Won: 1989, 1990, 1993, 2001, 2006
• Fighting-spirit: 1988, 1992, 2023
• Excellent Player: 2007, 2013, 2014, 2017
• Game of the Year: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2023
• Special Award: 1996, 2013

Other Special Awards

• 1994: Tokyo Resident Culture Honor Award
• 1996: Prime Minister's Award (for holding all seven major shogi titles)
• 1999: Shogi Honor Award (for 600 official game wins)
• 2003: Shogi Honor Fighting-spirit Award (for 800 official game wins)
• 2007: Special Shogi Honor Award (for 1,000 official game wins)
• 2008: 56th Kikuchi Kan Prize (for cultural achievements)
• 2010: 25 Years Service Award (for being a professional for 25 years)
• 2018: People's Honor Award (Japan's highest honor)
• 2018: Medal with Purple Ribbon
• 2022: Special Shogi Honor Fighting Spirit Award (for 1,500 official game wins)

JSA President

On June 9, 2023, Yoshiharu Habu was chosen to be the president of the Japan Shogi Association (JSA). He decided to run for the position because he wanted to help the JSA as it gets ready to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2024.

Chess Player

Habu playing chess with Peter Heine Nielsen in 2014.

Habu is also a very good chess player. He became a FIDE Master in 2004. His highest rating was 2415 in 2014, which is very high for a chess player.

In 2014, he played an exhibition match against former World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov. Habu lost both games, but it was a big event.

Personal Life

In 1996, Habu married actress and singer Rie Hatada ^[ja]. They met in 1994. They have two daughters.

Video Games

Yoshiharu Habu is so famous that several video games have been made about shogi with his name in the title:

• Habu Meijin no Omoshiro Shōgi - Super Famicom
• Saikyō Habu Shōgi - Nintendo 64
• Habu Yoshiharu Shogi de Kitaeru: Ketsudanryoku DS - Nintendo DS
• i HABU Shogi - iPhone/iPod

Images for kids

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  Habu in 2018

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  Habu playing chess with Peter Heine Nielsen (2014)

See also

In Spanish: Yoshiharu Habu para niños