Keita Inoue
Japanese shogi player (born 1964)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Keita Inoue (井上 慶太, Inoue Keita; born January 17, 1964) is a Japanese professional shogi player, ranked 9-dan. He is a former executive director of the Japan Shogi Association.
| Keita Inoue | |
|---|---|
Inoue at a human shogi event in November 2016. | |
| Native name | 井上慶太 |
| Born | January 17, 1964 |
| Hometown | Ashiya, Hyōgo |
| Career | |
| Achieved professional status | February 4, 1983 (aged 19) |
| Badge number | 157 |
| Rank | 9-dan |
| Teacher | Masakazu Wakamatsu (8-dan) |
| Tournaments won | 2 |
| Meijin class | C1 |
| Ryūō class | 5 |
| Notable students |
|
| Websites | |
| JSA profile page | |
Early life and apprenticeship
Keita Inoue was born on January 17, 1964, in Ashiya, Hyōgo.[1] In October 1979, he entered the Japan Shogi Association's apprentice school at the rank of 6-kyū under the sponsorship of shogi professional Masakazu Wakamatsu.[2] He was promoted to 1-dan in 1981, and obtained full professional status and the rank of 4-dan in February 1983.[2]
Shogi professional
Inoue's first tournament victory as a professional came in October 1985 when he defeated Taku Morishita 2 games to 1 to win the 16th Shinjin-Ō tournament.[2][3] The following year, he also won the 9th Young Lions tournament.[2][4]
On October 28, 2008, Inoue defeated Kunio Naitō in an Ōi tournament preliminary round game to become the 37th professional to win 600 official games.[5]
On March 28, 2018, Inoue defeated Sōta Fujii in a third round preliminary round game for the 68th Ōshō Tournament. The game was broadcast live by the Igo & Shogi Channel as part of its "Shogi Premium" service.[6] Inoue's victory not only made him the first player aged 50 or older to defeat Fujii in an official game, but also stopped Fujii's 16 game winning streak.[7]
On October 3, 2025, Inoue defeated Masayuki Toyoshima in a 11th Eiō tournament preliminary round game to become the 28th person to win 800 official games as a professional; he was awarded the "Shogi Honor Fighting-spirit Award" as a result.[8][9]
Promotion history
The promotion history for Inoue is as follows:[10]
- 6-kyū: 1979
- 1-dan: 1981
- 4-dan: February 4, 1983
- 5-dan: March 27, 1987
- 6-dan: July 12, 1991
- 7-dan: April 1, 1996
- 8-dan: April 1, 1997
- 9-dan: March 3, 2011
Titles and other championships
Inoue has yet to make an appearance in a major title match, but he has won two non-major shogi championships during his career: the Shinjin-Ō in 1985 and the Young Lions in 1986.[11]
Awards and honors
Inoue received the Japan Shogi Association Annual Shogi Award for "Best Winning Percentage" in 1993.[12] He also received the association's "Shogi Honor Award" in 2008 in recognition of winning 600 official games and the "Shogi Honor Fighting-spirit Award" in 2025 in recognition of winning 800 official games.[13]
JSA director and other offices
Inoue has served on the Japan Shogi Association's board of directors since 2015. From June 2015 until June 2017, he served as a non-executive director.[14] He was re-elected to the board for another two-year term in June 2017, but this time as an executive director.[15] He was re-elected for additional two-year terms as executive director in June 2019,[16] June 2021[17] and June 2023.[18]
Inoue served as a vice-president of the Shogi Professional Players' Association from April 2011 until June 2015,[19][20] and also as the manager of the Kansai branch of the Japan Shogi Association's apprentice school from April 2001 until March 2004.[2]