Saito Morimoto
Japanese shogi player
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Saito Morimoto (森本 才跳, Morimoto Saito; May 31, 2001) is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 4-dan.
| Saito Morimoto | |
|---|---|
| Native name | 森本才跳 |
| Born | May 31, 2001 |
| Hometown | Nishinomiya, Hyōgo, Japan |
| Career | |
| Achieved professional status | April 1, 2023 (aged 21) |
| Badge number | 337 |
| Rank | 4-dan |
| Teacher | Kenji Kobayashi (9-dan) |
| Meijin class | C2 |
| Ryūō class | 6 |
| Websites | |
| JSA profile page | |
Early life and amateur shogi
Morimoto was born in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, on May 31, 2001.[1] He started playing shogi on the recommendation of his parents.[2] He began regularly playing at the shogi club at the Japan Shogi Association's Kansai Branch Office. As a second-grade elementary school student at Hiraki Elementary School in Nishinomiya, he started attending a shogi school run by shogi professional Kenji Kobayashi.[3] As a third-grade elementary school student, he finished tied for 3rd place in the lower-grade division of the 9th All Japan Elementary School Student Kurashiki Ōshō Tournament[4] and won the 24th Tanigawa Cup Elementary Student Shogi Tournament (谷川杯争奪小学生将棋大会, Tanigawa-hai Sōdatsu Shōgakusei Shōgi Taikai) in 2010.[5]The following year (2011) as a fourth-grade student, he tied for third place in the upper-grade division of the 10th All Japan Elementary School Student Kurashiki Ōshō Tournament[6] and finished in second place of the upper-grade division of a children's tournament held together with the 37th JT Nihon Series preliminary round game being played in Fukuoka.[7]
In 2012, Morimoto won the 37th Elementary School Student Meijin Tournament as a fifth-grade student in April[8] and was then accepted into the JSA's apprentice school as a student of Kobayashi at the rank of apprentice professional 6-kyū in September.[2][9] He was promoted to the rank of apprentice professional 3-dan in April 2019, and he obtained regular professional status and the rank of 4-dan in April 2023 after finishing second in the 72nd 3-dan League (October 2022 – March 2023) with a record of 13 wins and 5 losses.[2][10][11]
Shogi professional
Promotion history
The promotion history for Morimoto is as follows.[12]
- 6-kyū: September 2012
- 3-dan: April 2019
- 4-dan: April 1, 2023