Takayuki Kuroda

Kuroda was born on September 26, 1996, in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture.^[1] He learned how to play shogi from his father when he was about six years old, and began going to the Matsuyama shogi center shortly thereafter to improve his game.^[2][3] As a sixth-grade elementary school student in 2008, he finished runner up in the 33rd Elementary School Student Meijin Tournament [ja], defeating fellow future professional shogi player Yasuhiro Masuda in the semi-finals, and also won the upper-grade section of the 7th Elementary School Student Kurashiki Ōshō Tournament [ja].^[3][4][5][6] In September 2008, he was accepted into the Japan Shogi Association (JSA) apprentice school under the guidance of shogi professional Mamoru Hatakeyama at the rank of 6-kyū.^[2][3]

In order to participate in the apprentice school games held at the JSA's Kansai Branch in Osaka, Kuroda would take a night ferry from Matsuyama.^[7] He was promoted to the rank of apprentice professional 3-dan in 2013, and just missed out on obtaining full professional status and the corresponding rank of 4-dan in October 2016 after finishing third in the 59th 3-dan League (April 2016 – September 2016) with a record of 12 wins and 6 losses.^[8] Kuroda actually finished tied with several other players with 12 wins and second place, but his lower league seed meant that he was awarded third place and a promotion point instead.^[8][9] Kuroda once again fell one win short of promotion to 4-dan in the 62nd 3-dan League (October 2017 – March 2018)^[10] and the 63rd 3-dan League (March 2018 – September 2018),^[11] but finally obtained full professional status in April 2019 after finishing second in the 64th 3-dan League (October 2018 – March 2019) with a record of 13 wins and 5 losses.^{[2][7][12][13]}