The second round of the "Meijin Match," the oldest of the eight major shogi titles, will begin in Shizuoka City, and it will be interesting to see if Sota Fujii (2), who holds the record for the youngest player to win a "Meijin," will continue to win back-to-back matches following the first round, or if Akito Watanabe (20), who is aiming for a fourth consecutive title, will return to five draws.
The second stage of the "Meijin Match" was set up in Shizuoka City, and after Rokukaku Fujii entered the room, Watanabe Meijin sat in front of the board.
The game started at 2 a.m., and after Rokkaku Fujii took a sip of tea, he took a step ahead of the flying car, while Watanabe Meijin moved his steps to open the corner path, and then they proceeded to assemble each other's pieces.
If he wins this title match, he will break the record held by Koji Tanigawa XVII (61) for the youngest time to win a "master" title, "21 years and 2 months", and may become the youngest person to win the "Seven Crowns" since Zenji Hanyu Kudan (40).
Watanabe Meijin, on the other hand, has been defending his title since he first won the title three years ago, and will be looking to win his fourth consecutive title this time.
Fujii Rokukaku has been deprived of the titles of "Shogi", "Shogun", and "Shogi" so far, and it is a battle for humiliation.
The best-of-seven match of the "Meijin Match" will be scheduled until June, and whoever wins the first four games will win the title.
The winner of the second round is expected to be decided in the afternoon of the 3th, and it will be interesting to see if Rokukaku Fujii continues to win the first round and wins back-to-back matches, or whether Meito Watanabe returns the wins and losses to five draws.