Takumi Ito wins the Oza match to achieve a double crown, while Souta Fujii, who holds seven titles, falls to six.
The fifth game of the 73rd Oza Championship, a five-game match between Ito Takumi and Fujii Sota, was held on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at the Tokiwa Hotel in Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture, with Ito winning in 97 moves. With this victory, Ito won his second Oza title. Fujii lost his title, dropping to six titles.
Championship match broadcast site
Fujii Sota vs Ito Takumi, Final Match of the Oza Championship, Commentary by Sato Amahiko 9-dan - Nihon Keizai Shimbun
https://www.nikkei.com/live/event/EVT251006001
The 73rd Oza tournament will begin in Singapore in September 2025. Fujii won the first game.
Championship Live Blog: Opening match in Singapore
https://kifulog.shogi.or.jp/ouza/2025/09/post-6861.html
After that, Ito Eiou won the second and third games in a row, putting him in a position to win the title, but Fujii won the fourth game, and both players went into the final game with two wins each.
The fifth game, which would decide the title winner, began with a 'mutual opening' and entered an unprecedented fierce battle in the 30-move range. Even as the night drew to a close, it was still unclear who would win, but Ito Eio, playing black, broke away and never let up until the end, winning the game.
In June 2024, Eiou Ito took the title from Fujii, who held all eight titles at the time, and this time he has snatched his second title.
Takumi Ito, 7th Dan, wins the Eiou tournament and takes the title from Sota Fujii, 8th Crown - GIGAZINE
The title of Oza was won by seven-time champion Fujii when he challenged Takuya Nagase in November 2023. At the time, Fujii was aiming to achieve eight titles, and Nagase was aiming to become the 'Honorary Champion' for winning the title for five consecutive terms.
In parallel with the Oza tournament, the 38th Ryuo Championship, a seven-game series, will begin on October 14, 2025, in which 8th-dan player Yuki Sasaki will challenge Ryuo Sota Fujii, with Fujii having won two matches so far. The next match, the third game, will be held on Friday, October 31st and Saturday, November 1st at Ninnaji Temple in Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City.
Ryuo Tournament: Yomiuri Shimbun
https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/igoshougi/ryuoh/
TOP page | Ryuo Tournament broadcast
http://live.shogi.or.jp/ryuou/
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