Kazuki Kimura
{{Short description|Japanese shogi player (born 1973)}}
{{Infobox shogi professional
|name = Kazuki Kimura
|native_name = 木村一基
|born = {{birth date and age|1973|6|23|mf=yes}}
|hometown = Yotsukaidō
|nationality =
|pro_date = {{death date and age|1997|4|01|1973|6|23}}
|badge_no = 222
|teacher = {{ill|Yūji Sase|ja|佐瀬勇次}}
|rank = 9-dan
|teacher_rank = Honorary 9-dan
|title =
|no_titles = 1
|tournaments = 2
|meijinclass = B2
|ryuoclass = 1
|notable_students = Satoshi Takano
|jsa = 222
}}
{{nihongo|Kazuki Kimura|木村 一基|Kimura Kazuki|born June 23, 1973}} is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 9-dan. He is a former Ōi title holder. He is also the oldest player to win a major title for the first time.
Early life, amateur shogi and apprenticeship
Kimura was born in Yotsukaidō, Chiba Prefecture on June 23, 1973.{{cite web|url=https://www.shogi.or.jp/player/pro/222.html|script-title=ja:棋士データベース: 木村一基|title=Kishi Dētabēsu: Kimura Kazuki|language=ja|trans-title=Professional Shogi Player Database: Kazuki Kimura|publisher=Japan Shogi Association|access-date=February 28, 2018}} He learned how to play shogi at a friend's house when he was in kindergarten, and started regularly going to a local shogi club when he was a second-grade elementary school student.{{cite web|author=|url=http://hobby.nikkei.co.jp/shogi/kaiken/index.cfm?i=20050607s4000s4|script-title=ja:木村一基七段に聞く 粘りは最善の頑張り。｢これからは, すべて勝ちたい」|title=Kimura Kazuki Shichidan ni Kiku Nebari wa Saizen no Gambari. ｢Korekara, Subete Kachitai｣|language=ja|trans-title=According to Kazuki Kimura 7d, never giving up is the best approach, "I want to win all my games from here on."|date=2005-06-08|website=Nikkei Net|publisher=Nikkei Shimbun|type=Interview|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051121024709/http://hobby.nikkei.co.jp/shogi/kaiken/index.cfm?i=20050607s4000s4|archive-date=November 21, 2005|access-date=December 18, 2017|url-status=live}}
Kimura first met his future mentor shogi professional {{ill|Yūji Sase|ja|佐瀬勇次}} when the two played a 2-piece handicap game. Kimura soon began taking lessons from Sase at his house, where he occasionally played practice games against Hiroe Nakai, who was another one of Sase's students. In 1985, he advanced to the quarterfinals of the {{ill|10th Elementary Student Meijin Tournament|ja|小学生将棋名人戦}} as sixth-grade elementary school student, and later that same year entered the Japan Shogi Association's apprentice school under the guidance of Sase.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NoIRCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA38|script-title=ja:現役プロ棋士データブック2016 [上] あ-た|title=Geneki Purō Kishi DētaBukku 2016 [Jō] A-Ta Gyō|language=ja|trans-title=2016 Active Shogi Professional Databook [First volume] Letter "A" to Letter "Ta"|page=38|year=2015|publisher=MyNabi Publishing/Japan Shogi Association|via=Google Books}}
At first, Kimura progressed fairly quickly and was promoted to the rank of 3-dan in the fall of 1990 when he was an eleventh-grade high school student, but it took more than six years before he was able to obtain professional status and the rank of 4-dan in April 1997.
Shogi professional
Kimura became the 52nd shogi professional to reach 600 career wins on December 21, 2017.{{cite web|url=https://www.shogi.or.jp/news/2017/12/600_10.html|script-title=ja:木村一基九段, 600勝 (将棋栄誉賞)を達成|title=Kimura Kazuki, Roppyakushō (Shōgi Eiyoshō) wo Tassei|language=ja|trans-title=Kazuki Kimura 9d wins 600th official game|date=December 22, 2017|publisher=Japan Shogi Association|access-date=November 20, 2023}}
In June 2019, Kimura defeated Yoshiharu Habu to earn the right to challenge Masayuki Toyoshima for the 60th Ōi title.{{cite news|last=Yamamura|first=Hideki|url=https://mainichi.jp/articles/20190606/k00/00m/040/284000c|script-title=ja:羽生, 王位挑戦逃す 決定戦で木村に敗れる|title=Habu, Ōi Chōsen Nogasu Ketteisen de Kimura ni Yabureru|language=ja|trans-title=Habu lets chance to challenge for Ōi title slip away and is defeated by Kimura in the deciding game.|date=June 6, 2019|newspaper=Mainichi Shimbun|access-date=June 13, 2019}} In the title match against Toyoshima, Kimura lost the first two games before coming back to tie the score at two wins apiece. Toyoshima won Game 5 and needed just one more win to defend his title; Kimura, however, won the last two games to win the match 4 games to 3. The victory not only gave Kimura his first major title, but it also made him the oldest first time winner of a major title at the age of 46 years and 3 months, breaking the record of 37 years and 6 months set by Michio Ariyoshi in 1973.{{cite news|author=|url=https://r.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO50251130W9A920C1000000|script-title=ja:「中年の星」46歳・木村が新王位 将棋最年長初タイトル|title=「Chūnensei no Hoshi」Yonjūrokusai・Kimura ga Shin Ōi Shōgi Sainenchō Hatsu Taitoru|language=ja|trans-title= 'Middle-age star': 46-year-old Kimura is the new Ōi title holder; becomes oldest player to win major title for first time.|date=September 26, 2019|newspaper=The Nikkei|access-date=September 26, 2019}}
In June{{ndash}}August 2020, Kimura was unable to defend his Ōi title against Sōta Fujii, losing the 61st Ōi title match 4 games to none.{{cite news|author=|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=news&p=2727031|title=Sota Fujii becomes youngest shogi player with two major titles|date=August 20, 2020|newspaper=Japan Times|agency=JiJi Press|access-date=August 20, 2020}}{{cite news|last=Niidoi|first=Hiroaki|url=https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200820/p2a/00m/0na/015000c|title=Japanese teen shogi star Fujii wins Oi tournament to become youngest to hold 2 major titles|date=August 20, 2020|newspaper=Mainichi Shimbun|others=Japanese original by Hiroaki Niidoi, Osaka Cultural News Department|access-date=August 20, 2020}}
In September{{ndash}}October 2021, Kimura challenged Takuya Nagase for the 69th Ōza title, but lost the match 3 games to 1.{{cite news|author=|url=https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUD057360V01C21A0000000/|script-title=ja:永瀬王座3連覇, 3勝1敗で木村九段下す 将棋王座戦|title=Nagase Ōza Sanrenpa, Sanshō Ippai de Kimura Kudan Kudasu Shōgi Ōzasen|language=ja|trans-title=Nagase Ōza threepeats by defeating Kimura 9-dan 3 games to 1|date=October 5, 2021|newspaper=The Nikkei|access-date=October 6, 2021}}
=Promotion history=
The promotion history for Kimura is as follows:{{cite web|url=https://www.shogi.or.jp/player/pro/222.html#jsTabE04_02|script-title=ja:棋士データベース: 木村一基 昇段履歴|title=Kishi Dētabēsu: Kimura Kazuki Shōdan Rireki|language=ja|trans-title=Professional Shogi Player Database: Kazuki Kimura Promotion History|publisher=Japan Shogi Association|access-date=February 28, 2018}}
- 6-kyū: 1985
- 1-dan: 1988
- 4-dan: April 1, 1997
- 5-dan: April 1, 1999
- 6-dan: December 17, 2001
- 7-dan: April 1, 2003
- 8-dan: April 1, 2007
- 9-dan: June 26, 2017
=Titles and other championships=
Kimura has appeared in a major title match nine times, and has won one title;{{cite web|url=https://www.shogi.or.jp/player/pro/222.html#anc01|script-title=ja:棋士データベース: 木村一基 タイトル履歴|title=Kishi Dētabēsu: Kimura Kazuki Taitoru Rireki|language=ja|trans-title=Professional Shogi Player Database: Kazuki Kimura Major Title History|publisher=Japan Shogi Association|access-date=October 6, 2021}} he has also won two non-major-title championships during his career.{{cite web|url=https://www.shogi.or.jp/player/pro/222.html#anc02|script-title=ja:棋士データベース: 木村一基 優勝履歴|title=Kishi Dētabēsu: Kimura Kazuki Yūshō Rireki|language=ja|trans-title=Professional Shogi Player Database: Kazuki Kimura Championship History|publisher=Japan Shogi Association|access-date=February 28, 2018}}
=Awards and honors=
Kimura has received a number of Japan Shogi Association Annual Shogi Awards throughout his career. He won the ""Best New Player" award for 1997{{ndash}}1998; the "Best Winning Percentage" award for 1998{{ndash}}1999; the "Best Winning Percentage", "Most Games Won" and "Most games Played" awards for 2000{{ndash}}2001; the "Fighting-spirit" award for 2008{{ndash}}2009; and, the “Special Award” for 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.shogi.or.jp/player/pro/222.html#anc03|script-title=ja:棋士データベース: 木村一基 将棋大賞|title=Kishi Dētabēsu: Kimura Kazuki Shōgi Taishō|language=ja|trans-title=Professional Shogi Player Database: Kazuki Kimura Annual Shogi Awards|publisher=Japan Shogi Association|access-date=April 4, 2020}}{{cite news|author=|url=https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/igoshougi/20200401-OYT1T50211/amp/%3Fusqp%3Dmq331AQRKAGYAajT-anjx57LggGwASA%253D|script-title=ja:将棋大賞, 最優秀棋士賞に渡辺明三冠...2回目|title=Shōgi Taishō, Saiyūshūkishishō ni Watanabe Sankan...Nikaime|language=ja|trans-title=Shogi Annual Awards: Watanabe 3-crown wins “Player of the year” for the second time.|date=April 1, 2020|newspaper=Yomiuri Shimbun|access-date=April 4, 2020|archive-date=November 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221106181900/https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/igoshougi/20200401-OYT1T50211/amp/%3Fusqp=mq331AQRKAGYAajT-anjx57LggGwASA%253D|url-status=dead}}
=Year-end prize money and game fee ranking=
Kimura has finished in the "Top 10" of the JSA's {{ill|year-end prize money and game fee rankings|ja|将棋界#獲得賞金と対局料}} nine times since turning professional.
- Note: All amounts are given in Japanese yen and include prize money and fees earned from official tournaments and games held from January 1 to December 31.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- ShogiHub: [http://shogihub.com/players/39 Professional Player Info · Kimura, Kazuki]
{{Professional Shogi Players|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kimura, Kazuki}}
Category:Japanese shogi players
Category:Japan Shogi Association players
Category:People from Yotsukaidō