Hiroe Nakai Explained

Hiroe Nakai
Native Name:中井広恵
Born:June 24, 1969
Hometown:Wakkanai, Hokkaido
Teacher Rank:9-dan
Lifetime Titles:Queen Meijin
Rank:Women's 6-dan
No Titles:19
Tournaments:12

(born June 24, 1969, in Wakkanai, Hokkaido) is a Japanese women's professional shogi player ranked 6-dan.[1] She is a former women's shogi professional major title holder, having won 19 major titles throughout her career, and has been awarded the lifetime title of Queen Meijin, and also was the first women's professional to beat a regular shogi professional in an official game, the first women's professional to win an official game against a Class A professional, and the first women's professional to win a game in the NHK Cup TV Shogi Tournament.

Nakai also is a former representative director of the Ladies Professional Shogi-player's Association of Japan (LPSA).

Early life

Nakai started playing shogi at the age of 4. She finished second in the in 1981 at the age of 11. In 1983, she entered the Japan Shogi Association's apprentice school and reached the rank of 2-kyū before deciding to leave in 1990.[2]

Women's shogi professional

Nakai was awarded the rank of women's professional 2-kyū by the Japan Shogi Association in April 1981 at the age of 11 as a protegee of .[1] [3]

In 1993, Nakai became the first women's professional to defeat a regular professional in an official game when she beat in a Ryūō tournament game.[4]

Nakai was 16 years old when she won her first major title in 1985 by defeating the reigning Women's Meijin Naoko Hayashiba three games to one to win the Women's Meijin title. The following year the roles were reversed with Nakai successfully defending her title against the challenger Kobayashi three games to two.[5]

In 2003, Nakai became the first women's professional to win a NHK Cup TV Shogi Tournament game. She won her round 1 game of the 53rd NHK Cup (2003) against Mamoru Hatakeyama[6] [7] and then in round 2 won against Teruichi Aono (who was in Class A at the time).[8] She lost in round 3 to Makoto Nakahara.[6] [7] The following year Nakai also qualified for the 54th NHK Cup (2004) and beat Shūji Satō in round 1.[9] [10] In round 2, Nakai faced Yasumitsu Satō who was the reigning Kisei title holder. Nakai obtained an advantageous position against Satō, but was unable to convert it into a win.[9] [10] Nakai is still the only women's professional to have won a NHK Cup game.[11]

In April 2009, Nakai became the first women's professional to win 500 official games,[12] and then became the first women's professional to win 600 official games in January 2015.[13]

In August 2010, Nakai defeated Sayuri Honda in the quarterfinals of the to win her nineteenth official game in a row and set a new record for consecutive wins by a women's professional.[14]

In October 2020, Nakai at 51 years and 3 months old became the oldest challenger for a women's major title when she defeated Sakura Ishimoto in the finals of the challenger tournament for the 28th Kurashiki Tōka Cup.[15] The win advanced Nakai to a women's major title match for the first time in 16 years and it also broke the previous record for oldest title challenger of 49 years and 8 months set two years earlier by Ichiyo Shimizu. Nakai's challenge, however, was unsuccessful as she lost the 48th Kurashiki Tōka Cup title match against Kana Satomi 2 games to none.[16]

Promotion history

Nakai has been promoted as follows.[1] [3]

Note: All ranks are women's professional ranks.

Titles and other championships

Nakai has appeared in major title matches a total of 44 times and has won a total of 19 titles. She has won the Women's Meijin title nine times and has been awarded the title of Queen Meijin. She has also won the title four times, the title three times and the Kurashiki Tōka Cup three times. In addition to major titles, Nakai has won 17 other shogi championships.[1]

Major titles

TitleYearsNumber of times overall
Women's Meijin1985-86, 1988, 1991–93, 1999, 2001–02 9
1995, 2002–044
1990-923
2000-033

Other championships

TournamentYearsNumber of times
2008-103
1988, 1990, 1994, 19964
1998, 2001, 20033
2008, 20102
2007-08, 2010–125
Note: Tournaments marked with an asterisk (*) are no longer held or currently suspended.

Awards and honors

Nakai received a number of Japan Shogi Association Annual Shogi Awards and other awards in recognition of her accomplishments in shogi and contributions made to Japanese society.[17]

Annual Shogi Awards

Other awards

LPSA representative director

Nakai was selected to be the first representative director of The Ladies Professional Shogi-player's Association of Japan (LPSA) after it was established in 2007, and served in that capacity until 2010.

Personal life

Nakai is married to retired shogi professional . The couple have three daughters.[18] She served as a member of the Warabi, Saitama board of education from 2003 to 2015 and was named a "Warabi City PR Ambassador" in May 2016.[19]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Nakai Hiroe. ja:中井 広恵. ja. Hiroe Nakai. May 29, 2007. Ladies Professional Shogi-player's Association. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20171124123043/http://joshi-shogi.com/2007/05/nakai.html. November 24, 2017. August 28, 2019.
  2. Web site: Nakai Hiroe. ja:中井 広恵. ja. Hiroe Nakai. May 2007. Ladies Professional Shogi-player's Association. February 28, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20080724225513/http://joshi-shogi.com/2007/05/nakai.html. July 24, 2008. dead.
  3. Web site: Nakai Hiroe Joryū Rokudan (Joryū Kishi Bangō 17). ja:中井広恵 女流六段(女流棋士番号17). ja. Hiroe Nakai Women's Professional 6d (Women's Professional Badge Number 17). Japan Shogi Association. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20070311233415/http://www.shogi.or.jp/syoukai/zyoryuu/nakai.html. March 11, 2007. November 6, 2017.
  4. Tetsuo. Furukawa. Joryū Kikai no Yonjū Shūnen. ja:女流棋界の40周年. Japanese. 40 years of Women's Professional Shogi. September 2014. 22–29. Shogi World. MyNabi Publishing/Japan Shogi Association. Google Books.
  5. Web site: Okada Bijūtsukanhai Joryū Meijinsen Kako no Kekka. ja:岡田美術館杯女流名人戦 過去の結果. ja. Okada Museum of Art Cup Women's Mejin Tournament Past Results. Japan Shogi Association. November 6, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171107031845/https://www.shogi.or.jp/match/jo_meijin/. November 7, 2017. live.
  6. Web site: Dai 53kai NHK Hai Terebi Shōgi Tōnamento - Tōnamento Hyō. ja:第53回NHK杯テレビ将棋トーナメント トーナメント表. 53rd NHK TV Shogi Tournament: Tournament Bracket. Japanese. NHK. February 27, 2018. August 26, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140826062932/http://cgi2.nhk.or.jp/goshogi/shogitou/tournament_53.cgi. dead.
  7. Web site: Dai 53kai NHK Haisen Honsen. ja:第53回NHK杯戦 本戦. ja. 53rd NHK Cup Tournament: Main. Japan Shogi Association. 2003. February 28, 2018.
  8. News: . http://www.asahi.com/articles/TKY201310290172.html. ja:甲斐女流王位, 深浦九段破る, A級に勝った女流2人目. ja. Kai Ladies' Oi Defeats Fukaura 9 dan: Second Women Professional to Win Against a Class A Pro.. October 29, 2013. Asahi Shimbun. https://web.archive.org/web/20131031135106/http://www.asahi.com/articles/TKY201310290172.html. October 31, 2013. November 5, 2017. live.
  9. Web site: Dai 54kai NHK Hai Terebi Shōgi Tōnamento - Tōnamento Hyō. ja:第54回NHK杯テレビ将棋トーナメント トーナメント表. 54th NHK TV Shogi Tournament: Tournament Bracket. ja. NHK. February 28, 2018. August 26, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140826061908/http://cgi2.nhk.or.jp/goshogi/shogitou/tournament_54.cgi. dead.
  10. Web site: Dai 54kai NHK Haisen Honsen. ja:第54回NHK杯戦 本戦. Japanese. 54th NHK Cup Tournament: Main. Japan Shogi Association. 2004. February 28, 2018.
  11. NHK Hai Meikyoku Pureibakku - Nakai Hiroe -. ja:NHK杯名局プレイバック - 中井広恵 -. NHK Cup Famous Games Playback - Hiroe Nakai -. 将棋フォーカス [Shogi Focus]. NHK Educational TV. ja. March 1, 2015. 15:35. https://web.archive.org/web/20150328185934/http://cgi2.nhk.or.jp/goshogi/shogifocus/03.cgi#Month03. March 28, 2015. November 5, 2017. live.
  12. News: . Shōgi no Nakai, Joryū Hatsu Gohyakushō. ja:将棋の中井, 女流初の500勝. ja. Shogi's Nakai, First Women's Pro to Achieve 500 wins. April 29, 2009. Shikoku Shimbun. February 28, 2018.
  13. News: . Joryū Hatsu no Tsūsan Roppyakushō Nakai Joryū Rokudan. ja:女流初の通算600勝 中井女流六段. ja. Nakai Women's Professional 6d, First Women's Professional to Win 600 Games. January 22, 2015. Sankei Shimbun. February 28, 2018. June 22, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180622193100/http://www.sankei.com/life/news/150122/lif1501220025-n1.html. dead.
  14. News: . Nakai Joryū Rokudan, Shin Kiroku Jūkyū Renshō. ja:中井女流六段, 新記録19連勝. ja. Nakai Women's Professional 6d Sets New Record of 19 Consecutive Wins. August 5, 2010. Asahi Shimbun. February 28, 2018.
  15. News: . Gojūissai Nakai Rokudan ga Shōri, Sainenchō no Joryū Kōshikisen Chōsensha ni. ja:51歳中井六段が勝利, 最年長の女流公式戦挑戦者に. ja. 51-year-old Nakai 6-dan wins to become the oldest challenger for a women's major title. October 1, 2020. Nikkan Sports. December 21, 2022.
  16. News: . Satomi Kana Kurashiki Tōka Bōei, Nakai Hiroe Joryū Rokudan Shirizokeru.. ja:里見香奈倉敷藤花が防衛, 中井広恵女流六段退ける. ja. Kana Satomi turns away Hiroe Nakai 6-dan to defend Kurashiki Tōka title. November 21, 2020. Nikkan Sports. December 21, 2022.
  17. Web site: Shōgi Taishō Jushōsha Ichiranhyō. ja:将棋大賞受賞者一覧. List of Annual Shogi Award Winners. ja. Japan Shogi Association. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160827015233/http://www.shogi.or.jp/player/taisho.html. August 27, 2016. August 28, 2018.
  18. Web site: Ueyama Yoshiyuki Shichidan ga Intai. ja:植山悦行七段が引退. ja. Yoshiyuki Ueyama 7d Retires. July 1, 2001. Japan Shogi Association. February 28, 2018.
  19. News: Tokizawa. Tetsuo. Shōgi Joryū Kishi・Nakai Hiroe-san ga PR Taishi Shūnin. ja:将棋女流棋士・中井広恵さんがPR大使就任. ja. Shogi Women's Professional Hiroe Nakai Named PR Ambassador. May 18, 2016. Mainichi Shimbun. February 28, 2018. June 22, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180622193032/https://mainichi.jp/articles/20160518/ddl/k11/040/338000c. dead.