Shinichiro Hattori secures challenge for Ryuo title

Shinichiro Hattori, a 7-dan professional shogi player from Toyama, has secured the right to challenge Sota Fujii for the Ryuo title. Hattori clinched the challenger's position by winning the third game of the challenger decision series, finishing with a 2-1 series victory over Kanta Sakaki, a 5-dan player from Aichi.

During the match held at the Shogi Kaikan in Tokyo, Hattori faced significant pressure from Sakaki's aggressive play in the middle game but managed to stage a comeback in the endgame. This marks Hattori's second appearance in a major title match, following his previous challenge in the Kisei-sen. The first game of the seven-game Ryuo-sen series is scheduled to take place in Tokyo on October 9 and 10.