Tomoka Nishiyama becomes first female professional shogi player

Tomoka Nishiyama has become the first woman to earn professional shogi player status. During the fifth game of the 6th Hyurec Cup Hakurei-sen seven-game match held in Kanazawa City, Nishiyama defeated challenger Kana Fukuma, a four-crown female professional.

With this victory, Nishiyama secured the title with a match record of 4 wins and 1 loss, successfully defending her Hakurei title. This marks her fifth career victory in this tournament, earning her the title of ‘Queen Hakurei’ and granting her the official rights of a professional player under tournament regulations.