Kazuo Azuma
Native name東和男
Born (1955-08-17) August 17, 1955
HometownSasebo, Nagasaki
NationalityJapanese
Career
Achieved professional statusJuly 16, 1976(1976-07-16) (aged 20)
Badge Number128
Rank8-dan
RetiredMay 17, 2021(2021-05-17) (aged 65)
TeacherKazukiyo Takashima (9-dan)
Career record479–681 (.413)[1]
Websites
JSA profile page

Kazuo Azuma (東 和男, Azuma Kazuo, August 17, 1955) is a Japanese retired professional shogi player who achieved the rank of 8-dan.[2] He is a former senior managing director of the Japan Shogi Association.

Shogi professional

On April 1, 2021, the JSA posted on its official website that Azuma would be retiring upon completion of is last scheduled official game for the April 2021 – March 2022 shogi season because he had reached the mandatory retirement age of 65 years for Free Class players.[3] His retirement became official on May 17, 2021, after losing his 34th Ryūō tournament Group 6 preliminary round game against Yūsei Koga.[4][5] He finished with a career record of 479 wins and 681 losses for a winning percentage of 0.413.[1]

Promotion history

The promotion history for Azuma is as follows:[6]

  • 6-kyū: 1971
  • 1-dan: 1974
  • 4-dan: July 16, 1976
  • 5-dan: April 1, 1980
  • 6-dan: April 1, 1984
  • 7-dan: December 18, 1992
  • 8-dan: April 1, 2015
  • Retired: May 17, 2021

Awards and honors

Azuma received the JSA's "25 Years Service Award" in recognition of being an active professional for twenty-five years in 2001.[7]

JSA director

Azuma has served on the Japan Shogi Association's board of directors on a number of occasions. He first served as a director from 1995 to 2004,[8] and then as a managing director from 2005 to 2006[8] and from 2011 to 2017.[9][10][11]　

In February 2017, Azuma was one of the two JSA board members to survive a no-confidence vote taken at an emergency meeting of the JSA membership as part of the fallout from 29th Ryūō challenger controversy.[12][13] The following month he was elevated to senior managing director by the JSA board at a special meeting;[14][15] he served in that capacity until the end of May 2017, but decided not to submit his name as a candidate for reelection as a board member at the JSA's 68th General Meeting on May 29, 2017.[16]

References

  1. 1 2 "Tsūsan Seiseki" 通算成績 [Career Records] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. June 23, 2021. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ↑ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Azuma Kazuo" 棋士データベース: 東和男 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Kazuo Azuma] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Shōdan･Intai･Kyūjō Kishi no Oshirase" 昇段･引退･休場棋士のお知らせ [Promotions, retirements and leaves of absence] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. April 1, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Shōgi no Azuma Kazuo Hachidan Haisen de Intai Kettei, Yonjūnenyo no Geneki Seikatsu ni Maku Katsute Ryūō-sen Ichikumi ni Saiseki, Senmu Riji mo Rekinin" 将棋の東和男八段 敗戦で引退決定, 40年余の現役生活に幕 かつて竜王戦1組に在籍, 専務理事も歴任 [Kazuo Azuma 8-dan retires from professional shogi after losing his final game; Azuma's career spanned more than 40 years and included highlights such as being a member of Group 1 of the Ryuo League and also serving as managing director of the Japan Shogi Association]. Sports Nippon (in Japanese). May 17, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Azuma Kazuo Hachidan, Kanezawa Takashi Godan ga Intai" 東和男八段, 金沢孝史五段が引退 [Kazuo Azuma 8-dan and Takashi Kanezawa 5-dan retire] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. May 18, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Azuma Kazuo Shōdan Rireki" 棋士データベース: 東和男 昇段履歴 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Kazuo Azuma Promotion History] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Azuma Kazuo Eisaku Sonota Hyōshō" 棋士データベース: 東和男 その他表彰 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Kazuo Azuma Other Awards] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  8. 1 2 "Kishi Dētabēsu: Azuma Kazuo Yakuin Rireki" 棋士データベース: 東和男 役員履歴 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Kazuo Azuma JSA Officer History] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Nihon Shōgi Renmei Shinyakuin no Oshirase" 日本将棋連盟新役員のお知らせ [New JSA officers announced] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. May 26, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Nihon Shōgi Renmei Shinyakuin no Oshirase" 日本将棋連盟新役員のお知らせ [New JSA officers announced] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. June 7, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Nihon Shōgi Renmei Shinyakuin no Oshirase" 日本将棋連盟新役員のお知らせ [New JSA officers announced] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. June 4, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  12. ↑ "3 shogi board members sacked over mishandling of software 'cheating' scandal". Mainichi Shimbun. February 28, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  13. ↑ Murase, Shinya (February 27, 2017). "Shōgi Renmei no Riji Sannin wo Kainin Sofuto Fusei Sōdō no Taiō Mondai Kaishiin" 将棋連盟の理事3人を解任 ソフト不正騒動の対応問題視 [Three Japan Shogi Association directors dismissed for problems related to the handling of the issue of inappropriate software use]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Azuma Kazuo Jōmuriji ga Senmuriji e" 東和男常務理事が専務理事へ [Kazuo Azuma managing director selected to be new senior managing director] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. March 17, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Nihon Shōgi Renmei Shinyakuin no Oshirase" 日本将棋連盟新役員のお知らせ [New JSA officers announced] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. June 7, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Shōgi Renmei, Satō Kaichō wo Sainin Moriuchi Kudan ga Senmuriji ni" 将棋連盟, 佐藤会長を再任 森内九段が専務理事に [Sato re-elected president of JSA, Moriuchi Kudan chosen to be senior director.]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). May 29, 2017. Archived from the original on October 20, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2020.


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