Hifumi Katō
| Hifumi Katō | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Native name | 加藤一二三 |
| Born | January 1, 1940 |
| Hometown | Kama, Fukuoka |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Career | |
| Achieved professional status | August 1, 1954 (aged 14) |
| Badge Number | 64 |
| Rank | 9 dan |
| Retired | June 20, 2017 (62 years) |
| Teacher | Shōji Kenmochi |
| Major titles won | 8 |
| Tournaments won | 23 |
| Websites | |
| JSA profile page | |
Hifumi Katō (加藤 一二三 Katō Hifumi, born January 1, 1940) is a retired Japanese professional shogi player who achieved the rank of 9-dan.[1]
He is a former Meijin and Tenth Dan.
He has the nicknames 123 and ひふみん Hifumin given by his fans.[2]
Katō had the record for the youngest professional player who went pro at 14 years and 7 months old until Sōta Fujii became professional in 2016 at age 14 years and 2 months.
Playing style
Katō is known for playing aggressive Climbing Silver strategies. He received a Masuda Special Award in 2017 for his innovations to this strategy over his career.[3]
| 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| 香 | 桂 | 桂 | 香 | 1 | |||||
| 飛 | 銀 | 金 | 王 | 2 | |||||
| 歩 | 歩 | 金 | 銀 | 歩 | 歩 | 3 | |||
| 歩 | 角 | 歩 | 歩 | 歩 | 4 | ||||
| 歩 | 5 | ||||||||
| 歩 | 歩 | 歩 | 歩 | 歩 | 歩 | 6 | |||
| 歩 | 歩 | 銀 | 金 | 歩 | 銀 | 7 | |||
| 玉 | 金 | 角 | 飛 | 8 | |||||
| 香 | 桂 | 桂 | 香 | 9 |
Additionally, the Katō variation (加藤流 katō-ryū) of the Double Yagura opening is named after him.
Honours and awards
Katō is a Catholic, and he was made a Knight of the Order of St. Sylvester by Pope John Paul II in 1986.[4]
References
- ↑ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Katō Hifumi" 棋士データベース: 加藤一二三 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Hifumi Katō] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
- ↑ "Shogi prodigy Sota Fujii known for fiery competitive spirit since kindergarten". Japan Times. Kyodo News. June 27, 2017. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
In his debut match as a pro in December, Fujii defeated Kato, who is one of the most famous players in the nation, known as "Hifumin" by his fans.
- ↑ "Announcement of the 44th Shogi Grand Prize Winners". March 31, 2017. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
- ↑ Geneki Purō Kishi DētaBukku 2016 [Jō] A-Ta Gyō 現役プロ棋士データブック2016 [上] あ-た [2016 Active Shogi Professional Databook [First volume] Letter "A" to Letter "Ta"] (in Japanese). MyNabi Publishing/Japan Shogi Association. 2015. p. 31. Retrieved March 1, 2018 – via Google Books.
External links
- ShogiHub: Professional Player Info · Kato, Hifumi
- Shogi Fan: Kato Hifumi becomes the oldest shogi player