Kenji Kobayashi

Kenji Kobayashi
Native name	小林健二
Born	(1957-03-31) March 31, 1957 (age 67)
Hometown	Takamatsu, Kagawa
Career
Achieved professional status	December 20, 1975(1975-12-20) (aged 18)
Badge Number	123
Rank	9-dan
Retired	March 31, 2022(2022-03-31) (aged 65)
Teacher	Susumu Itaya [ja] (9-dan)
Tournaments won	2
Career record	699–775 (.474)
Notable students	Takashi Ikenaga Yūta Komori Ryō Shimamoto Seiya Tomita Akihiro Ida Kenshi Tokuda Saito Morimoto [ja] Shinobu Iwane Keika Kitamura Juri Kimura
Websites
JSA profile page

Kenji Kobayashi (小林健二, Kobayashi Kenji, born March 31, 1957) is a Japanese retired professional shogi player who achieved the rank of 9-dan. He is also a former director of the Japanese Shogi Association.

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Early life and apprenticeship

Kobayashi was born in Takamatsu, Kagawa on March 31, 1957.^[1] He entered the Japan Shogi Association's apprentice school in 1972 at the rank of 6-kyū under the guidance of professional shogi player Susumu Itaya [ja].^[2]^[3] At first, Kobayashi pursued his apprenticeship at the Japan Shogi Association's school in Tokyo; however, he soon began to have health problems, and moved to Nagoya to study under Itaya as a uchi-deshi (a live-in apprentice).^[3] He was promoted to the rank of apprentice professional 1-dan in 1974 and obtained full-professional status and the rank of 4-dan in December 1975.^[2]^[3]

Shogi professional

Kobayashi became the 40th professional to win his 600th official game when he defeated Kaishū Tanaka [ja] in Meijin Class C1 tournament play on June 9, 2009.^[4]

In March 2018, Kobayashi finished the 76th Meijin Class C2 league (April 2017 – March 2018) with a record of 3 wins and 7 losses, earning a second consecutive demotion point which meant he was only one point away from automatic demotion to "Free Class" play.^[5] As a result, he declared his intention to the Japan Shogi Association to become a Free Class player as of April 2018 rather than risk automatic demotion.^[6]^[7]

Kobayashi retired from professional shogi on March 31, 2022. His career record was 699 wins and 774 loses.^[8]

Promotion history

The promotion history for Kobayashi is as follows:^[9]

6-kyū: 1972
1-dan: 1974
4-dan: December 20, 1975
5-dan: April 1, 1979
6-dan: April 1, 1981
7-dan: April 1, 1983
8-dan: April 1, 1986
9-dan: March 1, 2002

Titles and other championships

Kobayashi never appeared in a major title match, but he won two non-major shogi championships during his career: the Young Lions [ja] in 1977 and the Hayazashi Senshuken [ja] in 1994.^[10]

Awards and honors

Kobayashi received the Japan Shogi Association's "Best New Player" (1980) and "Technique Award" (1990) Annual Shogi Awards.^[11] He also received the association's "25 Years Service Award" in 2000 for being an active professional for twenty-five years and the "Shogi Honor Award" in 2009 for winning 600 official games.^[12]

Theoretical contributions

Together with Masataka Sugimoto he was well-known for systematizing Fourth File Rook josekis before the advent of the Fujii System, and also as the creator of the Super Fourth File Rook opening (スーパー四間飛車).^[2]^[13]

JSA director

Kobayashi served on the Japan Shogi Association's board of directors as a director from 1999 to 2004.^[14]

References

^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Kobayashi Kenji" 棋士データベース: 小林健二 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Kenji Kobayashi] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Kishi Meikan: Kudan Kobayashi Kenji" 棋士名鑑: 九段小林健二 [Player Directory: Kenji Kobayashi 9-dan]. 平成26年版将棋年鑑 2014 (Shogi Yearbook: Heisei 26 (2014) edition) (in Japanese). MyNabi Publishing/Japan Shogi Association. 2014. pp. 551–552. ISBN 978-4-8399-5175-7. Retrieved November 8, 2019 – via Google Books.
^ ^a ^b ^c 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 [Last volume] Letter "Ta" to letter "Wa"] (in Japanese). MyNabi Publishing/Japan Shogi Association. 2015. p. 46. ASIN B019SSNKVA. Retrieved November 8, 2019 – via Google Books.
^ "Kobayashi Kenji Kudan, Roppyakushō (Shōgi Eiyoshō) wo Tasei" 小林健二九段, 600勝(将棋栄誉賞)を達成 [Kenji Kobayashi 9d reaches 600 wins (awarded "Shogi Honor Award")] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. June 10, 2009. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
^ "Dai Nanajūrokki Meijinsen･Jun'isen Ckumi Nikyū" 第76期名人戦･順位戦 C級2組 [76th Meijin Tournament Class C2] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
^ "Kobayashi Kudan, Kanzaki Hachidan ga Furī Kurasu ni" 小林九段, 神崎八段がフリークラスに [Kobayashi 9d and Kanzaki 8d move to Free Class play]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved November 7, 2019.
^ "Nisenjūhachinendo kara no Furī Kurasu Tenshutsusha" 2018年度からのフリークラス転出者 [Players Moving to the Free Class from the 2018 Shogi Year] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. March 30, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
^ "Kobayashi Kenji Kudan Fujii Sōta Ōshō no "Daishishō" ga Intai Ōshō Rīgu Yonki de Ari, Kishi Nananin Haishutsu no Hakuraku" 小林健二九段藤井聡太王将の "大師匠"が引退王将リーグ4期のトップ棋士であり, 棋士7人輩出の伯楽 [Kenji Kobayashi 9-dan retires. He was one of Sōta Fujii Ōshō's early teachers, spent four seasons in the Ōshō tournament's top league and helped seven of his pupils become professional shogi players.]. Sports Nippon (in Japanese). March 31, 2022. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Kobayashi Kenji Shōdan Rireki" 棋士データベース: 小林健二昇段履歴 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Kenji Kobayashi Promotion History] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Kobayashi Kenji Yūshō Rireki" 棋士データベース: 小林健二優勝履歴 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Kenji Kobayashi Championship History] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Kobayashi Kenji Shōgi Taishō" 棋士データベース: 小林健二将棋大賞 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Kenji Kobayashi Annual Shogi Awards] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Kobayashi Kenji Sonota Hyōshō" 棋士データベース: 小林健二その他表彰 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Kenji Kobayashi Other Awards] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
^ "｢Gōwan｣ no Kobayashi" ｢剛腕｣の小林 ["Spectacular" Kobayashi]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). October 8, 2004. Retrieved November 8, 2019. 小林は十数年前, 居飛車穴熊退治を掲げて｢スーパー四間飛車｣と呼ばれる精密な序盤作戦を編み出したが... (tr. Although Kobayashi is well-known for developing the so-called "Super Fourth File Rook" opening decades ago as a counter to the static-rook Anaguma castle strategy, ...)
^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Kobayashi Kenji Yakuin Rireki" 棋士データベース: 小林健二役員履歴 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Kenji Kobayashi JSA Officer History] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved November 7, 2019.