Japan’s youngest professional shogi player, 14-year old Sota Fujii, has set a record in his first matches as a professional player by winning 29 consecutive matches.
Sujii set his record Monday, June 26, after a match against 19-year-old Yasuhiro Masuda that went on for 11 hours, including breaks to eat and go the bathroom.
Shogi has similarities to chess in that the goal of the game is to capture the king. One big difference between chess and shogi is that pieces captured from opponents can be recycled and put back into the game, making it more complex. The game is played on a nine by nine square board on a block of wood on the floor between the two players, and there are 20 pieces.
Junior high school student Sota Fujii posing for photographers in Tokyo on June 26, 2017. STR/AFP/Getty Images
