Hiroyuki Miura (shogi)

Hiroyuki Miura (三浦 弘行, Miura Hiroyuki, born February 13, 1974) is a Japanese professional shogi player, ranked 9-dan. He is a former Kisei title holder and became the first active Class A professional to lose to a computer when he lost to the GPS Shogi program in April 2013.

Hiroyuki Miura
Native name三浦弘行
Born (1974-02-13) February 13, 1974 (age 50)
HometownTakasaki, Gunma
Career
Achieved professional statusOctober 1, 1992(1992-10-01) (aged 18)
Badge Number204
Rank9-dan
TeacherKazuyoshi Nishimura [ja]
Major titles won1
Tournaments won3
Meijin classB1
Ryūō class3
Websites
JSA profile page

In October 2016, he was falsely accused of cheating in the 29th Ryūō challenger controversy, which resulted in him losing the chance to play for the Ryūō title. A third-party investigative panel was convened and eventually cleared Miura of all charges. The panel's findings led to the resignation of the Japan Shogi Association's president as well as the dismissal of several board members.

Early life and apprentice professional edit

Miura was born in Takasaki, Gunma on February 13, 1974. In June 1987, he entered the Japan Shogi Association's apprentice school at the rank of 6-kyū as a protegee of shogi professional Kazuyoshi Nishimura [ja]. Miura achieved the rank of 1-dan in 1989 and obtained professional status and the rank of 4-dan in October 1992.[1][2]

Shogi professional edit

Miura's first appearance in a major title match came in 1995 when he challenged Yoshiharu Habu for the 66th Kisei title. Miura defeated Taku Morishita in the challenger playoff game to advance to the title match against Habu, but ended up losing the match 3 games to 0.[3][4][2] The following year Miura defeated Nobuyuki Yashiki to advance to the 67th Kisei title match and once again challenge Habu. This time Miura won the match 3 games to 2 to hand Habu his first loss in a title match since becoming a 7-crown (simultaneously holding seven major titles at the same time). Miura was trailing the match after three games, but came back to win the next two for his first major title.[3][5][2] Miura, however, was unable to defend his title in 1997 when he lost the 68th Kisei title match to Yashiki 3 games to 1.[3]

In October 1998, Miura won the 29th Shinjin-Ō [ja]—a tournament for players ranked 6-dan or lower who are 26-years-old or younger—by defeating Naruyuki Hatakeyama 2 games to 0.[2][6] While in March 2002, Miura defeated Manabu Senzaki to win the 52nd NHK Cup TV Shogi Tournament.[2][7]

Miura finished first in 2009–2010 Class A in Meijin league play with a record of 7 wins and 2 losses to earn the right to challenge Habu for the 68th Meijin title[8] but lost the match 4 games to 0.[9]

Miura became the first active Class A professional to lose an officially sanctioned game to a computer when he was defeated by GPS Shogi in April 2013. Miura was participating in the 2nd Denou-sen—a series of games between five shogi professionals and five computer programs—and his game was the final one of the series.[10]

In January 2014, Miura defeated Takuya Nagase to win the 39th Kiō challenger tournament (2013–2014) to advance to the 39th Kiō title match against Akira Watanabe.[11] Miura was, however, unable to win a single game with Watanabe defending his title 3 games to 0.[12]

On August 27, 2018, Miura defeated Daisuke Nakagawa in a 60th Ōi tournament preliminary round game to become the 54th professional shogi player to win 600 official games.[13]

29th Ryūō challenger controversy edit

In September 2016, Miura defeated Tadahisa Maruyama two games to one in the 29th Ryūō challenger match to earn the right to challenge Akira Watanabe for the 29th Ryūō title. It was the first time that Miura had qualified to be the challenger for the Ryūō title.[14]

A few days before the match against Watanabe was scheduled to begin, the Japan Shogi Association (JSA) announced that Maruyama would be replacing Miura as the challenger. The official reason given by the JSA had to do with Miura failing to follow proper procedure in requesting to be allowed to withdraw from the match, but there also had been suspicions raised about Miura's recent frequent leaving of his seat during official shogi games by some other professionals. Miura denied the accusations at a meeting of the JSA managing directors, but was subsequently suspended from official game play until December 31, 2016.[15][16]

An independent investigative panel was established at the end of October 2016 to determine whether Miura had actually done anything wrong and to evaluate the appropriateness of the JSA's response to the allegations.[17][18] The panel announced its findings at the end of December 2016, stating that it found insufficient evidence to support the accusations made against Miura and that the claim that he had excessively left his seat during official games was false. The panel also stated that it found the actions taken by the JSA in response were appropriate given the circumstances since the JSA had no real option other than to act the way it did.[19] In response to the panel's findings, then JSA president Kōji Tanigawa and director Akira Shima announced in January 2017 that they were resigning from their posts to accept responsibility for the JSA's handling of the matter.[20] Three other JSA board members were dismissed from their posts by a vote of the JSA membership at an emergency meeting held at the end of February 2017.[21]

In May 2017, Miura and new JSA president Yasumitsu Satō held a joint press conference to announce that a settlement had been reached to resolve any outstanding issues between the two sides. Both sides acknowledged their acceptance of the findings in the independent investigative panel's report and expressed their desire to move on from the matter. It was also announced that the JSA agreed to pay Miura an undisclosed financial settlement to compensate him for not only lost game fees but also for the mental anguish and damage caused to his reputation. Miura also announced that he met with Ryūō title holder Watanabe prior to the press conference and that he accepted Watanabe's apology for his role in the controversy.[22][23]

Promotion history edit

Miura's promotion history is as follows:[24]

  • 6-kyū: 1987
  • 1-dan: 1989
  • 4-dan: October 1, 1992
  • 5-dan: April 1, 1995
  • 6-dan: October 1, 1996
  • 7-dan: April 1, 2000
  • 8-dan: April 1, 2001
  • 9-dan: August 16, 2013

Titles and other championships edit

Although Miura has appeared in major title matches five times, has won only one: the 67th Kisei title.[25] In addition to the Kisei title, Miura has won three other shogi championships during his career: the 29th Shinjin-Ō [ja] (1998), the 52nd NHK Cup (2002), and the 36th Nihon Series JT Professional Tournament [ja] (2015).[26]

Awards and honors edit

Miura has received a number of Japan Shogi Association Annual Shogi Awards throughout his career. He won the "Dedicted Service Award" for 1996–1997, the Kōzō Masuda Award for 2000–2001, and the "Special Game of the Year Award" for 2013–2014.[27] In August 2018, he received the association's "Shogi Honor Award" in recognition of winning 600 official games as a professional.[28]

Year-end prize money and game fee ranking edit

Miura has finished in the "Top 10" of the JSA's year-end prize money and game fee rankings [ja] eight times since 1993.

Year Amount Rank
1996 ¥21,780,000 10th[29]
2003 ¥21,050,000 7th[29]
2004 ¥17,720,000 10th[29]
2005 ¥26,370,000 6th[29]
2010 ¥28,500,000 7th[30]
2013 ¥16,330,000 10th[31]
2014 ¥20,890,000 7th[32]
2016 ¥19,970,000 9th[33]
  • Note: All amounts are given in Japanese yen and include prize money and fees earned from official tournaments and games held from January 1 to December 31.

References edit

  1. ^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Miura Hiroyuki" 棋士データベース: 三浦弘行 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Hiroyuki Miura] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Kishi Meikan: Kudan Miura Hiroyuki" 棋士名鑑: 九段 三浦 弘行 [Player Directory: Hiroyuki Miura 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. p. 555. ISBN 978-4-8399-5175-7. Retrieved December 12, 2017 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ a b c "Kiseisen: Kako no Kekka" 棋聖戦: 過去の結果 [Kisei tournament: Past results] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  4. ^ "Shōgi Kifu: Dai Rokujūrokki Kiseisen" 将棋棋譜: 第66期棋聖戦 [Shogi game scores:66th Kisei tournament]. Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  5. ^ "Shōgi Kifu: Dai Rokujūnanaki Kiseisen" 将棋棋譜: 第67期棋聖戦 [Shogi game scores:67th Kisei tournament]. Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  6. ^ "Shinjin-Ō: Kako no Kekka" 新人王戦: 過去の結果 [Shinjin-Ō tournament: Past results] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  7. ^ "Dai Gojūnikai NHKhaisen" 第52回NHK杯戦 [52nd NHK Cup tournament] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. 2002. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  8. ^ "Dai Rokujūhakki Meijinsen: Akyū Jun'isen" 第68期名人戦: A級順位戦 [68th Meijin Tournament: Class A] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. 2009–2010. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  9. ^ "Habu Meijin, Yonrenshō de Sanrenpa Tassei Shogi Meijinsen" 羽生名人, 4連勝で3連覇達成 将棋名人戦 [Habu sweeps 4–0 to win 3rd straight Meijin title]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). May 19, 2010. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  10. ^ "Pro shogi players defeated by computer programs". The Japan Times. Kyodo News. April 22, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  11. ^ "Dai Sanjūkyūki Kiōsen: Chōsensha Kettei Tōnamento" 第39期棋王戦: 挑戦者決定トーナメント [39th Kiō Tournament: Challenger tournament] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  12. ^ "Watanabe Kiō ga Hatsubōei, Sanrenshō de Miura Kudan Kudasu: Kiōsen" 渡辺棋王が初防衛, 3連勝で三浦九段下す 棋王戦 [Watanabe Kiō successfully defends title for the first time. Defeats Miura 9-dan by winning 3 straight games.]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). March 16, 2014. Archived from the original on March 16, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  13. ^ "Miura Hiroyuki Kudan, Roppyakushō (Shogi Eiyoshō) wo Tassei" 三浦弘行九段, 600勝 (将棋栄誉賞)を達成 [Hiroyuki Miura 9d wins 600th official game] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. August 28, 2018. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  14. ^ "Dai Nijūkyūki Ryūōsen, Chōsensha wa Miura Kudan" 第29期竜王戦, 挑戦者は三浦九段に [Miura 9d challenger for 29th Ryūō title] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. September 9, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  15. ^ Murase, Shinya; Fukumatsu, Shinji (October 13, 2016). "Top 'shogi' player suspected of cheating pulls out of title match". Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  16. ^ "Top shogi player banned amid cheating allegations". Mainichi Shinbun. October 13, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  17. ^ "Daisansha Chōsaiinkai Sechi no Ochirase" 第三者調査委員会設置のお知らせ [Establishment of a third-party investigative panel] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. October 27, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  18. ^ "Shogi association to set up investigative team to look into cheating allegations". Mainichi Shimbun. October 22, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  19. ^ "Shogi player cleared, criticizes association". NHK World. December 27, 2016. Archived from the original on January 9, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  20. ^ Yamamura, Hideki (January 19, 2017). "Tanigawa Kaichō to Shima Riji no Jinin Shōnin Rinji Rijikai" 谷川会長と島理事の辞任承認 臨時理事会 [Resignations of President Tanigawa and Director Shima accepted at emergency board of directors meeting]. Mainchi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  21. ^ "3 shogi board members sacked over mishandling of software 'cheating' scandal". Mainichi Shimbun. February 28, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  22. ^ Yamamura, Hideki; Maruyama, Susumu (May 24, 2017). "Miura Kudan to Wakai Sofuto Mondai de" 三浦九段と和解 ソフト問題で [Settlement reached with Miura 9-dan over software cheating problem]. Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  23. ^ Yoshikawa, Kei (May 24, 2017). "Miura Kudan to Shōgi Renmai ga "Shōgi Sofuto Fusei Giwaku" de Wakai Isharyō wa Hikōkai (Kaiken Shōhō)" 三浦弘行九段と将棋連盟が「将棋ソフト不正疑惑」で和解, 慰謝料は非公表(会見詳報) [Miura 9-dan and JSA reach settlement over "shogi software in appropriate use suspicion", amount of financial compensation undisclosed (press conference details)]. Huffington Post Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  24. ^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Miura Hiroyuki Shōdan Rireki" 棋士データベース: 三浦弘行 昇段履歴 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Hiroyuki Miura Promotion History] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  25. ^ "Kishi Dētabēsu:Miura Hiroyuki Taitoru Rireki" 棋士データベース: 三浦弘行 タイトル履歴 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Hiroyuki Miura Major Title History] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  26. ^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Miura Hiroyuki Yūshō Rireki" 棋士データベース: 三浦弘行 優勝履歴 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Hiroyuki Miura Championship History] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  27. ^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Miura Hiroyuki Shōgi Taishō" 棋士データベース: 三浦弘行 将棋大賞 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Hiroyuki Miura Annual Shogi Awards] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  28. ^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Miura Hiroyuki Sonota Hyōshō" 棋士データベース: 三浦弘行 その他表彰 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Hiroyuki Miura Other Awards] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  29. ^ a b c d "Nenkan Kakutoku Shōkin・Taikyokuryō TOP10" 年間獲得賞金・対局料TOP10 [Annual Prize Money/Game Fees Top 10] (in Japanese). Kishi-mania. Archived from the original on May 23, 2014. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  30. ^ "Nisenjūnen Kakutoku Shōkin・Taikyokuryō Besuto Nijū" 2010年獲得賞金・対局料ベスト20 [2010 Prize Money/Game Fees Top 20] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. February 16, 2011. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  31. ^ "Nisenjūsannen Kakutoku Shōkin・Taikyokuryō Besuto Jū" 2013年獲得賞金・対局料ベスト10 [2013 Prize Money/Game Fees Top 10] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. February 7, 2014. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  32. ^ "Nisenjūyonnen Kakutoku Shōkin・Taikyokuryō Besuto Jū" 2014年獲得賞金・対局料ベスト10 [2014 Prize Money/Game Fees Top 10] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. February 3, 2015. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  33. ^ "Nisenjūrokunen Kakutoku Shōkin・Taikyokuryō Besuto Jū" 2016年獲得賞金・対局料ベスト10 [2016 Prize Money/Game Fees Top 10] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. February 3, 2017. Retrieved December 7, 2017.

External links edit