Takayuki Yamasaki


Takayuki Yamasaki is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 8-dan.

Early life

Yamasaki was born in Hiroshima, Japan on February 14, 1981. He entered the Japan Shogi Association's apprentice school in 1992 at the rank 6-kyū as a student of shogi professional. He was promoted to 1-dan in 1994 and obtained full professional status and the rank of 4-dan in April 1998 after finishing second in the 22nd 3-dan League with a record of 12 wins and 6 losses.

Promotion history

The promotion history for Yamasaki is as follows:
Yamasaki has been the challenger for a major title once, but did not win the match; he has, however, won eight non-major-title championships during his career.

Other championships

Note: Tournaments marked with an asterisk are no longer held.

Awards and honors

Yamasaki has received a number of Japan Shogi Association Annual Shogi Awards throughout his career. He won the ""Best New Player" Award for 19992000, the "Best Winning Percentage" and "Most Consecutive Games Won" awards for 20012002, the "Most Consecutive Games Won" award for 20022003, the "Fighting-spirit" award for 20032004, and the Kōzō Masuda Award for 20102011. He also received the association's "Shogi Honor Award" in April 2019 in recognition of winning 600 official games as a professional.

Year-end prize money and game fee ranking

Yamasaki has finished in the "Top 10" of the JSA's four times since turning professional: seventh in 2005 with JPY 22,990,000 in earnings, tenth in 2009 with JPY 22,710,000 in earnings, tenth in 2102 with JPY 16,430,000 in earnings, and fifth in 2016 with JPY 32,060,000 in earnings.