Shogi professional Madoka Kitao recently ended her playing career but the contribution she made to the traditional board game will be felt for generations to come.
Generational talent Sota Fujii continued his unstoppable rise to king of the shogi record books by becoming the youngest holder of the oldest and most prestigious title, the Meijin.
Shogi coach Reo Koyama quit his day job to compete in the board game he loved and it paid off when he became the first to become a professional without attending a special training academy.
A top-ranked shogi player was disqualified for not wearing a mask for about 30 minutes during a match in Tokyo, the first such case under a new rule implemented because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.