Today has started the 30th edition of the Ryuuou tournament with the first game between the actual title holder, Watanabe Akira, and the challenger Habu Yoshiharu.
Last year there was a big controversy due to the accusations of the Shogi federation to the challenger Miura that resulted in the change of the challenger. This case finished with the resign of the federation chairman. On the final match, the new challenger Maruyama couldn’t surpass Watanabe and he defended his title.
This year’s challenger will be the shogi legend Habu Yoshiharu. He is the player with more titles and considered the best player of all times. Habu has challenged the Ryuuou title 14 times but he has only won 6. On the other hand, Watanabe has played 13 times the final match and has won 11 times. Watanabe is the only player who has the title of Eternal Ryuuou. To get this title is needed to win the title 7 times.
【第30期竜王戦】10/20(金)より、渡辺明竜王 vs.羽生善治二冠の竜王戦七番勝負を完全生中継します。3連覇、通算12期を目指す渡辺竜王に、史上初の「永世七冠」をかけ羽生二冠が挑みます。
●視聴→ https://t.co/X59HocRwCZ pic.twitter.com/WnrpOoUe7c— ニコ生公式_将棋 (@nico2shogi) September 12, 2017
Habu nowadays has all the other Eternal titles (Meijin, Kiou, Kisei, Oushou, Ouza, and Oui) which are named crowns, so he is now a 6 Eternal crown holder. He needs to win only one more time the Ryuuou title so he can become the Eternal holder of all the crowns.
He had the opportunity when he played against Watanabe 9 years ago but he lost the final game they played in Tendo.
This year’s first game will be a public game. Usually, the title match games take place in a hotel room where even the press can’t easily enter (only the start and the end of the game) but this year it will be held at the Tokyuu Hotel near Shibuya station. For this special occasion, the Tokyuu group has prepared a big panel that will be only 1 week at the Shibuya station with a big dragon on it. (竜王 means dragon king).
「竜王戦」七番勝負の第１局が10月20日（金）・21日（土）にセルリアンタワー能楽堂で開催されます。
これに合わせて今日から約１週間、東急田園都市線・東京メトロ半蔵門線渋谷駅のコンコース（地下１階・SHIBUYA109方面）にポスターを掲出しています。
ぜひお立ち寄りください！！ pic.twitter.com/YTYQu8XvoV— 東急グループ（公式） (@tokyugroup) October 16, 2017
This title match will give us for sure really good shogi games.
