# Ōi (shogi)

Ōi (王位) is one of the eight major titles in professional shogi, and it means "the king's rank" (王 ō 'king' + 位 i 'rank, position').

## Background

The annual tournament started in 1960, sponsored by a group of local newspapers which has consisted of Shimbun Sansha Rengō (Three-Newspaper Association). With the addition of Ōi, there were four major shogi titles along with Meijin, Ninth Dan (Ryūō), and Ōshō.

## Format

The challenger for the title is determined by three-step preliminary round that comprises 1st heat, league competition and final playoff. Top eight players in 1st heat and top four players of previous year are divided into two six-player leagues. Top one of each league advances to final playoff, and the winner of one-game match becomes the challenger.
The player that wins four games out of seven first in the championship will become the new Ōi title holder. Each championship games assign players a six-hour playtime during two days.

## Lifetime Ōi

Lifetime Ōi (永世王位, Eisei Ōi) is the title awarded to a player who won the championship five times in a row or ten times in total. Active players may qualify for this title, but it is only officially awarded upon their retirement or death.
Only four professionals have qualified for the Lifetime Oi. They are as follows:
* Yasuharu Ōyama (deceased)
* Makoto Nakahara (retired)
* Yoshiharu Habu (active)
* Sōta Fujii (active)

## Winners

| No. | Year | Winner | Score | Opponent |
| 1 | 1960 | Yasuharu Ōyama | 4–1 | Masao Tsukada |
| 2 | 1961 | Yasuharu Ōyama (2) | 4–1 | Yuzō Maruta |
| 3 | 1962 | Yasuharu Ōyama (3) | 4–0 | Motoji Hanamura |
| 4 | 1963 | Yasuharu Ōyama (4) | 4–2 | Hifumi Katō |
| 5 | 1964 | Yasuharu Ōyama (5) | 4–2 | Tatsuya Futakami |
| 6 | 1965 | Yasuharu Ōyama (6) | 4–0 | Daigoroh Satō |
| 7 | 1966 | Yasuharu Oyama (7) | 4–1 | Michio Ariyoshi |
| 8 | 1967 | Yasuharu Ōyama (8) | 4–1 | Nobuyuki Ōuchi |
| 9 | 1968 | Yasuharu Ōyama (9) | 4–2 | Michio Ariyoshi |
| 10 | 1969 | Yasuharu Ōyama (10) | 4–2 | Kazuyoshi Nishimura |
| 11 | 1970 | Yasuharu Ōyama (11) | 4–1 | Kunio Yonenaga |
| 12 | 1971 | Yasuharu Ōyama (12) | 4–3 | Makoto Nakahara |
| 13 | 1972 | Kunio Naitō | 4–1 | Yasuharu Ōyama |
| 14 | 1973 | Makoto Nakahara | 4–0 | Kunio Naitō |
| 15 | 1974 | Makoto Nakahara (2) | 4–2 | Kunio Yonenaga |
| 16 | 1975 | Makoto Nakahara (3) | 4–2 | Kunio Naitō |
| 17 | 1976 | Makoto Nakahara (4) | 4–2 | Osamu Katsuura |
| 18 | 1977 | Makoto Nakahara (5) | 4–2 | Kunio Yonenaga |
| 19 | 1978 | Makoto Nakahara (6) | 4–1 | Yasuharu Ōyama |
| 20 | 1979 | Kunio Yonenaga | 4–3 | Makoto Nakahara |
| 21 | 1980 | Makoto Nakahara (7) | 4–0 | Kunio Yonenaga |
| 22 | 1981 | Makoto Nakahara (8) | 4–3 | Yasuharu Ōyama |
| 23 | 1982 | Kunio Naitō (2) | 4–2 | Makoto Nakahara |
| 24 | 1983 | Michio Takahashi | 4–2 | Kunio Naitō |
| 25 | 1984 | Hifumi Katō | 4–3 | Michio Takahashi |
| 26 | 1985 | Michio Takahashi (2) | 4–0 | Hifumi Katō |
| 27 | 1986 | Michio Takahashi (3) | 4–0 | Kunio Yonenaga |
| 28 | 1987 | Koji Tanigawa | 4–1 | Michio Takahashi |
| 29 | 1988 | Keiji Mori | 4–3 | Koji Tanigawa |
| 30 | 1989 | Koji Tanigawa (2) | 4–1 | Keiji Mori |
| 31 | 1990 | Koji Tanigawa (3) | 4–3 | Yasumitsu Satō |
| 32 | 1991 | Koji Tanigawa (4) | 4–2 | Hiroki Nakata |
| 33 | 1992 | Masataka Goda | 4–2 | Koji Tanigawa |
| 34 | 1993 | Yoshiharu Habu | 4–0 | Masataka Goda |
| 35 | 1994 | Yoshiharu Habu (2) | 4–3 | Masataka Goda |
| 36 | 1995 | Yoshiharu Habu (3) | 4–2 | Masataka Goda |
| 37 | 1996 | Yoshiharu Habu (4) | 4–1 | Koichi Fukaura |
| 38 | 1997 | Yoshiharu Habu (5) | 4–1 | Yasumitsu Satō |
| 39 | 1998 | Yoshiharu Habu (6) | 4–2 | Yasumitsu Satō |
| 40 | 1999 | Yoshiharu Habu (7) | 4–0 | Koji Tanigawa |
| 41 | 2000 | Yoshiharu Habu (8) | 4–3 | Koji Tanigawa |
| 42 | 2001 | Yoshiharu Habu (9) | 4–0 | Nobuyuki Yashiki |
| 43 | 2002 | Koji Tanigawa (5) | 4–1 | Yoshiharu Habu |
| 44 | 2003 | Koji Tanigawa (6) | 4–1 | Yoshiharu Habu |
| 45 | 2004 | Yoshiharu Habu (10) | 4–1 | Koji Tanigawa |
| 46 | 2005 | Yoshiharu Habu (11) | 4–3 | Yasumitsu Satō |
| 47 | 2006 | Yoshiharu Habu (12) | 4–2 | Yasumitsu Satō |
| 48 | 2007 | Koichi Fukaura | 4–3 | Yoshiharu Habu |
| 49 | 2008 | Koichi Fukaura (2) | 4–3 | Yoshiharu Habu |
| 50 | 2009 | Koichi Fukaura (3) | 4–3 | Kazuki Kimura |
| 51 | 2010 | Akihito Hirose | 4–2 | Koichi Fukaura |
| 52 | 2011 | Yoshiharu Habu (13) | 4–3 | Akihito Hirose |
| 53 | 2012 | Yoshiharu Habu (14) | 4–1 | Takeshi Fujii |
| 54 | 2013 | Yoshiharu Habu (15) | 4–1 | Hisashi Namekata |
| 55 | 2014 | Yoshiharu Habu (16) | 4–2–1 | Kazuki Kimura |
| 56 | 2015 | Yoshiharu Habu (17) | 4–1 | Akihito Hirose |
| 57 | 2016 | Yoshiharu Habu (18) | 4–3 | Kazuki Kimura |
| 58 | 2017 | Tatsuya Sugai | 4–1 | Yoshiharu Habu |
| 59 | 2018 | Masayuki Toyoshima | 4–3 | Tatsuya Sugai |
| 60 | 2019 | Kazuki Kimura | 4–3 | Masayuki Toyoshima |
| 61 | 2020 | Sōta Fujii | 4–0 | Kazuki Kimura |
| 62 | 2021 | Sōta Fujii (2) | 4–1 | Masayuki Toyoshima |
| 63 | 2022 | Sōta Fujii (3) | 4–1 | Masayuki Toyoshima |
| 64 | 2023 | Sōta Fujii (4) | 4–1 | Daichi Sasaki |
| 65 | 2024 | Sōta Fujii (5) | 4–1 | Akira Watanabe |

## Records

* Most titles overall: Yoshiharu Habu, 18
* Most consecutive titles: Yasuharu Ōyama, 12 (1960–1971)