Today's Close-Up S2023E26 - Fujii Sota's Eight Crowns: How the King of Shogi Beat the Odds

Japanese chess, or shogi, has a history dating back centuries. But in October, Fujii Sota accomplished something that's never been done before. A miraculous come-from-behind victory in an Oza title match made him the first holder of all eight major shogi titles. In the final stage of the match, an AI projection gave him just a one-percent chance of winning. How did he beat the odds? And what did defending champion Nagase Takuya do to let him back in the game? We're joined in studio by a former champion shogi player and Fujii's mentor to discuss the historic showdown between the "genius" and the "hardest working player in shogi."

Guests:
Watanabe Akira (Professional shogi player)
Sugimoto Masataka (Professional shogi player / Fujii's Mentor)