Sota Fujii smiles after his victory against Toshiyuki Moriuchi in the second round of the NHK Cup shogi tournament, on Sept. 3, 2017. (Photo courtesy of the Japan Shogi Association)

Teen shogi star Sota Fujii scored a dazzling victory against distinguished player Toshiyuki Moriuchi in the second round of the NHK Cup on Sept. 3 to advance to the top 16.

Fujii, 15, defeated 46-year-old Moriuchi, an eight-time winner of the prestigious Meijin title, in a total of 94 moves. The win was Fujii's first against an opponent qualified to become a Lifetime Meijin. Moriuchi, a ninth-dan player, is five ranks above Fujii, who currently holds a fourth-dan rank.

In a rare move, public broadcaster NHK provided live coverage of the game -- only the second time it has done so, following its first live game coverage in 2008.

The win saved Fujii from a third consecutive loss following earlier back-to-back defeats, and brings his overall record to 39 wins and five losses.

In the Sept. 3 game, Moriuchi used a static rook opening, which he is said to play well, but Fujii attacked aggressively and got the upper hand, then showed off his renowned skills in the endgame to win.

"I think my decision to wage an active attack paid off," Fujii said after the game. "I'm happy to have been able to play ninth-dan Moriuchi, who is qualified to be a Lifetime Meijin."

Moriuchi, meanwhile, commented, "Fourth-dan Fujii was calm and played naturally, one move after another. He unveiled moves I wasn't expecting, and I was impressed."

Fujii's next game is against 22-year-old Daichi Sasaki, a fourth-dan player, on Sept. 7. The winner of that game will advance to the top four in the Shinjin-O tournament for new players. In the third round of the NHK Cup, Fujii will face 29-year-old Akira Inaba, an eighth-dan player who was this year's challenger for the Meijin title.