Sixth-dan holder Sota Fujii plays sixth-dan holder Kohei Funae at Kansai Shogi Hall, in Osaka's Fukushima Ward on May 18, 2018. (Mainichi)

OSAKA -- A shogi match on which 15-year-old prodigy Sota Fujii is staking his promotion to the seventh-dan rank got under way here on May 18.

The semifinal for the Ryuo tournament's fifth class began between sixth-dan holder Fujii, Japan's youngest professional shogi player, and fellow sixth-dan holder Kohei Funae, 31, at Kansai Shogi Hall, in Osaka's Fukushima Ward at 10 a.m. on May 18.

If Fujii beats Funae, he will rise to seventh dan just one year and seven months following his professional debut -- the fastest anyone has done so. At 15 years and nine months, he will also be the youngest in the history of professional shogi to attain that rank.

Retired ninth-dan player Hifumi Kato, 78, currently holds the record for achieving the fastest promotion to seventh dan -- two years and eight months. In his youth, Kato also became the youngest player to get promoted to seventh dan, at 17 years and three months.

Fujii and Funae were surrounded by about 50 reporters and photographers from 22 news organizations as they began their match.

In the Ryuo tournament, five hours are allocated to each player. Fujii has 27 wins and one loss in tournaments featuring games of this length. His career record is 75 wins and 12 losses.

(Japanese original by Hiroaki Niidoi, Osaka Cultural News Department)