Momoko Katō

Momoko Katō (加藤 桃子, Katō Momoko, born October 6, 1993) is a Japanese women's professional shogi player ranked 4-dan. She is a former holder of the Seirei, Women's Ōza and Jo-Ō titles.

Momoko Katō
Katō at an event in 2019.
Native name加藤 桃子
Born (1993-10-06) October 6, 1993
HometownMakinohara, Shizuoka Prefecture
Career
Achieved professional statusApril 1, 2019(2019-04-01) (aged 25)
Badge NumberW-67
RankWomen's 4-dan
TeacherTerutaka Yasue (8-dan)
Major titles won9
Websites
JSA profile page

Early life and amateur shogi

Katō was born in Makinohara, Shizuoka Prefecture on October 6, 1993.[1] She started playing shogi when she was about five years old.[2][3] She started taking shogi lessons and was traveling outside of Shizuoka Prefecture to play in shogi tournaments by the time she was a third-grade elementary school student, and won a national shogi championship when she was a fifth-grade elementary school student.[4]

Apprentice shogi professional

Katō entered the Japan Shogi Association's apprentice school at the rank of 6-kyū as a student of shogi professional Terutaka Yasue in 2006 when she was eleven years old.[3] She was promoted to the rank of apprentice professional 1-kyū in 2011[4] and then apprentice professional 1-dan in May 2014, becoming just the third woman to achieve that rank after Kana Satomi and Tomoka Nishiyama.[5]

In March 2019, Katō decided to leave the apprentice school and petitioned the JSA to become a women's professional shogi player instead. In consideration of her past success in women's professional shogi tournaments, the JSA decided to award Katō the rank of 3-dan instead of her last rank as an apprentice professional which is the common practice for women apprentice professionals ranked 2-kyū or higher.[2][6]

Women's shogi professional

In November 2021, Katō won the 3rd Seirei title (September – November 2021) by defeating the defending champion Kana Satomi 3 games to 2.[7] Katō, however, was unable to successfully defend her Seirei title the following year, losing a rematch against Satomi 3 games to none in the 4th Seirei Title Match (July – August 2022).[8] The pair faced each other again in major title match later in 2022 when Katō challenged Satomi for the 12th Women's Oza title (October – December 2022). Satomi successfully defended her Women's Ōza title 3 games to 2.[9]

Promotion history

Katō's promotion history is as follows.[10]

  • 3-dan: April 1, 2019[2][6]
  • 4-dan: July 3, 2023

Note: All ranks are women's professional ranks.

Major titles

Katō has appeared in women's major title matches twenty times and has won a total of nine titles. She has won the Women's Ōza and the Jo-Ō titles four times each, and the Seirei title once.[11]

References
  1. "Kishi Dētabēsu" 女流棋士データベース [Women's Professional Shogi Player Database] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  2. "Shōgi no Katō Momoko Shodan ga Shōreikai Taikai Joryū Kishi Sandan ni" 将棋の加藤桃子初段が奨励会退会 女流棋士三段に [Shogi's Momoko Katō 1-dan leaves apprentice school to become a women's professional 3-dan]. Sports Hochi (in Japanese). March 27, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  3. "Shōgi･Shodai Joryū Ōza ni Jūrokusai ｢Kishi｣ Mezasu Shōreikai Ikkyū" 将棋･初代女流王座に16歳 ｢棋士｣ めざす奨励会1級 [Shogi: Apprentice professional 1-kyū aiming for "regular professional status" wins the first Women's Ōza title]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). December 13, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  4. "Kaikyo! Honshi Shusshin no Jūrokusai Shōreikaiin ga Joryū Ōza ni Katō Momoko-san" 快挙! 本市出身の16歳奨励会員が女流王座に加藤桃子さん [Hometown girl 16-year-old apprentice shogi professional Momoko Katō wins Women's Ōza title] (pdf). Kōhō Makinohara (in Japanese). Vol. 125. Makinohara City. February 2012. pp. 2–3. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  5. "｢Jo-O｣ Katō-san, Sanninme no Shōreikai Shodan" ｢女王｣ 加藤さん, 3人目の奨励会初段. The Nikkei (in Japanese). May 11, 2014. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  6. "Katō Momoko Shōreikai Shodan ga Shigatsu yori Joryū Sandan ni" 加藤桃子奨励会初段が4月より女流三段に [Apprentice professional 1-dan Momoko Katō will become a women's professional 3-dan from April] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. March 27, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  7. Murase, Shinya (November 17, 2021). "Shōgi･Katō Momoko Joryū Sandan ga Seirei Kakutoku Satomi Kana Zen-Seirei wa Joryū Yonkan ni Kōtai" 将棋･加藤桃子女流三段が清麗獲得 里見香奈前清麗は女流四冠に後退 [Momoko Katō women's professional 3-dan captures Seirei title by defeating Seirei Kana Satomi; Satomi drops back to 4-crown status]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  8. Satō, Keiji (August 3, 2022). "Shōgi no Satomi Kana Joryū Yonkan, ｢Seirei｣ Dashu de Joryū Gokan ni Katō Seirei ni Shōri" 将棋の里見香奈女流四冠, ｢清麗｣ 奪取で女流五冠に 加藤清麗に勝利 [Kana Satomi 4-crown defeats Katō Seirei to recapture the Seiri title and return to 5-crown status]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  9. "Satomi ga Gekisen Sesshi, Bōei ni Seikō Joryū Ōzasen" 里見が激戦制し, 防衛に成功 女流王座戦 [Satomi wins a close game to successfully defend Women's Ōza title]. Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). December 23, 2022. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  10. "Joryū Kishi Dētabēsu: Katō Momoko Shōdan Rireki" 女流棋士データベース: 加藤桃子 昇段履歴 [Women's Professional Shogi Player Database: Momoko Katō Promotion History] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  11. "Joryū Kishi Dētabēsu: Katō Momoko Taitoru Rireki" 女流棋士データベース: 加藤桃子 タイトル履歴 [Women's Professional Shogi Player Database: Momoko Katō Major Title History] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved December 26, 2022.



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