Our Shogi learners experienced two truly special and historic opportunities, bringing the ancient game of Japanese Chess to life outside the classroom.
A Week of Historic Firsts for Nexus Shogi Learners
Oza Title Tournament 2025
The excitement began with an exclusive invitation to the Oza Title Tournament, the most prestigious event in Shogi. For the first time in 23 years, this historic match was held outside of Japan—right here in Singapore. Nexus educator, David Banfai, who leads our Shogi Club, and three Nexus learners had front-row seats to this momentous occasion, which was the most televised Shogi event ever held in Singapore. Our learners even had the incredible chance to be interviewed by Japanese TV networks! You can watch clips of their interviews here: [Link 1] and [Link 2].
Shogi Practice Matches with Manao Kagawa
Building on that momentum, Mr. David, in collaboration with Mr. Keiichi Abe, the Singapore representative of the Japan Shogi Association, organised a Shogi Practice Match right here at Nexus. The event began with a special presentation on Shogi AI by Kitawa Sensei, another prominent Shogi player and researcher. The highlight of the day was when our learners got to play against Manao Kagawa, a 4-dan professional and a major celebrity in Japan.
Our learners rose to the challenge, with Maksym, Walker, Yuta, and Zephyr all winning their practice matches against the professional. Maksym’s performance was particularly remarkable; he received a standing ovation from the crowd. Manao Kagawa called him a “genius” and praised his instincts as being far beyond what’s expected for his age. In a powerful testament to our community spirit, Zephyr—who had only learned the game that very day with the help of a fellow learner—also played his very first match, with guidance from the professionals.
It was a week of passion, dedication, and incredible achievements for our Shogi community! Thank you to Mr David for organising such a great event for our learners to take their Shogi practice into the real world!
