Norihiro Yagura

Norihiro Yagura
Norihiro Yagura
Native name	矢倉規広
Born	September 27, 1974 (age 50)
Hometown	Osaka Prefecture
Career
Achieved professional status	October 1, 1994 (aged 20)
Badge Number	212
Rank	7-dan
Teacher	Kiyozumi Kiriyama (9-dan)
Meijin class	Free
Ryūō class	5
Notable students	Chihiro Sakihara [ja]
Websites
	JSA profile page

Norihiro Yagura (矢倉規広, Yagura Norihiro, born September 27, 1974) is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 7-dan.

Early life and apprenticeship

Yagura was born on September 27, 1974, in Osaka Prefecture.^[1] He entered the Japan Shogi Association's apprentice school at the rank of 6-kyū in 1986 under the guidance of shogi professional Kiyozumi Kiriyama, was promoted to the rank of 1-dan in 1990, and obtained full professional status and the rank of 4-dan in October 1994.^[2]

Although his family name is the same as one of main strategies used in Static Rook openings, Yagura's speciality is Ranging Rook openings. He prefers to avoid established opening theory known as jōseki in favor of a more "out of book" [ja] games and is known for his piece maneuvering skill or sabaki. There is a variation of Central Rook named after him (Yagura's Central Rook [ja] Yagura-ryū Nakabisha), which is not to be confused with the Central Rook variation of the Yagura opening.^[2]^[3]

The promotion history for Yagura is as follows.^[4]

^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Yagura Norihiro" 棋士データベース: 矢倉規広 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Norihiro Yagura] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
^ ^a ^b Geneki Purō Kishi DētaBukku 2016 [Ge] Ta-Wa Gyō 現役プロ棋士データブック2016 [下] た-わ行 [2016 Active Shogi Professional Databook [Last volume] Letter "Ta" to letter "Wa"] (in Japanese). MyNabi Publishing/Japan Shogi Association. 2015. p. 65. ASIN B019SSNKVA. Retrieved July 22, 2019 – via Google Books.
^ Yagura, Norihiro (2015). Tai Ibi Anaguma Saishū Heiki Yagura-ryū Nakabisha no Gokui 対居飛穴最終兵器矢倉流中飛車の極意 [The Final Weapon Against the Static Rook Anaguma: The Secrets of Yagura's Central Rook] (in Japanese). Mynavi Shogi Books. p. 223. Retrieved July 22, 2019 – via Google Books.
^ "Kishi Dētabēsu: Yagura Norihiro Shōdan Rireki" 棋士データベース: 矢倉規広昇段履歴 [Professional Shogi Player Database: Norihiro Yagura Promotion History] (in Japanese). Japan Shogi Association. Retrieved July 22, 2019.