Tokyo:The Japan Shogi Association announced on Monday that Tomoka Nishiyama will become the first female "kishi" professional shogi player. Nishiyama, a 31-year-old "joryu kishi" with four joryu titles, has applied to join the main pro ranks of kishi, marking a historic milestone for women in the traditional board game of shogi.

According to Philippines News agency, Nishiyama is set to be promoted to fourth dan and will join the kishi's free class on April 1 next year. This decision was fueled by her desire to compete against stronger opponents and advance in the ranks, as she expressed during a press conference at the association's Shogi Kaikan building in Tokyo.

Shogi, which features two professional systems—joryu for women and kishi without gender restrictions—will see Nishiyama joining the latter after meeting the criteria by winning the "Hakurei" title for the fifth time. She defeated Kana Fukuma in this achievement on October 10. Nishiyama will start in the free class, participating in games beyond the usual ranking tournaments.

Concerns have emerged regarding Nishiyama's potentially tight schedule as she continues to compete in joryu tournaments, including the Hakurei series. Daisuke Katagami, an executive of the association, acknowledged the unprecedented nature of this situation and indicated that appropriate measures would be considered as the situation evolves.

Under the free class rules, players like Nishiyama can be promoted to class C2 by achieving a winning percentage of at least 65% over 30 or more consecutive games within ten years. Nishiyama aims for her efforts in each game to lead to such success. However, failing to secure promotion within the specified period would necessitate her retirement from kishi play.