Fourteen-year-old Sota Fujii, the youngest-ever professional shogi player who has just set a record for the longest winning streak — 29 matches — is known not only for his outstanding talent but also his fiery, competitive spirit that often triggered tearful outbursts when he lost as a child.

"He is the personification of fighting spirit. He grew up by taking the frustration of defeat and directing it at the next match," said Masataka Sugimoto, Fujii's 48-year-old mentor who ranks seventh dan, the third-highest rank in the professional world of the chess-like traditional board game.

One of the stories most often told about Fujii, currently fourth dan and a third-year junior high school student, is about an instructional match he held against ninth dan player Koji Tanigawa, 55. At 21 years old, Tanigawa was the youngest player to capture the top title of meijin (master).