Saori Shimai

Saori Shimai (島井 咲緒里, Shimai Saori; born May 15, 1980) is a Japanese women's professional shogi player ranked 2-dan.^[1] As of January 2023,^[update] she is serving as an executive director of Ladies Professional Shogi-players' Association of Japan (LPSA).

Saori Shimai
Native name	島井咲緒里
Born	(1980-05-15) May 15, 1980 (age 45)
Hometown	Nankoku, Kōchi
Career
Achieved professional status	April 1, 1996(1996-04-01) (aged 15)
Badge Number	JSA W-39 LPSA W-13
Rank	Women's 2-dan
Teacher	Keiji Mori (ja) (9-dan)
Websites
LPSA profile page

Women's shogi professional

Promotion history

Shimai's promotion history is as follows:^[2][3]

• Women's Professional Apprentice League: April 1995
• 2-kyū: April 1, 1996
• 1-kyū: April 1, 2001
• 1-dan: April 1, 2003
• 2-dan: January 16, 2012^[4]

Note: All ranks are women's professional ranks.

LPSA director

Shimai was chosen to be a director of the LPSA for the first time in February 2014,^[5] and reelected to the same post in February 2016.^[6] In February 2018, she was chosen to be one of the organization's two executive directors.^[7] She was reelected as an executive director in 2020^[8] and 2022.^[9]

Personal life

Shimai is married to professional shogi player Hiroaki Yokoyama. The couple married in July 2011.^[10]