title: Hiroshi Naganuma
text: # Hiroshi Naganuma
  
  Hiroshi Naganuma (長沼 洋, Naganuma Hiroshi, born February 8, 1965) is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 8-dan.
  
  ## Early life
  
  Naganuma was born on February 8, 1965, in Gifu Prefecture. He entered the Japan Shogi Association's apprentice school at the rank of 5-kyū in 1979 under the guidance of shogi professional Kaishū Tanaka [ja]. He was promoted to the rank or 1-dan in 1981, and obtained full professional status and the rank of 4-dan in July 1986.
  
  ## Playing style
  
  Naganuma is known for a utilitarian playing style which prioritorizes material advantages over positional ones. For this reason, he has been nicknamed the 駒取り坊主 (Komatori Bōzu) where komatori refers to "shogi piece capturing" and bōzu refers to a "Buddhist monk".
  
  ## Promotion history
  
  Naganuma's promotion history is as follows:
  
  * 5-kyū: 1979
  * 1-dan: 1981
  * 4-dan: July 21, 1986
  * 5-dan: July 31, 1991
  * 6-dan: November 7, 1997
  * 7-dan: January 26, 2006
  * 8-dan: August 31, 2020
  
  ## Awards and honors
  
  In 2011, Naganuma received the Japan Shogi Association's "25 Years Service Award" in recognition of being an active professional for twenty-five years.
  
  