Takumi Ito, holder of the Oza shogi title, defeated challenger Masato Hirose, a ninth-dan player, in the third game of the Oza championship series, according to 日本経済新聞. The win puts Ito one victory away from his first successful defense of the title.
The game, played on Friday, ended after 100 moves, スポニチ Sponichi Annex reported. Ito now leads the best-of-five series 2-1.
Several Japanese outlets described the decisive sequence as a hard-fought turning point. Nikkan Sports reported that Hirose said afterward he had not seen the winning move coming, calling it a "brilliant strike" by the defending champion. 福井新聞社 and ｄメニューニュース both reported that Ito's victory left him on the verge of defending his title.
Ito holds two major shogi titles, according to ｄメニューニュース. The series is being covered live by 日本経済新聞.
The fourth game is scheduled for Oct. 14, スポニチ Sponichi Annex reported. A win there would give Ito the title; a loss would send the match to a deciding fifth game.
