Kenji Imaizumi
# Kenji Imaizumi

Kenji Imaizumi (今泉 健司, Imaizumi Kenji, born July 3, 1973) is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 5-dan.

Imaizumi (a former 3-dan professional shogi apprentice) was the first amateur to become a professional player via the Professional Admission Test (プロ編入試験 puro henyū shiken) in 2014.

## Promotion history

The promotion history for Imaizumi is as follows:

* 4-dan: April 1, 2015
* 5-Dan: June 18, 2020

## Awards and honors

Imaizumi received the Japan Shogi Association's Masuda Award for the 2007–2008 shogi season for his idea of playing "R-32" on move one as gote in the opening. He was the first apprentice professional to win the award.

