The day before he played the match of his life, Shoji Segawa was swimming in a pool and enjoying the night view from his 40, yen room in the How much money do professional shogi players make Tower Tokyu Hotel in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo. Shoji Segawa — debuts Dec. Indulging in luxurious treatment before important games had become something of a ritual for the year-old systems engineer from Yokohama. Shogi, which is believed to have been imported from China more than 1, years ago, resembles chess. Unlike chess, players can use the pieces they take from opponents as their own and can promote the rank of their pieces. Segawa, who started playing at age 10, passed an examination to join the elite society when he was 14 but had to resign at age 26 because he could not clear the hurdle to become pro. Members of the association professiinal achieve fourth-rank status by the time they turn 26 by winning competitions provessional third-rank members. Each year, only four members of the society, which...