Kensuke Kitahama

Kensuke Kitahama (北浜 健介) is a Japanese professional shogi player ranked 8-dan.

Early life, amateur shogi and apprenticeship
Kensuke Kitahama was born in Ebina, Kanagawa on December 28, 1975. As a sixth-grade elementary school student, he finished runner-up to Kōsuke Tamura in the 12th Elementary Student Meijin Tournament in 1987.

In September 1988, Kitahama entered the Japan Shogi Association's apprentice school at the rank of 6-kyū under the sponsorship of shogi professional Yoshimasa Saeki. He was promoted to 1-dan in 1992 and obtained full professional status and the rank of 4-dan in April 1994.

Promotion history
The promotion history for Kitahama is as follows:
 * 6-kyū: 1988
 * 1-dan: 1992
 * 4-dan: April 1, 1994
 * 5-dan: April 1, 1996
 * 6-dan: April 1, 1998
 * 7-dan: April 1, 2003
 * 8-dan: March 7, 2013

Personal life
Kitahama graduated from Waseda University in 2000.