Kana Fukuma, a leading Japanese shogi player, criticized her association for a rule that bars pregnant players from title matches near their due dates. The rule forces pregnant players to skip competitions for about 14 weeks—from six weeks before birth to eight weeks after—leading to missed titles and career setbacks. Fukuma said, "I hope the body will consider allowing female players to take time off before their due dates without suffering demotion." She added, "I hesitated to have a child while pursuing my career in shogi, which is everything to me." Her protest sparked an apology from the association. She submitted a written request asking for changes such as adjusting match dates or allowing play during pregnancy if the player's health permits. The association said it could revise the rules after expert discussions to balance mother’s safety and match fairness. Online reactions were mixed. Some called the rules "misogynistic," while others noted parallels to other sports. One Reddit user mentioned tennis players get "protected rankings" when returning from maternity leave, helping them compete fairly after breaks. Fukuma’s strong stand is pushing the traditional game to rethink support for women balancing motherhood and sport careers.