Archive for October, 2009

Cho U Wins First Game in Oza Title Match

Friday, October 30th, 2009

Cho U, title holder of the Oza title, defeated challenger Yamada Kimio in the first game of this best-of-five title match.

This title must be quite important for Cho U: while he is still dominating the Japanese Go by the number of title he is holding, his very recent loss of Meijin title to Iyama Yuta is a sign that Cho U may not be in top shape anymore.

The game record is here.

(; EV[57th Oza title match 1] KM[6.5] FF[3] SZ[19] GM[1] PW[Cho U] WR[Oza] DT[2009-10-23] BR[9d] RE[W+R] PB[Yamada Kimio] ;B[qd];W[dc];B[dp];W[pp];B[ce];W[ed];B[ci];W[oc];B[kd];W[pe];B[qe] ;W[pf];B[qg];W[qc];B[pg];W[pd];B[ng];W[ic];B[rc];W[qb];B[qn];W[nq] ;B[rp];W[kq];B[qq];W[pm];B[pn];W[om];B[qm];W[on];B[fq];W[bp];B[cp] ;W[bo];B[bq];W[br];B[cq];W[cl];B[bm];W[cm];B[bn];W[co];B[cn];W[do] ;B[dn];W[eo];B[gp];W[go];B[ho];W[em];B[dm];W[dl];B[bl];W[fp];B[hq] ;W[aq];B[cr];W[hn];B[io];W[ej];B[en];W[eq];B[ep];W[fo];B[er];W[fm] ;B[el];W[fl];B[ek];W[dj];B[fk];W[gk];B[fj];W[cj];B[bj];W[bi];B[ck] ;W[dk];B[bk];W[ch];B[fn];W[gn];B[gm];W[gl];B[hm];W[il];B[im];W[in] ;B[jm];W[jn];B[di];W[ei];B[dh];W[dg];B[eh];W[fi];B[gj];W[fh];B[ik] ;W[hj];B[gi];W[jl];B[km];W[gh];B[hi];W[ij])

The next game will be played on November 24th. Complete tournament table is here.

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South Korea Wins International Amateur Championship

Friday, October 30th, 2009
Song Hongsuk of South Korea won Korea’s Prime Minister Cup, which is an international world amateur championship, with a perfect score 7:0.

Besides South Korea, the countries placed in the first eight were China, Hong Kong (both with 6:1 scores), Japan, US, Singapore, Taiwan and Canada (5:2 scores). Complete tournament table is here. Official webpage is here, but there is not much information there as of the time of this writing.

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Huge Go Board in Ancient Fenghuang City

Friday, October 30th, 2009

Fenghuang is an exceptionally well-preserved ancient Chinese town, according to wikipedia, with unique ethnic languages, customs, arts and architectural remains of Ming and Qing styles.

Fenghuang Ancient City

Fenghuang also has the largest Go board in the world and it hosts a match between two invited top professional players as part of a Go festival every two years. The two players are playing the game in a tower next to the board, while people costumed in black or white are moving on the huge board to mark the current position in the game.

Fenghuang Ancient City

Besides the huge Go board, there are also statues of famous professional players – can you guess who is who?

Fenghuang Ancient City

This year’s match was between Lee Sedol of Korea and Gu Li of China. The game commentary, with analysis in great detail by Lee Hajin 3p, is broadcast in English on this youtube channel.






Photo sources here, here, here, here.

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Typhoon No Match for Cho Chikun

Thursday, October 29th, 2009
Some interesting news from the current Nihon Ki-in monthly English report: the October 7th typhoon in Tokyo affected the games scheduled for that day, and 4 out of the 41 scheduled games have been forfeited due to players being late more than one hour. I liked Cho Chikun’s dedication as he made it to the game just in time, with only 3 minutes left on his clock, by walking barefoot between 6th and 7th floors of the Nihon Ki-in buillding.

Cho Chikun

Here’s the full excerpt from the report:
Games start at 10 a.m. Mimura Tomoyasu was 14 minutes late for his Honinbo League game, but he still managed to win it. In more serious trouble was Cho Chikun, who lives in Chiba Prefecture, next to Tokyo. When his usual train stopped, he switched to a number of different lines and somehow made it to Ichigaya just before 11. His troubles weren’t over, however, as he thought his game was being played on the 6th floor, the main playing venue for professionals. Actually it was scheduled for the special playing room on the 7th floor. Cho had taken his shoes off for the Japanese-style playing room on the 6th floor; when he realized his mistake, he rushed up barefooted to the Western-style 7th floor. He made it with just three minutes left on his clock. Nothing daunted, he played the game in byo-yomi and won it. （His opponent was Kono Takayuki 7-dan, and the game was in Preliminary A of the Tengen tournament.）
 Source here.

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Hane Naoki Defeated Cho U in Agon Cup Final

Sunday, October 18th, 2009
Hane Naoki won this year’s Agon Cup after defeating Cho U in the final. Cho U has very recently lost his Meijin title, so he seems to not be in top shape anymore. Hane Naoki played white and won the game by resignation.
(; KM[6.5] EV[16th Agon Cup final] FF[3] SZ[19] GM[1] PW[Hane Naoki] WR[Honinbo] DT[2009-10-17] BR[Agon Cup] RE[W+R] PB[Cho U] ;B[pd];W[dd];B[qp];W[dq];B[oq];W[qj];B[do];W[co];B[dp];W[cp];B[eq] ;W[cn];B[dr];W[cq];B[fp];W[nc];B[qh];W[qm];B[pl];W[ql];B[pj];W[pk] ;B[ok];W[qk];B[pi];W[ol];B[nk];W[fc];B[om];W[nl];B[pm];W[ml];B[po] ;W[ro];B[mk];W[ll];B[kj];W[jl];B[rp];W[rh];B[ri];W[qi];B[rg];W[ph] ;B[sh];W[qg];B[rh];W[oh];B[ni];W[rj];B[nh];W[qn];B[of];W[pc];B[qc] ;W[qd];B[qe];W[rd];B[rc];W[ip];B[kq];W[kp];B[lp];W[lq];B[jr];W[jq] ;B[kr];W[lo];B[mp];W[ir];B[hq];W[hr];B[mq];W[gq];B[ko];W[jp];B[em] ;W[ck];B[ho];W[hp];B[in];W[hm];B[im];W[il];B[hl];W[gl];B[hk];W[gm] ;B[go];W[jn];B[dl];W[gk];B[cl];W[fn];B[fm];W[gn];B[dn];W[bl];B[bk] ;W[cm];B[fk];W[dk];B[el];W[bj];B[jm];W[km];B[gj];W[hj];B[ik];W[fj] ;B[gi];W[jk];B[ij];W[ek];B[fl];W[fo];B[fi];W[gp];B[ej];W[kc];B[pb] ;W[oc];B[pe];W[ce];B[qo];W[sn];B[cj];W[ak];B[dj];W[jj];B[ii];W[id] ;B[lc];W[lb];B[cc];W[dc];B[gd];W[ge];B[bd];W[be];B[db];W[bb];B[fe] ;W[hd];B[gf];W[he];B[kd];W[jc];B[ji];W[ch];B[lk];W[kl];B[bk];W[ff] ;B[cb];W[eb];B[cg];W[bg];B[ef];W[fg];B[dg];W[bi];B[ed];W[eg];B[de] ;W[ec];B[cd];W[fd];B[ba];W[ab];B[bf];W[cf];B[af];W[ag];B[ad];W[dh] ;B[ae];W[df];B[da];W[mo];B[sp];W[sl];B[me];W[ob];B[ld];W[mc];B[qb] ;W[ne];B[nf];W[kf];B[no];W[nn];B[nm];W[oo];B[np];W[mm];B[pn];W[cr] )
Agon Cup tournament table is here.

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Iyama Yuta Captured Meijin Title

Thursday, October 15th, 2009
Iyama Yuta defeated title-holder Cho U in the fifth game and captured the Meijin Title with a convincing 4:1 score.

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Here is the final position: Cho U (black) resigned after white’s marked move in the upper-left.

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(;AP[MultiGo:4.2.1]SZ[19]GN[Meijin Title 2009, game 5]DT[2009-10-15]PB[Cho U] PW[Iyama Yuta]KM[6.5]HA[0]RE[W+R]US[www.orozone.com]MULTIGOGM[1] ;B[pd];W[dp];B[qp];W[dc];B[fq];W[cn];B[lq];W[ip];B[de];W[cg];B[cc];W[gc];B[gd];W[hd] ;B[dd];W[db];B[dh];W[dg];B[eg];W[ch];B[di];W[ci];B[dj];W[ck];B[ef];W[fd];B[ge];W[ic] ;B[dq];W[cq];B[ep];W[dr];B[do];W[eq];B[er];W[dq];B[fp];W[en];B[dn];W[dm];B[eo];W[co] ;B[em];W[fn];B[ho];W[gm];B[dl];W[cm];B[fm];W[gn];B[hp];W[kp];B[in];W[lp];B[nq];W[gk] ;B[dk];W[cj];B[kn];W[mq];B[mr];W[mp];B[kr];W[mn];B[ll];W[pp];B[pq];W[po];B[op];W[oo] ;B[qo];W[pm];B[if];W[jk];B[jd];W[jc];B[qn];W[nl];B[lj];W[ki];B[jj];W[fh];B[eh];W[el] ;B[fl];W[fk];B[ek];W[gl];B[el];W[kj];B[kk];W[jm];B[ji];W[jh];B[ih];W[jn];B[jo];W[iq] ;B[io];W[ko];B[jp];W[ii];B[ij];W[ik];B[hj];W[kl];B[lk];W[lm];B[nj];W[kq];B[jq];W[lr] ;B[pj];W[kd];B[nd];W[kf];B[ld];W[kc];B[le];W[ke];B[pn];W[on];B[ql];W[qd];B[qe];W[pc] ;B[qc];W[rd];B[re];W[rc];B[qb];W[pe];B[od];W[qf];B[rf];W[jr];B[ir];W[ks];B[is];W[rg] ;B[pf];W[se];B[qg];W[sf];B[oe];W[pb];B[rb];W[sb];B[rh];W[qa];B[jg];W[qm];B[rm];W[pl] ;B[qk];W[or];B[pr];W[oq];B[os];W[np];B[nr];W[fi];B[fe];W[ed];B[ec];W[eb];B[mg];W[op] ;B[ps];W[mc];B[bf];W[bc];B[cb];W[bb];B[cd];W[ca])
Full tournament table here. This is Iyama Yuta’s first major title in Japanese Go, but I am sure we’ll see more of him. Cho U is still the dominant player in Japan based on the number of titles he is holding right now (four out of seven).

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Iyama Yuta Wins Game 4, One Win Away From Meijin

Wednesday, October 7th, 2009
Iywma Yuta, challenger in this year’s Meijin title, won game four. Since he is leading now 3:1, he is only one win away from capturing the title from Cho U.

The game record is here. Iyama Yuta played black and won by resignation.

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34th Meijin Title, Game 4, Day 1

Wednesday, October 7th, 2009
The fourth game of the Japanese Meijin title started yesterday. The score is 1:1 so far. Iyama Yuta, challenger, leads by 2:1 so far. He sealed move 83 at the end of day one, and can be seen in the photo below handing the envelope with the sealed move to referee Kataoka Satoshi 9p.

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Here is the position just before the sealed move. The lower half of the board is pretty much settled after several exchanges took place. The game will be decided by the fight in the upper half of the board.

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