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The Power Report: Meijin challenger; New Kisei S League; Sumire; Promotions; Performance

John Power, Japan Correspondent for the E-Journal | Published on 9/7/2023

Meijin Challenger: Iyama or Ichiriki

Thanks to a win on June 29, Ichiriki Kisei finally caught up with Iyama Honinbo in the 48th Meijin League. One of these two will be the challenger. Below are the results of league games played this year.

 

(Jan. 6) Ichiriki Ryo Kisei (B) beat Fujita Akihiko 7-dan by resig.

(Jan. 12) Iyama Yuta (Honinbo Monyu) (W) beat Yo Seiki 8-dan by resig.

(Jan. 16) Cho U (B) beat Sada Atsushi 7-dan by 3.5 points.

(Jan. 19) Yamashita Keigo 9-dan (W) beat Kyo Kagen Judan by resig.

(Feb. 2) Cho U 9-dan (W) beat Yamashita by resig.

(Feb. 9) Ichiriki (W) beat Sada by half a point.

(Feb. 16) Iyama (W) beat Shida Tatsuya 8-dan by resig.

(Feb. 23) Kyo (B) beat Fujita by resig.

(March 2) Cho (W) beat Fujita by 2.5.

(March 13) Kyo (W) beat Sada by resig.

(March 16) Yo (B) bear Shida by resig.

(March 23) Ichiriki (W) beat Yamashita by resig.

(April 1) Yamashita (B) beat Sada by resig,

(April 6) Ichiriki (B) beat Shida by resig.

(April 13) Iyama (B) beat Cho by resig.

(April 24) Yo (W) beat Kyo by resig. 

(May 1) Yamashita (W) beat Shida by resig.

(May 15) Yo (W) beat Fujita by resig.

(May 22) Iyama (B) beat Sada by resig.

(June 2) Iyama (W) beat Fujita by 2.5.

(June 12) Kyo (W) beat Ichiriki by resig.

(June 19) Yo (W) beat Yamashita by resig.

(June 22) Shida (W) beat Sada by resig.

(June 29) Ichiriki (B) beat Iyama by resig.


 

New Kisei S League

The 48th Kisei leagues are already well advanced. Here are the results from the new S League.

 

(April 27) Iyama Yuta (B) beat Yamashita Keigo 9-dan by resig.

(May 8) Shibano Toramaru (B) beat Takao Shinji 9-dan by resig.

(May 15) Kyo Kagen (B) beat Kono Rin 9-dan by resig. 

(May 25) Iyama (W) beat Shibano by resig.

(June 5) Kyo (W) beat Takao Shinji 9-dan by resig. 

(June 15) Yamashita (B) beat Kono by resig.



Sumire’s Progress

(Abbreviations used: mt = main tournament; R = round)

(Jan. 3, 4) Sumire lost two unofficial games to Kim Eunji 5-dan of Korea: see opening article.

(Jan. 9) Sumire (W) beat Cho Kosumi 1-dan by 4.5 points (48th Kisei First Tournament, round 2).

(Jan. 12) Sumire (B) beat Suzuki Ayumi 7-dan by resig. (34th Women’s Meijin League).

(Jan. 19, 26, Feb. 6) Sumire lost one to Ueno Asami, won two: see Women’s Kisei article above.

(Feb. 2) Sumire (B) beat Kobayashi Izumi 7-dan by resig. (34th Women’s Meijin League).

(Feb. 9) Sumire (B) beat Hoshiai Shiho 2-dan by 2.5 points (10th Women’s Hollyhock prelim.). This was her 200th official game; her record was 135-65.

(Feb. 13) Sumire (W) beat Namiki Hikibi 1-dan by resig. (48th King of the New Stars, main tournament).

(Feb. 16) Sumire (W) beat Kanno Masashi 7-dan by resig. (49th Meijin, prelim. C).

(Feb. 20) Sumire (B) lost to Ueno Asami by 3.5 points (34th Women’s Meijin League).

(Feb. 23) Sumire beat Fujii Hiroki 2-dan by 3.5 (48th Kisei First Tournament)

(March 3) Sumire (W) beat Kuanan Ha (ama. 6-dan) by resig. (Senko Cup, Round 1).

(March 4) Sumire (B) lost to Choi by 7.5 points (Senko Cup, semifinals).

(March 5) Sumire (B) lost to Ueno Asami by resig. (Senko Cup, play-off for 3rd place).

(March 13) Sumire (B) lost to Tsuruyama Atsushi 8-dan by 2.5 (30th Agon Kiriyama Cup).

(March 20) Sumire (B) lost to Yoda Ozora 1-dan (son of Yoda 9-dan) by resig. (prelim. C, 49th Meijin title).

(March 30) Sumire (W) beat Yokota Hinano (Women’s Hollyhock) by 4.5.

(April 3) Sumire (W) lost to Ryu Shikun 9-dan by 1.5 points (48th Kisei First Tournament).

(April 10) Sumire (W) lost to Ueno Asami by 1.5 points (48th King of the New Stars).

(April 17)) Sumire lost to Onishi Ryuhei 7-dan (71st NHK Cup) (telecast on May 14).

(April 20) Sumire (W) beat Konishi Kazuko by resig. (10th Hollyhock, mt, R1.

(April 24). Sumire lost to Kuwabara Shun 3-dan (50th Tengen prelim. C) by resig.

(May 4) Sumire (W) beat Cho Chien 2-dan by resig. (8th Senko Cup, mt, R1)

(May 8) Sumire (B) beat Akiyama Jiro 9-dan by resig. (62nd Judan, prelim. B).

(May 14) Sumire (B) lost to Li Zhexuan by resig. (10th Chinese Women’s A League)

(May 15) Sumire (W) lost to Wu Yiming 4-dan by resig. (ditto above)

(May 20) Sumire (W) lost to Mukai Chiaki 6-dan by resig. (10th Women’s Hollyhock, semifinal).

(May 25) Sumire (W) lost to Suzuki Ayumi 7-dan by resig. (8th Senko Cup, mt).

(May 29) Sumire (W) lost to Takao Mari 2-dan by resig. (42nd Women’s Honinbo)

(June 9) Sumire lost to Wu Yiming (6th Go Seigen Cup). At this point, Sumire had lost six games in a row, which must be one of her worst-ever losing streaks.

(June 13) Sumire (W) beat Xu Haizhe 2-dan by 4.5 points (10th Chinese Women’s League). This was Sumire’s first win in three games in the elite Chinese women’s league.

(June 18) Sumire (W) lost to Feng Yunjia 1-dan by resig. (Chinese Women’s League).

(June 22) Sumire (W) beat Xie Yimin 7-dan by half a point (prelim. B, 49th Gosei).

(June 29) Sumire (W) beat So Yokoku 9-dan by resig. (62nd Judan, Prelim. A). Sumire’s record in official games so far this year is 17-14.



Promotions

To 9-dan: Yo Kaei (200 wins; as of May 9). Yo was born in Taiwan on April 17, 1971. He became 1-dan in 1986 and reached 8-dan in 2003. His older brother is Yo Kagen 9-dan.

To 8-dan (150 wins): Hirata Tomoya (as of Jan. 27); Suzuki Shinji (as of March 24); Oba Junya (as of May 5); Yamamoto Masato (as of June 9); Suzuki Yoshimichi (as of June 16)

To 7-dan (120 wins): (Ms) Koyama Terumi (as of April 7); Muramatsu Hiroki (as of May 26; at this point his record for the year was 9-1).

To 3-dan: Kikuchi Masatoshi (40 wins; as of April 21)

To 2-dan (30 wins): Takao Mari (as of Jan. 13); Hane Ayaka (daughter of Hane Naoki; as of March 7), Osuka Seira (as of March 28); Takeshita Ryoya (as of June 16); Mori Chisaki (as of June 16); Hamakado Hibiki (as of June 30)



Most Wins (as of June 30)

1. Ichiriki Ryo Kisei: 30-8

2. Ueno Risa 2-dan: 25-11

3. Ueno Asami, Women’s Meijin: 23-11

4. Oba Junya 8-dan: 19-3

5. Cho Zuiketsu 6-dan: 18-6

6.Takao Mari 2-dan: 17-8; Suzuki Shinji 8-dan: 17-9; Fujisawa Rina, Women’s Honinbo: 17-11; Shibano Toramaru Meijin: 17-13; Nakamura Sumire, Women’s Kisei: 17-14



Most Successive Wins (as of June 30)

12: Fukuoka Kotaro 4-dan

8: Cho Zuiketsu

7: Bian Wenkai 3-dan, I Ryo (Yi Liao) 2-dan

6: Rin Kinshu (Li Yixiu) 8-dan, Otani Naoki 4-dan, Yoda Ozora 1-dan,



Recent Winning Streaks

The date in parentheses indicates when the streak ended.


17: Ichiriki Ryo (June 7)

15: Mutsuura Yuta (June 26)

12: Ueno Risa 2-dan (March 23)

10: Cho Chikun (April 13)

9: Cho U 9-dan (Feb. 16); Komatsu Daiki 4-dan (April 20)

8: Iyama Yuta Honinbo (Jan. 30); Shida Tatsuya (Feb. 2); Ohashi Naruya 7-dan (March 13); Yamada Kimio 9-dan (March 16); Koike Yoshiro (April 13); Oba Junya 8-dan (May 29)

7: Nakamura Sumire (Jan. 19); Yamashiro Hiroshi 9-dan (Jan. 26); O Rissei 9-dan (Feb. 2); Kurotaki Masaki 7-dan (March 20); Tanaka Nobuyuki 4-dan (March 20); Nakano Hironari 9-dan (March 30); Oba Junya 7-dan (March 27); Horimoto Mitsunari 5-dan (April 27); Mito Shuhei 2-dan (April 27); Kono Rin 9-dan (May 15); Fujisawa Rina (June 5); Tanaka Yuki 2-dan (June 19)

6: Numadate Sakiya 7-dan (Jan. 26); Nakamura Sumire (Feb. 20); Okuda Aya 4-dan (March 20); Fujimura Yosuke 4-dan (March 27); Shibano Ryunosuke 2-dan (March 27); Hirose Yuichi (June 12); Muramatsu Hiroki (June 15); Takao Mari 2-dan (June 19); Kuwabara Itsuki 1-dan (June 22); So Kofuku 9-dan (June 26)

5: Ichiriki Ryo (Mar. 3) (other 5-game winning streaks are not given).


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