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History of Topics 2008

January February March April May June July August September October November December
  • Hane wins Honinbo title
  • Hane evens the score in Honinbo title match
  • Yamashita wins first game in Gosei title match
  • Iyama to challenge for Meijin title
  • Iyama wins 1st Daiwa Securities Grand Champion tournament
  • Kisei Leagues
  • Cho U reaches Oza Play-off
  • 64th Honinbo League
  • Yamashiro reaches 1,000 wins
  • Women's Meijin League
  • Judan: semifinal pairings in Winners' Section
  • Gu of China wins 21st Fujitsu Cup
  • Hane recovers from bad start in Honinbo title match
  • Iyama close to winning Meijin League
  • New Kisei Leagues get under way
  • 1st World Mind Sports Games
  • Ogawa Tomoko scores 500 wins
  • Cho Chikun scores 1,300 wins
  • Hane scores 1,100 wins
  • Japanese seats in 3rd Toyota & Denso Cup
  • Top game winners


24 July


63rd Honinbo title match(in Niigata)
Right side player Hane, Left side player Takao

 The final position 

Hane wins Honinbo title

Hane takes Honinbo title after 'miraculous fightback'
  Hane Naoki's challenge for the 63rd Honinbo title seemed to be on the point of ending prematurely when he started with three straight losses. His play was lacklustre and his usual tenacity was missing. However, that started to change when he faced and survived his first kadoban (a game that can lose a series). After he had saved three of them, there was no doubt that he was back in top form.
  With the score level at 3-all, the seventh game was held at the Akakura Sightseeing Hotel in the hot spring of Akakura, located in Myoko City in Niigata Prefecture on 22 and 23 July. Since it was the final game, the nigiri (in which the players draw for colours) was held again and Hane drew black.
  A difficult centre fight started on the afternoon of the first day. Takao seemed to have the advantage, but on the second day Hane played a brilliant tesuji, an atetsuke, that enabled him to seize the initiative. A ko fight that started soon after ended disastrously for Takao, causing him to fall so far behind in territory that his only remaining option was to attack and kill Hane's large centre group. However, killing large groups is usually possible only when you can make a double or splitting attack, which was not the case here. At 6:30 p.m., Takao ran out of options for attacking the group, so he resigned. At this moment, Hane won his first Honinbo title and rejoined the ranks of the titleholders after two and a half years in the 'wilderness' (we're referring just to top-seven titles here). Hane is the first player from the Central Japan or Nagoya branch of the Nihon Ki-in to win the Honinbo title.

The four stars of the 21st century
  In the new century, Japanese go has been dominated by a group dubbed 'the four Deva kings', a Buddhist term popularly used to mean 'the four top stars'. (The term, shitenno, refers to four warrior guardians who protect the Buddhist laity by guarding the four points of the compass. Fierce-looking statues of them can usually be found in Buddhist temples in Japan, often standing beside the altar and trampling a demon underfoot.) Hane's success shows that he and the other three members of the group, Takao, Cho U, and Yamashita, who are all around 30 years of age, remain a dominant force. Recently, Kono Rin's consistent success in the Tengen title has led to suggestions that the group be expanded to five. It remains to be seen whether Iyama Yuta, who is just 19, will be able to break their virtual monopoly on the titles.

The 63rd Honinbo Title Match
Takao Shinji HONINBO vs. Hane Naoki
Date(2008) Venue Result
1st 14, 15 May Hokkaido Takao (B) won by 3.5
2nd 27, 28 May Hyogo Takao won by resignaiton.
3rd 11, 12 June Fukuoka Takao (B) won by resignaiton.
4th 23, 24 June Mie Hane  (B) won by resignaiton.
5th 1, 2 July Chiba Hane  (B) won by resignaiton.
6th 16, 17 July Shizuoka Hane  (B) won by resignaiton.
7th 22, 23 July Niigata Hane  (B) won by resignaiton.

'Miraculous fightbacks' in Japanese tournament go
  The first comeback from a 0-3 deficit in a title match was staged by Rin Kaiho in 1973; his feat was dubbed a 'miraculous fightback'. Rin did it one more time, but the term has really become associated with the name of Cho Chikun, who did it three times.
  There's no denying that it's an extraordinary recovery to come back from three straight losses, but the interesting point is that only once has the player winning the 4th to 6th games failed to win the 7th. That was Kobayashi Satoru, when he challenged Cho U for the 30th Meijin title in 2005. Three successive failures to win a game that would clinch a title would put enormous pressure on the player who started out with three straight wins.

1. Rin Kaiho vs. Ishida Yoshio: 12th Meijin title match, 1973
2. Cho Chikun vs. Fujisawa Shuko: 7th Kisei title match, 1982
3. Rin vs. Cho Chikun: 38th Honinbo title match, 1983
4. Cho Chikun vs. Otake Hideo: 9th Meijin title match, 1984
5. Cho Chikun vs. Kobayashi Koichi: 47th Honinbo title match, 1992
6. Hane Naoki vs. Takao Shinji: 63rd Honinbo title match, 2008


22 July



The final position
(the marked stone was the last move)

Hane evens the score in Honinbo title match

  Hane Naoki's remarkable recovery in the 63rd Honinbo best-of-seven title match continues. In the first three games,Hane looked badly out of form as Takao swept to a three-game lead. However,in the next three games he seemed to be a 'completely different player' (in the words of Ishida Yoshio) and he has now evened the score.
  In the sixth game,played at the Gyokushouen Arai inn in Toi Hot Spring in Izu City on 16 and 17 July,Hane (B) forced a resignation after 211 moves. The game had started quietly on the first day,but on day two Hane gradually seized the initiative. A fierce fight started that ended up as a capturing race,but unfortunately for White it involved an approach-move ko,which meant that there was much more pressure on him than on Black. In the end,White was unable to find a big enough ko threat,so he had to resignaiton.
  This result has delighted go fans,of course,as they always like to see a best-of-seven go the full distance. There is nothing more exciting in go than the seventh game in a match with two-day games.
  If Hane wins the final game,this will be the sixth 'miraculous fightback' in Japanese tournament go. The game is scheduled for 22 and 23 July.

Link to Honinbo title

Yamashita wins first game in Gosei title match

  Yamashita Keigo Kisei has made a good start in his challenge to Cho U for the 33rd Gosei title,winning the first game,which was played on 11 July. Taking black,Yamashita secured a resignation after 155 moves. Yamashita shone in the two areas that are Cho's forte: ko fighting and life and death. Regarding the former,he started a ko with just the right timing and played a well-judged ko threat that gave adequate compensation for the ko. As for the latter,the game ended after an uncharacteristic mistake by Cho,when he let Yamashita kill a group by setting up a five-point large eye (nakade).
  The second game will be played on 27 July.
  Cho U had a big lead over Yamashita in previous encounters,having won 22 games and lost 14 before this match started. He has also won two out of the three title matches (all in the Oza tournament) that they have played. This is Yamashita's chance to redress the balance.

Iyama to challenge for Meijin title

  Iyama Yuta 7-dan won the Meijin League with one game to go when Cho Chikun 9-dan defeated Yamada Kimio 9-dan on 10 July (Cho had black and won by 2.5 points). Yamada,who had been in sole second place,dropped to 4-3,which put him out of the running even if Iyama were to lose his final game.
  Iyama turned 19 on 24 May this year. He will be not only the youngest player ever to challenge for the Meijin title,but the first teenager to challenge for any of the current top seven titles. He breaks the record of Cho Chikun,who challenged for the 24th Oza title in 1976 at the age of 20. (However,Cho won the 12th Pro Best Ten title,which at the time was ranked higher than the Oza title,in 1975 when he was 18.)
  The day after winning the league,Iyama was promoted to 8-dan. The title match with Cho U will begin on 4 September

Iyama wins 1st Daiwa Securities Grand Champion tournament



  Immediately after Iyama earned the right to challenge Cho U for the Meijin title,there was a preliminary skirmish between the two when they met in the final of the 1st Daiwa Securities Grand Champion tournament.
  The Grand Champion tournament is a Net tournament for the top place-getters in the three Daiwa Securities cups,the 1st Daiwa Ladies,and the Daiwa Amateur tournament,all played on the Net. The game that attracted most attention was actually one in the second round,in which Kobayashi Izumi,winner of the Ladies Cup,clashed with her husband Cho U. As mentioned in our report at the beginning of May,this game was won by Cho.
  After that,Cho beat Kono Rin in one semifinal and Iyama Yuta beat Komatsu Hideki in the other. In the final,played on 13 July,Iyama (B) defeated Cho by resignation. This could be a good omen for Iyama,as previously he had scored only one win against Cho in six encounters.

Kisei Leagues

  Iyama Yuta 7-dan has taken the sole lead,at least temporarily,by defeating Kataoka Satoshi 9-dan in the A League. In a game played on 10 July,Iyama (W) defeated Kataoka by resignation.
  In the B League,Cho U has the sole lead with two wins. Everyone else has lost at least one game.

in the chart  * B=playing black
* 1=win, 0=loss
The 33rd Kisei League

 League A
Place RNK Player Cho O Iyama Takao Kataoka Yuki Score
  1 Cho Chikun - B1
June

Sep.
B
July

Oct.
B
Aug
1-0
  2 O Rissei 0
June
- B
Oct.

Sep.
B
Aug

July
0-1
  3 Iyama Yuta B
Sep.

Oct.
- B
Aug
1
July
B1
June
2-0
  4 Takao Shinji
July
B
Sep.

Aug
- B1
June

Oct.
1-0
  5 Kataoka Satoshi B
Oct.

Aug
B0
July
0
June
- B
Sep.
0-2
  5 Yuki satoshi
Aug
B
July
2
June
B
Oct.

Sep.
- 0-1
 League B
Place RNK Player  Cho   Kato  Yoda Hane Kono Honda Score
  1 Cho U -
Sep
B
Oct.

Aug
B1
June
1
July
2-0
  2 Kato Atsushi B
Sep.
- 0
July
B
Oct.

Aug
B0
June
0-2
  3 Yoda Norimoto
Aug
B1
July
- 0
June
B
Sep.

Oct.
1-1
  4 Hane Naoki B
Aug

Oct.
B1
June
- 0
July
B
Sep.
1-1
  5 Kono Rin 0
June
B
Aug

Sep
B1
July
-
Oct.
1-1
  5 Honda kunihisa B0
July
1
June
B
Aug

Sep
B
Oct.
- 1-1
Link to Kisei title

Cho U reaches Oza Play-off

  The first semifinal in the 56th Oza tournament was held on 7 July. Cho U,taking black,defeated Yuki Satoshi 9-dan by resignation. His opponent in the play-off to decide the challenger to Yamashita Keigo Oza will be the winner of the semifinal between Iyama Yuta 8-dan and Nakano Hironari 9-dan.

64th Honinbo League

  The first of the four vacant seats in the 64th Honinbo League has gone to Nakaonoda Tomomi 9-dan,who defeated Hikosaka Naoto 9-dan in the play-off,held on 10 July. Taking white,Nakaonoda won by resignation. This will be his first Honinbo league,but he has played in a Kisei league.
  The second vacant seat was taken by So Yokoku 8-dan,who,taking white,defeated Ogata Masaki 9-dan on 17 July. So won his way back into the league immediately after dropping out. He will be playing in his fifth league in a row.
  The pairings in the other play-offs are: Cho U Meijin vs. Kono Rin Tengen and Kataoka Satoshi 9-dan vs. Kobayashi Satoru 9-dan.

Yamashiro reaches 1,000 wins

  On 7 July,Yamashiro Hiroshi 9-dan became the 10th player in Japan to score 1,000 wins in official games. His record at this point was 1,000 wins,492 losses,7 jigos.

Women's Meijin League

  This year,in its 21st term,the Women's Meijin League has instituted a league as the final section of the tournament. This is a first for a women's tournament in Japan. There are seven players in the leagues,which means each player plays six games,and the league will last from July to December.
  The first game in the league was played between Kato Keiko 6-dan and Mukai Chiaki 2-dan on 10 July and was won by the former. In the second,played on the 17th,Umezawa Yukari,Women's Kisei,defeated Yoshida Mika 8-dan (B).

1=win, 0=loss
* Date: mm/dd
The 21th Women's Meijin Title Match

RNK Player Kato Kobayashi Umezawa Suzuki Yoshida Chinen Mukai Score
1 Kato Keiko B
Sep.

Oct.
B
Aug.
B
Jan.
1
July.
1-0
2 Kobayashi Izumi
Sep.
B
Dec.

July.
B
Jan.

Aug.
B
Nov.
0-0
3 Umezawa Yukari B
Oct.

Dec.
B
Jan.
1
July.
B
Aug.
1-0
3 Suzuki Ayumi
Nov.
B
July.

Jan.
B
Dec.

Oct.
B
Sep.
0-0
3 Yoshida Mika B
Aug.

Jan.
B0
July.

Dec.
B
Sep.

Oct.
0-1
3 Chinen Kaori
Jan.
B
Aug.

Nov.
B
Oct.

Sep.
B
Dec.
0-0
3 Mukai Chiaki B0
July.

Nov.
B
Aug.

Sep.
B
Oct.

Dec.
0-1
Link to Women's Meijin title

Judan: semifinal pairings in Winners' Section

  The semifinalists in the Winners' Section of the 47th Judan tournament have been decided. The semifinal pairings are: So Yokoku 8-dan vs. Cho Chikun,25th Honinbo,and Cho U Meijin vs. Akiyama Jiro 8-dan. In his quarterfinal,Cho Chikun defeated Iyama Yuta 7-dan in a game played on 17 July.

The 47th Judan Challenger's Tournament
* Date: mm/dd
Title holder: Takao Shinji
The 47th Judan Tournament
Player Round1 Round2 Round3 Round4
So Yokoku  1  So So    
Yasuda Yasutoshi 6 - 5 7 - 10
Kobayashi Satoru 2 Komatsu  
Komatsu Hideki 5 - 15  
Yamashiro Hiroshi 3 Cho Cho
Cho Chikun 6 - 16 7 - 17
Kono Rin 4 Iyama  
Iyama Yuta 5 - 15  
Anzai Nobuaki 5 Akiyama Akiyama  
Akiyama Jiro 5 - 29 7 - 3
O Rissei 6 Mochiduki  
Mochiduki Kenichi 5 - 22  
Ko Iso 7 Cho Cho
Cho U 5 - 22 7 - 3
Nakamura Shinya 8  Nakamura   
Shutou Shun 5 - 15  

The 47th Judan Tournament (loser'tournament)
Player Round1 Round2 Round3 Round4 Round5
1 Yasuda Yasutoshi  Kobayashi         
2 Kobayashi Satoru 7 - 17
3 Yamashiro Hiroshi Yamashiro
4 Kono Rin 7 - 17
5 Anzai Nobuaki Anzai  
6 O Rissei 7 - 3
7 Ko Iso Ko
8 Shutou Shun 7 - 10
9  
10        
11  
12    
13  
14    
15  
Link to Judan title


09 July


Gu of China wins 21st Fujitsu Cup

  Gu Li 9-dan of China has broken the decade-long monopoly of the Fujitsu Cup held by Korea by defeating Yi Ch'ang-ho 9-dan in the final, held at the Nihon Ki-in in Tokyo on 7 July. Taking black, Gu forced a resignation after 205 moves. Yi was the player who started the ten-year winning streak for Korea.
  This year, the latter stages of the Fujitsu Cup were dominated by China, with all three of its players who made it to the quarterfinals winning their games. Chang Hao beat the then titleholder Pak Yeong-hun, while Gu Li showed impressive form in defeating Yi Se-tol. Liu Xing also won, so that meant that China was guaranteed a place in the final. Gu certainly made the most of it.
  Surprisingly, this is only China's second victory in the Fujitsu Cup (the first was by Ma Xiaochun in 1995).
  It has lagged behind Korea and Japan in the individual international championships, having won a total of 13 to Korea's 55 and Japan's 20, but recently it has been making up for lost time. Judging by its recent results, China has a good chance of catching up with Japan before too many more years pass.
  In the play-off for third place, Chang Hao beat Liu Xing. First prize is 15 million yen, second is five million, third, three million, and fourth 1.5 million. The winner of third place gets a personal seed into the next cup.
  In the victory interview, Gu spoke of his joy at winning the Fujitsu Cup in a landmark year for China. In his hometown of Chongqing, he was one of the runners in the relay of the Olympic torch. He was also happy to even the score at four wins each in his rivalry with Yi Ch'ang-ho.

Quarterfinals (Beijing, 7 June)
  Chang Hao 9-dan (China) (W) d. Pak Yeong-hun 9-dan (Korea) by resig.
  Gu Li 9-dan (China) (B) d. Yi Se-tol 9-dan (Korea) by resig.
  Yi Ch'ang-ho 9-dan (Korea) (B) d. Yoda Norimoto 9-dan (Japan) by 3.5 points.
  Liu Xing 7-dan (China) (B) defeated Cho Han-seung 9-dan (Korea) by 1.5 points

Semifinals (5 July)
  Gu (W) d. Chang by resignaiton.
  Yi (W) d. Liu by resig.

Final (7 July)
  Gu (B) d. Yi by resig.

Play-off for 3rd place
  Chang d. Liu

Hane recovers from bad start in Honinbo title match

  Hane Naoki made a terrible start in the 63rd Honinbo title match, losing the first three games to the defending champion Takao Shinji, but he has made a good recovery, saving kadobans in the fourth and fifth games.

Results to date: Game 1 (14, 15 May). Takao (B) by 3.5 points.
Game 2 (27, 28 May). Takao (W) by resignation.
Game 3 (11, 12 June). Takao (B) by resignation.
Game 4 (23, 24 June). Hane (B) by resignation.
Game 4 (2, 3 July). Hane (W) by resignation.

Iyama close to winning Meijin League

  Iyama Yuta 7-dan has kept winning in the 33rd Meijin League and is now very close to securing the right to challenge Cho U for the title. Iyama scored two key wins recently, defeating Cho Chikun 9-dan in the sixth round, then Kobayashi Satoru 9-dan in the seventh. He is the only player with only one loss, so he has a big advantage. If he defeats Yoda Norimoto 9-dan in the final round, he will win the league outright. Even if he loses, he is guaranteed to tie for first place, but his only rival, Yamada Kimio 9-dan, still has two games to play, so there is more pressure on him. His remaining opponents are Cho Chikun and Chien Kaei.

in the chart  ・ B=playing black, W=playing white
・ 1=win, 0=loss
* Date: mm/dd
The 33rd Meijin Challenger's League


RNK Player Takao KIMI HIDE KOBA YODA KO Cho Chin Iyama Score
1 Takao Shinji 1
Apr.
B0
May
1
Jan.
B0
Feb.

Aug.
B1
Dec.
1
July
B0
Mar.
4-3
2 Yamada Kimio B0
Apr.
1
June
B1
Feb.
0
Mar.
B1
Dec.

July
B
Aug.
1
Jan.
4-2
3 Sakai Hideyuki 1
May
B0
June
0
Mar.
B1
Jan.
1
July
B
Aug.
1
Dec.
B0
Feb.
4-3
4 Kobayashi Satoru B0
Jan.
0
Feb.
B1
Mar.
1
Dec.
B0
June
1
Apr.
B1
May
0
July
4-4
5 Yoda Norimoto 1
Feb.
B1
Mar.
0
Jan.
B0
Dec.
0
Apr.
B0
May
1
June
B
Aug.
3-4
6 KO Iso B
Aug.
0
Dec.
B0
July
1
June
B1
Apr.
0
Feb.
B1
Mar.
0
May
3-4
7 Cho Chikun 0
Dec.
B
July

Aug.
B0
Apr.
1
May
B1
Feb.
1
Jan.
B0
June
3-3
7 Chin Kaei B0
July

Aug.
B0
Dec.
0
May
B0
June
0
Mar.
B0
Jan.

Apr.
0-6
7 Iyama Yuta 1
Mar.
B0
Jan.
1
Feb.
B1
July

Aug.
B1
May
1
June
B1
Apr.
6-1
Link to Meijin Title

New Kisei Leagues get under way

  The 33rd Kisei Leagues started on 5 June. In the A League, Cho Chikun, Iyama Yuta and Takao Shinji have made good starts; in the B League, Cho U, Yoda Norimoto, Hane Naoki, and Honda Kunihisa have all scored a win.

in the chart  * B=playing black
* 1=win, 0=loss
The 33rd Kisei League

 League A
Place RNK Player Cho O Iyama Takao Kataoka Yuki Score
  1 Cho Chikun - B1
June

Sep.
B
July

Oct.
B
Aug
1-0
  2 O Rissei 0
June
- B
Oct.

Sep.
B
Aug

July
0-1
  3 Iyama Yuta B
Sep.

Oct.
- B
Aug

July
B1
June
1-0
  4 Takao Shinji
July
B
Sep.

Aug
- B1
June

Oct.
1-0
  5 Kataoka Satoshi B
Oct.

Aug
B
July
2
June
- B
Sep.
0-1
  5 Yuki satoshi
Aug
B
July
2
June
B
Oct.

Sep.
- 0-1
 League B
Place RNK Player  Cho  Kato Yoda Hane Kono Honda Score
  1 Cho U -
Sep
B
Oct.

Aug
B1
June

July
1-0
  2 Kato Atsushi B
Sep
- 0
July
B
Oct.

Aug
B0
June
0-2
  3 Yoda Norimoto
Aug
B1
July
- 0
June
B
Sep

Oct.
1-1
  4 Hane Naoki B
Aug.

Oct.
B1
June
-
July
B
Sep
1-0
  5 Kono Rin 0
June
B
Aug.

Sep
B
July
-
Oct.
0-1
  5 Honda kunihisa B
July
1
June
B
Aug.

Sep
B
Oct.
- 1-0
Link to Kisei Title

1st World Mind Sports Games

  Board games will enter a new era with the holding of the 1st World Mind Sports Games in Beijing in October, after the summer Olympics.
  For the first time, the major board games ? or mind sports ? will gather in one place to hold large-scale international tournaments. Represented will be go, bridge, chess, checkers, and Chinese chess.
  There will be six major go tournaments: men's individual, men's team, women's individual, women's team, open, and Pair Go, spread over two weeks
  The games are being held under the auspices of IMSA, the International Mind Sports Association, which comprises the international organizations for go (the International Go Federation) bridge, chess, and checkers. The actual organization is being carried out by the Chinese Weiqi Association, which has done a remarkable job of securing government backing (from the Chinese national and Beijing city governments) and which has also been very successful in securing sponsorship. Participants in the go events have to pay a light participation fee and transportation, but all their expenses during their stay are being borne by the sponsors.
  The Japanese have announced the selection of a 20-member team, made up of 12 male and eight female players. Judging by the comments made at the press conference announcing the selections, the main weight is going to be placed on the team events.
  Members of the Japanese teams are:

Male) Yamashita Keigo, Takao Shinji, Kono Rin, Kobayashi Satoru, Hane Naoki, Yoda Norimoto, Hikosaka Naoto, Imamura Toshiya, Mimura Tomoyasu, Yamada Kimio, Sakai Hideyuki, and Iyama Yuta

Female) Umezawa Yukari, Suzuki Ayumi, Aoki Kikuyo, Konishi Kazuko, Koyama Terumi, Tsukuda Akiko, Yashiro Kumiko, and Mannami Kana.

Ogawa Tomoko scores 500 wins

  When she defeated Mitani Tetsuya in a game in the C Preliminary of the Kisei tournament on 5 June, Ogawa Tomoko 6-dan became the second woman player in Japan to score 500 wins in official games (the first was Sugiuchi Kazuko 8-dan). Ogawa's record at this point was 500 wins, 511 losses, 9 jigos. She became a professional in 1970.

Cho Chikun scores 1,300 wins

  Cho Chikun has reached a notable landmark by becoming only the second player in Japan to score 1,300 wins. He did this by defeating O Rissei in the opening round of the new Kisei Leagues on 19 June. At this point, Cho had an impressive winning percentage of 65.6 (he had 681 losses, 3 jigos and 4 no-results). It shouldn't be long before he overtakes Rin Kaiho, who is in first place with 1,324 wins.
  No one in Japan is close to Cho Hun-hyeon of Korea, who has scored 1,765 wins. In second place in Korea is his disciple, Yi Ch'ang-ho, with 1,411 wins. In Korea, players play more games per games per year and they have shorter time limits.

Hane scores 1,100 wins

  Hane Yasumasa 9-dan, father of Hane Naoki, reached this landmark on the same day as Cho reached his. His record at this point was 1,100 wins, 568 losses, 5 jigos (65.9%).

Japanese seats in 3rd Toyota & Denso Cup

  The last of the nonseeded Japanese seats in the 4th Toyota & Denso Cup, which is scheduled to start on 23 August, were decided last week. The eight players winning these seats are: Hane Naoki 9-dan, Hikosaka Naoto 9-dan, Yamada Kimio 9-dan, Kono Rin Tengen, Imamura Toshiya 9-dan, Kim Shujun 8-dan, Ogata Masaki 9-dan, and Yoda Norimoto 9-dan. The seeded players are: Cho U Meijin, Yamashita Keigo Kisei, and Takao Shinji Honinbo.

Top game winners

Just after the halfway point for the year (as of 3 July), the top winners in Japan are:

1. Iyama Yuta: 29 wins, 9 losses
2. Hane Naoki: 22-6; Takao Shinji: 22-13
4. Kono Rin: 20-8; Cho Chikun: 20-17
6. Cho U: 19-5; Yamada Kimio: 19-10
8. Yamashita Keigo: 18-10; Ko Iso: 18-11

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