Seki and Victory

The third game of the 9th Jeongganjang Cup was played earlier this day. Moon Dowon (2 dan) of South Korea met Chinen Kaori (4 dan) a veteran player from Japan.


Chinen Kaori (left) vs. Moon Dowon (right)

The game was fierce since the very beginning. Chinen started an attack to Moon's group at the left side with black 37. Moon countered by separating black's stones at the bottom side and bottom right corner. Later, white separated black's group and found a counter attack against black's group at the bottom board.

Chinen showed an interesting life and death situation starting with black 157. She sacrificed 5 stones in order to get a seki position. White took sente at the end of complicated fighthing and got out with a big territory at the upper side. Moon Dowon won the game by 10.5 points.


Moon Dowon (left) and Chinen Kaori (right)

So far this is the most interesting game of the tournament. Let see if Moon Dowon can win the fourth game tomorrow.


Post game

Here is the game record:
Moon Dowon (white) vs. Chinen Kaori (black). Result: W+10.5

(;CA[Windows-1252]SZ[19]AP[MultiGo:4.4.4]GN[Rated game]EV[9th Jeongganjang Cup, game 3]
DT[2011-01-10]PB[Chinen Kaori]BR[4p]PW[Moon Dowon]WR[2p]KM[6.5]HA[0]RE[W+10.5]MULTIGOGM[1]
;B[pd];W[dd];B[qp];W[dp];B[op];W[qf];B[pi];W[nd];B[pf];W[qc];B[qe];W[pc];B[lc];W[nb]
;B[fq];W[cn];B[jq];W[fc];B[fo];W[dk];B[be];W[cd];B[ci];W[cf];B[ei];W[fk];B[bk];W[gi]
;B[cl];W[dr];B[dn];W[co];B[dm];W[dh];B[di];W[jc];B[ii];W[ij];B[jj];W[ik];B[hi];W[jk]
;B[gh];W[kj];B[ji];W[ll];B[jm];W[ln];B[lp];W[qq];B[ro];W[jn];B[km];W[lm];B[im];W[kn]
;B[gj];W[hl];B[hm];W[ol];B[nk];W[nl];B[lk];W[kk];B[mk];W[kl];B[mi];W[ok];B[pj];W[lh]
;B[li];W[kp];B[kq];W[mp];B[lo];W[np];B[mq];W[oo];B[mo];W[no];B[mn];W[nn];B[pp];W[nq]
;B[pn];W[qn];B[mm];W[ml];B[nm];W[om];B[po];W[on];B[or];W[nr];B[pr];W[ip];B[hr];W[gp]
;B[gq];W[gn];B[gm];W[fn];B[fm];W[ki];B[kh];W[kg];B[jh];W[go];B[fp];W[en];B[eo];W[em]
;B[el];W[in];B[fl];W[do];B[dl];W[ni];B[mh];W[jp];B[er];W[ql];B[pm];W[qk];B[rj];W[rk]
;B[ri];W[rn];B[rm];W[qm];B[sn];W[rq];B[qr];W[rp];B[qo];W[rr];B[qs];W[iq];B[ir];W[lr]
;B[lq];W[sm];B[sl];W[sk];B[so];W[rl];B[sm];W[kr];B[jr];W[mr];B[ks];W[js];B[cr];W[dq]
;B[ds];W[br];B[bp];W[cq];B[cs];W[bq];B[bm];W[bn];B[bs];W[ar];B[an];W[ap];B[ao];W[bo]
;B[aq];W[cp];B[ap];W[am];B[ap];W[ls];B[al];W[hq];B[an];W[ao];B[ho];W[hn];B[es];W[is]
;B[gr];W[fs];B[am];W[ns];B[bf];W[kd];B[bd];W[bc];B[id];W[ic];B[me];W[ld];B[gd];W[gc]
;B[rd];W[oq];B[pq];W[gf];B[hf];W[bg];B[bb];W[ac];B[ce];W[de];B[cg];W[df];B[ch];W[od]
;B[rc];W[of];B[og];W[oe];B[pe];W[rb];B[ng];W[gk];B[hj];W[hk];B[kf];W[ad];B[bh];W[ge]
;B[he];W[fd];B[sb];W[ra];B[oj];W[ek];B[hd];W[lf];B[lg];W[mf];B[nf];W[ke];B[jf];W[ne]
;B[gg];W[dg];B[fg];W[os];B[sr];W[ef];B[ff];W[fe];B[hc];W[hb];B[cc];W[cb];B[mg];W[le]
;B[ag];W[qj];B[qi];W[sj];B[si];W[rs];B[sp];W[lj];B[mj];W[cj];B[bj];W[je];B[ie];W[eh]
;B[ae];W[dc];B[fh];W[fj];B[fi];W[qd];B[re];W[hs];B[gs];W[ks];B[ko];W[jo];B[cm];W[jd]
;B[sq];W[qb];B[ss];W[sa];B[sc];W[pl];B[fr];W[as];B[bp];W[aq];B[bp];W[ap];B[ck];W[dj]
;B[ej];W[gl];B[jl];W[il];B[pk];W[ps];B[eg])

Xie Yimin Defended Her Female Meijin

One of the current strongest female player in Japan is Xie Yimin. Holding many titles in such young age, make her one of the Japanese promising player.

This year, as the title holder, she was challenged by Chinen Kaori for her Female Meijin title.

The first game was played in March 4, at Chiyoda, Tokyo.

In this game, Chinen Kaori played as black and Xie Yimin played as white. Chinen played the opening that was popularized by Lee changho. Black got a very nice thickness in the right side after the joseki they finished in move 26. I wonder if the sequence from move 27-32 is conidered as joseki. I saw a lot of Japanese player played this sequence (and I think the sequence is only favourited in Japan, I think Cho U played this sequence very much in the past). The pincer at move 33 was natural. It worked well with black's thickness in the right side.


board position up to move 83


The fight started a move 63, where black cut white's formation. It was clear that black was confident that she was able to killed white's group, due to her thickness in the right side, but Xie successfully saved her group in move 118.

The game went pretty good for Xie Yimin after that, as she successfully handle Chinen's attack in the left side. Xie won the game after she revived her group in the bottom, using the cut she got after black defended her threatened group in the left.



Xie Yimin, Female Honinbo won the first game by resignation.

The second game was played in March 17. This time, Chinen Kaori payback the first game, by winning the second game by 3.5 points margin.


Board position up to move 88

The game started by Chinen successfully created a moyo in the left side up to move 38. Xie invaded the moyo in move 41 and successfully reduce the moyo. The only problem Xie got was that she ended in gote. Up to move 80, I think the opening was slightly better for Chinen.

I think Xie's move at move 83 was not very good. She tried to split white's stones at H15 and G11, it was success and she completely saved her earlier invading group, but I personally think the aji was bad as Chinen had a probe stone at R17. The move also made her group in the right became thin.

Chinen played a very good yose and eventually won the game after 290 moves.

The last and deciding game was played in April Fool day.Xie Yimin played as black and Chinen Kaori played as white.

The game started with Chinen (for the third time in this title match) playing for thickness in the left side. The sequence from move 21-36 is worth to learn, as it usually appears in a game.


Board position up to move 87

Chinen's move at move 66 was excitin. She took territory without leaving aji. It's a good decision, comparing to using iken-tobi in this situation.



A fight started at move 92. Chinen threated Xie's group in the middle and in the upper right corner, but surprisingly, Chinen sacrificed the attacking group, for a moyo in the left. Looking the dangerous moyo created, Xie played the famous tesuij at move 147 and tried to gave life to the group. A sabaki started. In the end, Xie gave life to the group and won the game, as Chinen Kaori resigned at move 207.



Xie Yimin defended her title that she took from Kato Keiko last year. The prize money for first placer is ¥5,100,000.

Chinen Kaori Challenge Xie Yimin For the 21st Female Meijin sen

The teenager title holder, Xie Yimin, will be challenged by Chinen Kaori 4dan.

Chinen Kaori (left) won the right to challenge after winning the first place in the league with 4-2 score.It's actually kinda surprise, because Kato Keiko was leading the league, but ended up with 3-3 score due to her straight loses in her last 2 games and put her in the third place.Suzuki Ayumi, who lost to Xie Yimin (right) in the 27th Female Honinbo title match, ended up in second place. She also had 4-2 score, but it seems that she wasranked #2 due to his 2.5 points lost to Chinen Kaori. Umezawa Yukari, the current Female Kisei title holder ended in fourth place with 3-3 score. She was lucky, becauseshe was tied with Yoshida Mika (8 dan), but due to her resignation victory, she wasn't demoted from the league.Bad news for 3 bottom players. Kobayashi Izumi (6 dan), Yoshida Mika (8 dan), and Mukai Chiaki (2 dan) are demoted from the league.

Chinen Kaori has won 2 titles so far. They're Female Kisei in 2002,2003,and 2005 and Female Honinbo in 1997-1999 and in 2004.Her first title in the 1997 Female Honinbo was pretty interesting and involved huge press conference due to her pregnancy, as by that point the baby was expected any day.The game four (which she won along with the title) was played in Yugen no Ma in Nihon Kiin.
one interesting point about this 21st Female Meijin league is the fact that the league system is just being used this time. They were using double elimination system before.
The first round's date is yet unknown but expected to be played in February. Last year Xie Yimin won 2 straight games, all by 0.5 point. I wonder who will win this time.