Mannami Kana Won Daiwa Ladies Cup

After a lot of struggle, Mannami Kana (4 dan) won the 4th Daiwa Ladies Cup. The tournament sponsored by Daiwa Security, is part of the Daiwa tournaments' series.


Mannami Kana

Mannami met Okuda Aya who made surprise by beating last year's champion, Xie Yimin at the first round.


Okuda Aya

The game started with a recently popular fuseki. I personally don't like the opening as I think a pincer is stronger here. A big fight started early. White's groups got separated and went into a difficult position. Okuda Aya showed a clever sequence to save her group at the upper right.

The game ended at move 296 with black's 6.5 points victory.

Here's the game record:

(;CA[Windows-1252]SZ[19]AP[MultiGo:4.4.4]EV[4th Daiwa Ladies Cup, final]DT[2010-07-17]
PB[Mannami Kana]BR[4p]PW[Okuda Aya]WR[2p]KM[6.5]HA[0]RE[B+6.5]MULTIGOGM[1]
;B[qd];W[dc];B[pp];W[dp];B[oc];W[qn];B[nq];W[qj];B[de];W[ce];B[cf];W[cd];B[ql];W[rl]
;B[rk];W[qk];B[rm];W[pl];B[qm];W[pm];B[pn];W[rn];B[sl];W[qq];B[qo];W[ro];B[qi];W[pq]
;B[no];W[nl];B[pk];W[pj];B[ok];W[nm];B[oj];W[pi];B[rj];W[qh];B[ri];W[kp];B[lo];W[kl]
;B[ko];W[ip];B[io];W[hp];B[il];W[oh];B[mj];W[ik];B[hl];W[mh];B[li];W[kj];B[lh];W[nd]
;B[od];W[ne];B[ii];W[hk];B[gk];W[hi];B[ih];W[ij];B[mg];W[ng];B[mf];W[oe];B[gl];W[gj]
;B[ld];W[nc];B[qf];W[qc];B[qb];W[pb];B[pc];W[ob];B[rc];W[lc];B[kc];W[kb];B[jc];W[mb]
;B[df];W[hh];B[hg];W[gg];B[ig];W[gf];B[cj];W[le];B[ke];W[md];B[kd];W[ie];B[lk];W[kk]
;B[dq];W[eq];B[cq];W[er];B[bo];W[jf];B[kf];W[jg];B[jh];W[kg];B[lg];W[me];B[lf];W[hc]
;B[mi];W[ll];B[nh];W[og];B[oi];W[dn];B[cp];W[do];B[cm];W[dm];B[cl];W[dk];B[dl];W[el]
;B[ek];W[fk];B[ej];W[fj];B[fl];W[em];B[or];W[pr];B[ei];W[lq];B[mq];W[oq];B[ho];W[mn]
;B[mo];W[jo];B[jn];W[jp];B[km];W[go];B[gn];W[op];B[lr];W[kr];B[lp];W[kq];B[fo];W[gp]
;B[fm];W[np];B[fp];W[ep];B[fq];W[gr];B[mp];W[mr];B[nr];W[ls];B[jl];W[eg];B[bf];W[ed]
;B[fr];W[fs];B[gq];W[hq];B[dd];W[bc];B[ib];W[hb];B[hr];W[gs];B[ee];W[fd];B[ha];W[dh]
;B[ci];W[ln];B[kn];W[oo];B[rp];W[qp];B[sn];W[po];B[so];W[on];B[be];W[ch];B[bh];W[ph]
;B[fa];W[nk];B[nj];W[eb];B[fh];W[fg];B[dr];W[in];B[hn];W[rg];B[rf];W[gb];B[ga];W[bd]
;B[ds];W[es];B[sq];W[rq];B[sp];W[sr];B[sm];W[sf];B[se];W[sg];B[pe];W[cn];B[bn];W[rr]
;B[fe];W[ge];B[fb];W[fc];B[nf];W[of];B[ka];W[la];B[jb];W[ja];B[id];W[hd];B[ad];W[ac]
;B[ae];W[mk];B[pa];W[oa];B[qa];W[cg];B[bg];W[di];B[dj];W[lj];B[lm];W[mm];B[ps];W[qs]
;B[ol];W[ir];B[om];W[pn];B[ea];W[da];B[ia];W[ka];B[if];W[je];B[pf];W[sh];B[si];W[os]
;B[ns];W[ms];B[gi];W[ps];B[fi];W[hj];B[kh];W[he];B[im];W[jj];B[fn];W[hs];B[jd];W[qg]
;B[co];W[gh];B[ki];W[eh];B[ji];W[nn];B[rh];W[dg];B[ef];W[ff];B[pg];W[hf];B[jk];W[en]
;B[ic];W[eo];B[])

Xie Yimin Won Daiwa Ladies Cup for the Second Time

Xie Yimin (Female Meijin, Female Honinbo) repeated her success last year by winning the 3rd Daiwa Ladies Cup.
Xie Yimin met the 1st Daiwa Ladies Cup's champion, Kobayashi Izumi (6 dan).



Kobayashi Izumi who played white in this game opened the game agressively. She didn't take the last empty corner, instead she directly approach black.
Xie played by the ame fighting spirit, by playing a pincer to response Kobayashi's ikken takagakari (one space high approach). Black's answer at move 11 is rather rare nowadays, but perhaps
Xie was afraid of the possible variation (11 B-O4, W-O2, B-R2, W-R3, B-P2, W-N2), as the ladder was favorable for white.


The game was commented by Shuto Shun and the move reader was Suzuki Ayumi

The game proceed difficultly and the battle spreaded all over the board. After 343 moves, Xie Yimin won the game by 3.5 points.
Xie Yimin won the cup for two concecutive years. She also met Kobayashi Izumi in the final last year.