Xie Yimin Advanced To NHK Cup's Quarterfinal

Xie Yimin the Female Triple Crowns (Female Honinbo, Female Meijin, Female Kisei) made an impressive victory at the 59th NHK Cup. She won the 3rd round against last year's NHK Winner, Yamada Kimio (9 dan) in a quick 109 moves.

Xie Yimin

Xie opened the game with a Mini-Chinese Fuseki and Yamada decided to enter Xie's influence sphere with white 20. A fight started with Xie kept on attacking white's invading stones and soon Yamada Kimio found himself in trouble. In the end, Xie killed the stones and won by resignation.

Yamada Kimio

Xie will face another tough opponent as she will play Hane Naoki Gosei at the next round.

Here is the game record:
Xie Yimin (black) vs. Yamada Kimio (white). Result: B+R

(;CA[Windows-1252]SZ[19]AP[MultiGo:4.4.4]EV[59th NHK Cup, round 3]DT[22-01-2012]
PB[Xie Yimin]BR[5p]PW[Yamada Kimio]WR[9p]KM[6.5]RE[B+R]MULTIGOGM[1]
;B[qd];W[dd];B[pp];W[dq];B[do];W[co];B[cn];W[cp];B[fc];W[cf];B[kc];W[qj];B[qi];W[pi]
;B[qh];W[pj];B[ph];W[qn];B[nq];W[od];B[pc];W[le];B[nh];W[jd];B[kd];W[ke];B[je];W[id]
;B[jf];W[mc];B[ib];W[he];B[hc];W[lg];B[jh];W[li];B[fe];W[hg];B[ii];W[hi];B[hj];W[gi]
;B[ij];W[fk];B[dg];W[df];B[eg];W[ef];B[ff];W[fg];B[dj];W[cg];B[ei];W[gj];B[dm];W[ci]
;B[gg];W[fh];B[gf];W[cj];B[mj];W[qe];B[re];W[pe];B[oc];W[rf];B[rd];W[oh];B[og];W[oi]
;B[pf];W[ng];B[nf];W[mg];B[ne];W[kb];B[jc];W[nd];B[qf];W[me];B[ni];W[lj];B[ml];W[hh]
;B[hf];W[lk];B[mk];W[rp];B[ql];W[pl];B[pk];W[qk];B[pm];W[rl];B[ol];W[qm];B[km];W[jl]
;B[hl];W[kl];B[jm];W[jj];B[il];W[fp];B[kf];W[kh];B[mh];W[lc];B[ld])

Yamada Kimio Won NHK Cup

It was perhaps one of the toughest day in Yamada Kimio's career. He reached the final of the NHK Cup for the first time, but faced with someone who has won the same championship 5 times, Yoda Norimoto.


Yamada Kimio

However, Yamada who is hungry for title (the last time he won a championship was Ryusei in 1999) went all out and pulled out a victory from Yoda. This is the 6th title Yamada won since he started his professional career in 1989.


Yoda Norimoto

With this victory, Yamada along with Yoda and Yuki Satoshi will represent Japan at the 23rd Asian TV Cup.

Here is the game record:
Yamada Kimio (black) vs. Yoda Norimoto (white). Result: B+6.5

(;
EV[58th NHK Cup final]
WR[9d]
PW[Yoda Norimoto]
FF[3]
SZ[19]
GM[1]
KM[6.5]
RE[B+6.5]
PB[Yamada Kimio]
DT[2011-03-07]
BR[9d]
;B[pd];W[dd];B[qp];W[dq];B[do];W[op];B[fp];W[qq];B[er];W[bo];B[cp]
;W[cl];B[lp];W[rp];B[qo];W[ro];B[pq];W[pp];B[qn];W[qr];B[pj];W[on]
;B[cf];W[ci];B[fc];W[df];B[dg];W[ef];B[ce];W[cd];B[eg];W[fd];B[ec]
;W[fg];B[di];W[dj];B[ei];W[ch];B[cg];W[ed];B[hc];W[jp];B[ln];W[gr]
;B[hq];W[gq];B[gp];W[hr];B[iq];W[ir];B[cq];W[eq];B[fq];W[jq];B[hp]
;W[fr];B[dr];W[lr];B[gi];W[gd];B[ic];W[gc];B[gb];W[cn];B[cb];W[hg]
;B[nd];W[ii];B[pl];W[qd];B[qc];W[qe];B[rc];W[pe];B[pg];W[od];B[pc]
;W[ne];B[oc];W[oe];B[md];W[ng];B[je];W[jg];B[lf];W[qi];B[pi];W[qh]
;B[qg];W[rg];B[ph];W[ri];B[qj];W[rj];B[rk];W[mg];B[rf];W[qf];B[sh]
;W[rh];B[sj];W[re];B[si];W[sf];B[mj];W[li];B[rn];W[db];B[dc];W[cc]
;B[eb];W[bb];B[el];W[mo];B[mp];W[nq];B[no];W[nn];B[mn];W[ca];B[mr]
;W[mq];B[lq];W[kr];B[oo];W[po];B[np];W[pn];B[oq];W[nr];B[rq];W[rr]
;B[nm];W[or];B[lj];W[ko];B[lo];W[dk];B[fk];W[hb];B[fb];W[id];B[jd]
;W[ib];B[jb];W[hd];B[jc];W[ea];B[ia];W[jm];B[kj];W[ni];B[mf];W[og]
;B[oh];W[mi];B[nf];W[of];B[so];W[sq];B[ji];W[jh];B[ij];W[ki];B[jj]
;W[kl];B[in];W[kn];B[im];W[il];B[hl];W[ml];B[mm];W[br];B[cr];W[fa]
;B[ha];W[dm];B[em];W[dn];B[en];W[io];B[ho];W[hk];B[ik];W[jl];B[hm]
;W[hi];B[hj];W[gh];B[fh];W[if];B[bp];W[ap];B[aq];W[ao];B[bq];W[nl]
;B[ll];W[lk];B[lm];W[mk];B[nj];W[kk];B[om];W[pr];B[pm];W[kf];B[jn]
;W[km];B[jo];W[kp];B[bh];W[bi];B[ag];W[ke];B[ld];W[rl];B[ql];W[sm]
;B[rm];W[kd];B[kc];W[be];B[bf];W[ad];B[ai];W[bj];B[ie];W[he];B[aj]
;W[ak];B[ah];W[bk];B[lg];W[sd];B[sc];W[ok];B[rd];W[oj];B[oi];W[kg]
;B[af];W[gj];B[fi];W[pk];B[qk];W[co];B[ae];W[bd];B[de];W[ee];B[fs]
;W[gs];B[es];W[ip];B[sl];W[dh];B[eh];W[sp];B[se];W[eo];B[dp];W[sd]
;B[ga];W[da];B[se];W[sn];B[so];W[sd];B[pq];W[oq];B[se];W[nk];B[gk]
;W[sd];B[ba];W[aa];B[se];W[sn];B[sd];W[jf];B[kq])

Good Old Rival

It seems that the 58th NHK Cup will provide an interesting match next week. Four times NHK Champion, Cho Chikun will play his archenemy back in the 80s and 90s, two times NHK Champion, Kobayashi Koichi.

The two of them has met many times in many title match games. They also met once at NHK Cup's final back in 2004.


Kobayashi Koichi (left) vs. Cho Chikun at NHK Cup's final in 2004.


Kobayashi Koichi (left) vs. Cho Chikun (right) at the 47th Honinbo title match. Cho who was the title holder won the series by 4-3. He recovered from 0-3 score that time.


Kobayashi Koichi and Cho Chikun at the 10th Kisei title match series. Kobayashi won the series by 4-2.

The game was actually played at July 26, but it will be aired August 22. Kobayashi Koichi beat Lee Ishu (7 dan) at the first round, while Cho Chikun was seeded to second round. I'm looking forward for this match :)

Yuki Satoshi Won NHK Cup for Two Consecutive Years

A great news came for all Yuki satoshi's fans. For the second time, he won the speed go championship which broadcasted weekly, NHK Cup.

Last year, he won the final from Takemiya Masaki. This year, he beat Iyama Yuta Meijin in the final.


Yuki Satoshi

With this, both Yuki and Iyama will represent Japan in the Asian TV Cup. The other participants for Asian TV Cup are Lee Changho and Kang Dongyun of Korea. The representative of China is still unknown.

Here is the game record:

(;
EV[57th NHK Cup final]
WR[Meijin]
PW[Iyama Yuta]
FF[3]
SZ[19]
GM[1]
KM[6.5]
RE[B+3.5]
PB[Yuki Satoshi]
DT[2010-02-22]
BR[NHK Cup]
;B[pd];W[dp];B[qp];W[dc];B[op];W[qf];B[pi];W[nc];B[pf];W[qc];B[pc]
;W[qd];B[qe];W[re];B[pe];W[rg];B[qg];W[rf];B[jd];W[hc];B[df];W[ch]
;B[he];W[ee];B[de];W[ed];B[ef];W[ff];B[fg];W[gf];B[eh];W[hf];B[cc]
;W[cb];B[dd];W[ec];B[if];W[ig];B[jg];W[ih];B[bb];W[jf];B[ie];W[jh]
;B[kg];W[kf];B[lf];W[lg];B[kh];W[ke];B[lh];W[le];B[mg];W[kc];B[db]
;W[eb];B[ck];W[da];B[fq];W[cm];B[dj];W[qh];B[cq];W[dq];B[cp];W[co]
;B[dr];W[eo];B[dn];W[en];B[eq];W[dm];B[qi];W[mq];B[nq];W[mp];B[iq]
;W[nn];B[jj];W[gg];B[mo];W[pq];B[pp];W[nr];B[no];W[oq];B[np];W[ri]
;B[qk];W[kq];B[qr];W[rj];B[rk];W[fh];B[eg];W[gq];B[gr];W[hr];B[hq]
;W[gp];B[fr];W[km];B[ko];W[ki];B[ph];W[pg];B[og];W[li];B[mi];W[kk]
;B[mk];W[lk];B[ml];W[fi];B[ei];W[ek];B[in];W[jo];B[io];W[jp];B[go]
;W[jn];B[im];W[bl];B[bk];W[ej];B[ci];W[bc];B[cd];W[ik];B[ll];W[kl]
;B[qg];W[rh];B[qb];W[rb];B[rc];W[rd];B[ra];W[sb];B[lc];W[lb];B[md]
;W[mc];B[ld];W[kd];B[nd];W[nb];B[jb];W[kb];B[ob];W[me];B[ne];W[ma]
;B[hl];W[hk];B[ba];W[qq];B[rq];W[pr];B[ps];W[or];B[rr];W[ir];B[fp]
;W[jr];B[bo];W[bn];B[bp];W[lm];B[mm];W[qj];B[pj];W[bd];B[be];W[ln]
;B[mn];W[gl];B[jc];W[ka];B[oa];W[na];B[mf];W[sk];B[sl];W[sj];B[rl]
;W[cr];B[br];W[ap];B[aq];W[ak];B[aj];W[al];B[bj];W[lo];B[fm];W[gm]
;B[fn];W[an];B[ao];W[fl];B[oc];W[ca];B[ad];W[il];B[ep];W[do];B[os]
;W[ns];B[qs];W[lr];B[hm];W[gn];B[em];W[cn];B[fo];W[ip];B[hp];W[jm]
;B[ho];W[mj];B[nj];W[lj];B[hs];W[is];B[gs];W[el];B[pg])