Hane Naoki's Honinbo Hunt

It was a sad 29 June 2010 for Hane Naoki. It was the day when he lost his Honinbo title to Yamashita Keigo. The meeting result between the two was less favorable for Hane (24-12 in Yamashita's favor) and he failed to break the jinx down and lost his only title.

This time, Hane Naoki is back for a revenge. He won the last game against O Rissei (9 dan) with a slim 0.5 point margin to win the challenger's seat. He will play Yamashita Keigo Honinbo on May 11-12 and will continue in a best-of-7 series.


Hane Naoki (left) vs. O Rissei (right)

Here is the game Hane played earlier at the league:
Hane Naoki (black) vs. Seto Taiki (white). Result: B+R

(;DT[2011-03-03]EV[66th Japanese Honinbo, league]
PB[Hane Naoki]PW[Seto Taiki]
KM[6.5]RE[B+R]SO[Go4Go.net]
;B[qd];W[dd];B[pq];W[dq];B[do];W[oc];B[cq];W[qo];B[ld];W[me]
;B[od];W[nd];B[oe];W[pc];B[qc];W[le];B[jd];W[lc];B[qk];W[qg]
;B[qf];W[rf];B[re];W[pf];B[qe];W[ok];B[op];W[ql];B[fc];W[cf]
;B[pl];W[pk];B[qm];W[rl];B[rm];W[rk];B[qj];W[rj];B[ol];W[nl]
;B[pn];W[qi];B[nk];W[ml];B[nn];W[dl];B[dp];W[eq];B[cr];W[ip]
;B[gq];W[go];B[cj];W[ek];B[dg];W[cg];B[ej];W[fj];B[ei];W[fk]
;B[gh];W[fd];B[gd];W[fe];B[ec];W[dc];B[ge];W[fg];B[fh];W[gf]
;B[hf];W[hg];B[gg];W[ff];B[ie];W[ig];B[hi];W[hb];B[mc];W[lb]
;B[ib];W[kd];B[ic];W[ik];B[ij];W[jk];B[jj];W[kk];B[ke];W[md]
;B[kg];W[qq];B[pr];W[mp];B[mo];W[lp];B[lo];W[kp];B[fo];W[rn]
;B[sm];W[rp];B[rr];W[pp];B[po];W[qr];B[qs];W[oq];B[qp];W[if]
;B[he];W[pp];B[nq];W[kf];B[or];W[je];B[ch];W[bh];B[bi];W[dh]
;B[ci];W[eg];B[bl];W[db];B[eb];W[fn];B[fp];W[bm];B[cl];W[id]
;B[gb];W[jc];B[hc];W[cm];B[bg];W[bf];B[ah];W[gn];B[af];W[bd]
;B[ir];W[ko];B[lm];W[kn];B[hk];W[hl];B[nj];W[oi];B[ll];W[mk]
;B[lk];W[mj];B[kj];W[lj];B[ni];W[nh];B[mi];W[li];B[mh];W[lh]
;B[ng];W[mg];B[oh];W[oj];B[nh];W[ph];B[of];W[jh];B[lg];W[mf]
;B[jm];W[km];B[kl];W[il];B[jl];W[in];B[dk];W[dm];B[ad];W[be]
;B[ae];W[ac];B[ag];W[hh];B[gi];W[qb];B[rb];W[ra];B[pb];W[pa]
;B[qa];W[bk];B[ak];W[qb];B[ob];W[nb];B[qa];W[aj];B[al];W[qb]
;B[nm];W[kh];B[qa];W[eh];B[fi];W[qb];B[rg];W[rh];B[qa];W[am]
;B[ck];W[qb];B[sf];W[rc];B[qa];W[ai];B[bj];W[qb];B[pg];W[sb]
;B[qh];W[ai];B[aj];W[qg];B[og];W[rs];B[ss];W[mr];B[qh];W[sh]
;B[pi];W[pj];B[kr];W[np];B[no];W[rq];B[mq];W[sq];B[so];W[lr]
;B[ps];W[nr];B[qn];W[bp];B[bo];W[ao];B[cp];W[bb];B[gk];W[gl]
;B[en];W[em];B[bq])

Two players Bounced Back

Two players at the 35th isei tournament League B bounced back to the league from their 0-2 condition.

The first player is Hane Naoki (Agon) who beat Iyama Yuta (Meijin) in a fighting game. The game was difficult with Iyama tried to save his invading stones most of the time. Hane won the game by resignation at move 125 when he killed Iyama's group at the bottom board.


Hane Naoki


Iyama Yuta

Here is the game record:

(;
KM[6.5]
EV[35th Kisei league]
GM[1]
SZ[19]
FF[3]
PW[Iyama Yuta]
PB[Hane Naoki]
DT[2010-08-05]
WR[Meijin]
RE[B+R]
BR[9d]
;B[pd];W[dd];B[qp];W[dq];B[oq];W[ck];B[pj];W[jp];B[fc];W[df];B[mc]
;W[do];B[fe];W[ec];B[fb];W[fg];B[hf];W[jf];B[hh];W[jd];B[jh];W[ld]
;B[md];W[me];B[ne];W[nf];B[mf];W[le];B[lf];W[he];B[ge];W[nd];B[oe]
;W[nc];B[lb];W[nb];B[jb];W[qc];B[pc];W[pb];B[ic];W[ng];B[mh];W[kh]
;B[mg];W[pe];B[of];W[qd];B[pf];W[qe];B[qf];W[ji];B[jg];W[mp];B[no]
;W[gi];B[ij];W[ln];B[cq];W[cp];B[eq];W[dr];B[ep];W[dp];B[hp];W[hn]
;B[io];W[kg];B[ki];W[li];B[kj];W[kf];B[od];W[id];B[ob];W[hc];B[hb]
;W[jc];B[ib];W[qb];B[kc];W[nh];B[mi];W[lj];B[kk];W[lh];B[ni];W[oi]
;B[nj];W[nk];B[oj];W[lk];B[ll];W[ml];B[mm];W[nm];B[mn];W[ok];B[lm]
;W[pm];B[iq];W[jq];B[ir];W[nq];B[or];W[jr];B[nr];W[km];B[in];W[im]
;B[hm];W[il];B[jn];W[np];B[op];W[kn];B[jm];W[lq];B[on];W[om];B[mr]
;W[kl];B[jl];W[gr];B[ko])

You can download the game by clicking here .

The Second player is Akiyama Jiro (8 dan). He beat O Rissei (9 dan) by 5.5 points.


Akiyama Jiro


O Rissei

Here is the game record:

(;
EV[35th Kisei league]
KM[6.5]
FF[3]
SZ[19]
GM[1]
PW[Akiyama Jiro]
WR[8d]
DT[2010-08-05]
BR[9d]
RE[W+5.5]
PB[O Rissei]
;B[qd];W[od];B[pp];W[dq];B[oc];W[nc];B[pc];W[dd];B[nd];W[pj];B[qn]
;W[kp];B[cn];W[fp];B[ck];W[mc];B[fc];W[hc];B[df];W[fd];B[cc];W[ec]
;B[cd];W[nq];B[pr];W[pg];B[jc];W[kd];B[gc];W[gd];B[hb];W[hd];B[eb]
;W[oe];B[gb];W[jd];B[fj];W[hj];B[gh];W[ih];B[ok];W[mj];B[oj];W[oi]
;B[pi];W[qi];B[io];W[el];B[fl];W[fm];B[gl];W[cm];B[dm];W[em];B[dn]
;W[ej];B[gm];W[cj];B[fn];W[dl];B[cl];W[dk];B[bj];W[en];B[ci];W[dj]
;B[bm];W[eh];B[fo];W[eo];B[gp];W[gq];B[fq];W[ep];B[hp];W[gr];B[hq]
;W[fr];B[kl];W[kn];B[il];W[mm];B[ji];W[ii];B[jj];W[lk];B[jh];W[ig]
;B[li];W[mi];B[pk];W[ph];B[jq];W[kq];B[no];W[jm];B[hk];W[jl];B[ij]
;W[qb];B[nb];W[mb];B[rd];W[ql];B[qk];W[rk];B[om];W[rm];B[rn];W[bo]
;B[ch];W[na];B[ob];W[rf];B[qf];W[rg];B[rb];W[gj];B[fi];W[fk];B[gk]
;W[hi];B[lh];W[de];B[ce];W[bk];B[ak];W[dg];B[cp];W[co];B[do];W[bp]
;B[cq];W[dp];B[br];W[bn];B[cm];W[bq];B[cr];W[ar];B[ef];W[cg];B[bh]
;W[cf];B[dc];W[ee];B[ei];W[di];B[dh];W[ff];B[dr];W[er];B[an];W[bs]
;B[kc];W[bg];B[ah];W[or];B[oq];W[op];B[pq];W[np];B[oo];W[nr];B[ek]
;W[eq];B[fk];W[mo];B[ao];W[ds];B[lf];W[me];B[jf];W[if];B[kr];W[jp]
;B[ir];W[lr];B[sm];W[qj];B[sl];W[rl];B[gf];W[jg];B[kg];W[je];B[re]
;W[nn];B[on];W[jk];B[ik];W[kj];B[im];W[be];B[bd];W[kf];B[nm];W[mn]
;B[ap];W[cs];B[nf];W[ne];B[qg];W[pf];B[qe];W[rh];B[lj];W[kk];B[ic]
;W[mg];B[lc];W[ld];B[lg];W[oa];B[pa];W[ma];B[qc];W[mf];B[ed];W[eg]
;B[id];W[gg];B[os];W[ki];B[kh];W[ks];B[in];W[ie];B[hg];W[fg];B[hh]
;W[hf];B[jr];W[ns];B[ps];W[ja];B[ml];W[ia];B[ha];W[ll];B[mh];W[nh]
;B[pl];W[nl];B[nk];W[mk];B[rj];W[sj];B[qm];W[ri];B[ae];W[af];B[bf]
;W[ag];B[ai];W[be];B[ad];W[hr];B[js];W[ip];B[iq];W[ls];B[jo];W[ko]
;B[sf];W[sg];B[se];W[le];B[sn];W[sk];B[nj];W[hs];B[ib];W[ka];B[ec]
;W[bf])

You can download the game by clicking here .

If Yamashiro Hiroshi won from Ryu Shikun, he will be the leader. The game's date is still unknown.

Taiwanese Players' Showdown

The two winners from both league A and league B in the 34th Japanese Kisei have been decided.

In league A, O Rissei (9 dan) made clear swept ater his last victory from Lee Ishu by 1.5 moku. O beat Yoda Norimoto, Takao Shinji, Hane Naoki, Kiyonari Tetsuya, and Lee Ishu to won his right for the challenger decision match's seat.


O Riseei

We have Cho U (Meijin, Judan, Tengen, Oza, Gosei, Agon) as the League B winner with 4-1 result. He beat Iyama Yuta, Cho Chikun. Miyazawa Goro, and Akiyama Jiro to became O Rissei's opponent in the challenger decision match.

Yoda Norimoto the previous League B winner ended up in second place with 3-2 result, while the demoted players are Kiyonari Tetsuya and Lee Ishu who both gained their seats through the preliminaries early this year.

In League A the second placer is Akiyama Jiro who won his seat from the preliminaries this year. Iyama Yuta who was League A winner last year didn't do well this time. He ended up at the fourth place. Lucky for him that his rank in the league was better from Cho Chikun. As the result, Iyama was saved from the demotion, while Cho along with Miyazawa Goro got demoted.


Cho U

If Cho U win the right to be challenger, it will be his first shot for this title. Kisei is the only top 7 title in Japan that he never won before. O Rissei has won the title three times before. He won it concecutively from 2000-2002, before he lost it to Yamashita Keigo. For Yamashita Keigo Kisei, winning the title is very important. If he won the title again, it will be his fifth concecutive victory, which mean that he will be honored the title Honorary Kisei