For Japan, I could find Ichiriki, Shibano...and Sumire

There is another player, but I am missing it.

Anybody?

I didn't see Shibano (or Iyama), but Sada Atsushi is there, and Kyo Kagen under his Taiwanese name (Xu Jiayuan).

And Sumire, of course. She was one of two wild cards. Korean O Yu-chin was the other, simply in recognition of being female world No. 3. Sumire's selection was based on a more complex set of factors: a current score of 39-19, a score of 5-2 in the Chinese Women's League, winning the Discovery Cup, and achieving a satisfactory result in her previous wild-card appearance in the Mlily Cup (though that was in 2019). Neither her age nor her sex was mentioned, but I don't believe for one moment these weren't factors.

The draw has been structured to avoid same-country pairings. Sumire is drawn against Kweon Hyo-chin 4-dan. (16 Koreans, 11 Chinese, 4 Japanese counting Kyo Kagen, and 1 Taiwanese, Xu Haohong). O Yu-chin plays Ichiriki. The highlight pairing is Pak Cheong=-hwan versus Ke Jie (they are lifetime 14-14 so far).

Yoda Norimoto qualified for Japan but was supposedly blocked from playing by the Nihon Ki-in. If so, I have seen no explanation of this. Anyone?

Looks like I made a mistake. Shibano is not there.

Ichiriki is 2, Kyo Kagen is 4, Sada is 18 and Sumire is 20. All very close in the chart.

It's a lot easier when you know what to look for.

Maybe he withdrew for some personal reasons, or he qualified as a spare?

He hasn't addressed it on his youtube channel 依田紀基チャンネル

Re Yoda: I found an explanation in the Mainichi Shinbun of 14 October 2022.

It seems he was suspended for six months by the Nihon Ki-in's executive board for repeatedly criticising the Ki-in on Twitter. The suspension was delayed while Yoda took it to court, but he's just lost.

The Ki-in acted because Yoda's tweets allegedly pissed off a 19-year sponsor who then withdrew. It goes back to at least 2020, and I can't be bothered to research it any further, so I don't know what his supposed beef was. He has had alleged run-ins before.

Nakamure Sumire was picked as a wildcard to replace Yoda Norimoto but whaaa . . . That whole seniors tournament drama where Yoda Norimoto's comments according to the Nihon Kiin upset the sponsors
of the Igo Masters Cup was in 2020. It seems a bit much for that to be causing something like this 2 years later. But why let him play in the Senior-section qualifier tournament? Is it that SFMI arranged the prelims and then the Nihon Kiin said no. They're still bitter about an incident two years ago? Or has the ban only applied now, but I thought I remember that had already taken place not to long after the incident. Hmm . . .

The thing is the same year the Igo Masters Cup ended, it was basically replaced by the Korean-sponsored Shinan International Senior Baduk Cup. Which is a more relevant tournament to fans!

It appears to have to do with Yoda's aggressive approach in communicating his protests regarding various matters at the Nihon Kiin in 2019 and 2020. Maybe the most explosive is that he seems to have felt that he was pressured to forfeit a game in June(?) 2019 (and still blamed for the tournaments demise). I scanned some articles with google translate but it looks like a matter that should be handled with much care. For example I don't know if there is any truth to that he had a stroke during this period, that his communications were indeed very explosive, or if certain direct quotes don't qualify as apologizing in Japan. Then there are pictures of him receiving what appear to be papers and being dressed down at a long table in a side room, in front of the press, when he turned up for his game the day after the suspension was decided and was to come into force. That could actually be meant to show respect, was it mano a mano to confront him outside the playing hall like happened?

Maybe we better forget about it?

The same news was discussed on OGS and I looked at it a bit. Seems like there was also an issue with his wife who was previously working for the Kiin in some capacity. I haven't researched it myself but my first impression was that he got off easy with a suspension.

As for Samsung, I'm not replacing my TV until all the pixels go out, you hear me!

Although they are the Fire and Marine Insurance branch. I sent a letter to them in the summer discussing there tournament system, saying they should mix the special preliminaries for female, senior and world group into a mixed special preliminary for all those groups with 5 places, then pair winners from the special preliminaries with players from the contingent with the fewest representatives. It was the second letter I ever sent in my life. I couple of days before I sent a letter to the Taiwanese Presidential Office advising what the best technique for Foreign Relations would be that would garuantee security from other countries. Although I guess it's probably unlikely that the president herself saw it.

Do you have a private boat you want to insure?

Now there is some indication that Yoda intents to appeal, of course only from one of those translated articles https://www.reddit.com/r/proweiqi/comments/y5ajip/comment/ismchua/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3. The original is on Yahoo! JAPAN which is boycotting the EEA and UK (why not Switzerland? Forget that I asked and let the Swiss enjoy if they can).

The more I read about it my mind speculates that Yoda may have simply described his personal experience, maybe aggressively for Japanese standards or even most standards, then made various efforts to apologize and even removed his statements. I don't know if he is lucky to get away with a 6 month suspension. Attitudes toward angry words wary across the world and so do attitudes toward free expression of a person's views. Maybe he should take it to CAS instead of Japanese courts if he wishes to appeal.

Usually the press is awful when it comes to discerning facts about any dispute so I wouldn't form a fixed opinion based only on that.

I want to see the original twitter posts in Japanese before I form an opinion. Although I do feel 3 months is more appropriate than 6 months.

It would be interesting to see an overview of how this affects Yoda's tournament standings. For example in the Kisei B league this year he had games on 10th February and 24th of March, going by that schedule he would forfeit a game in the Kisei B league if the suspension is until 16th March. Possibly he benefits that the suspension comes into force in the autumn instead of the spring as was the case initially. This would be material for a different thread I guess. This is the Samsung Cup thread, I think I remember.

Ichiriki is really lucky considering he's in a slump, so wouldn't be the favourite against any of the male Korean players except Lee Chango, who plays Tian Xiao! Byung Sangil Dang Yifei then Shin Minjun Yang Dingxing. The next two pairings are quite dramatic, since Fang Tingyu has already defeated Kang Dongyun in the Nongshim Cup and now there's a rematch here, while there is one person in the world who Shin Jinseo can't reliably win against, Mi Yuting! As usual, the match I'm most interested in is Choi Jung's/Choi Jeong's. Under normal circumstances of course she would be the favourite in a match against Sada Atsushi, however she's in a slump and I've never seen her look so physically tired in games, I hope she gets in good health by the time of the game on the 28th of October.

Fan Tingyu lost to Kang Dongyun in Nongshim Cup.

Oh right, sorry I completely mis-rembered there!

Lee Chango looked like he might have a chance for a while but loses to Tian Xiao. Shin Jinseo beats Mi Yuting! Ichiriki Ryo comes back from behind to beat Oh Yujin, both players have been in a slump, the latter after winning the Wu Quinyan. Kwon Jiwoo blunders a winning position at the last minute to gift Xu Hauhong the win, so disappointing, but I'm also happy both representatives with taiwanese origin advanced. Yang Dingxing ditches Shin Minjun. Hsu Chiayuan advances past Hwa Yujin. Kim Jiseok and Tang Weixing go through beating Zhou Chanyu and Yoo Osang

Lot's of exciting games in the second round two. It's very unfortunate, Choi Jung would have had a relatively easy path to the second round given that she's facing Sada Atsushi, but Korean comments agree with me that she's suffering from some sort of burnout of some sort. On the other Hand, I'm happy that Sada Atsushi would get what is probably his first round of 16 in a major international tournament, and I'm happy that all three of the Japanese players made it through.

He did win his game, so maybe he was lucky. Or he is not in a slump any more.

He was already lucky in that Oh Yujin was in a post Wu Quinuan victory slump. If she was on form facing Ichiriki Ryo in the slump he's in now I'd give her 1/3 odds of winning.

Even though she was in a slump, Oh Yujin came out of the opening with black ahead by 70%, so the game was even in the early part, the Lee Chango game was also surprisingly close. Fortunately this win would hopefully up Ichiriki Ryo's confidence against Iyama.

Seconds before I started writing this post Park Jungwhan beats Ke Jie. So Ke Jie still isn't back to his title-winning, world beating best?

Byung Sangil Beats Fang Yifei by half a point.

Ahh!? Did Sada Atsushi lose? That's disappointing for Japan, they had a chance for having all their players win in the first round of an international major forgot the first time in forever. But this is a big win for Choi Jung, the confidence from a victory against a foreigner might take her out of her 9 month slump, which would be wonderful news for the baduk world!