Here is a 4 min TV news video about Iyama's win, including some footage with him as a child: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=s ... iPmgABghU8

Can we watch the firdt game of the Oza in live on nico website?

This is what it takes to get pro go on the tv news nowadays in Japan, with the added spice the clip goes on about that his title winnings are now over 1 billion yen (~10 million dollars).

But what impressed me as much was his handwriting. Despite being a leftie on the board (and, slightly unusually for a leftie playing first move in the top right), he writes ("7 crowns" here)with his right hand, as usually imposed on Japanese lefties, but with a very decent and confident (in public!) style. Young rightie pros write more like in kindergarten.

I wasn't too impressed with Ke Jie's writing of his own name (see below). An artistic Chinese friend rated it a little higher than me as "OK but not very good". So a title match for writing would end up Iyama 4 Ke 0

Iyama also got off to a good start in his Oza title defence against Ichiriki Ryo, winning the first game by resignation. I'm not really sure who was winning before, but black 137 seemed like a major blunder from Ichiriki, did he really expect Iyama to cooperatively block rather than resist? Makes me think 113 was heavy...

Here was 113, Iyama's light jump of 2 was nice, and makes me question is it really a good exchange for black? How about playing 3 directly, or a or b?

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B Ichiriki Ryo 7p (black) vs Iyama Yuta 9p
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X X O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . X X O . . . . . . . . O . . . . |
$$ | . O X X O O . X X , . X . X . , X . . |
$$ | O . O X O X O O X . . O X . . X . . . |
$$ | . O O X X . . O X X . X . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . O X X . O O . O O O . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . O O X X . . . O . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O X O O X X . X 1 . 2 . . . |
$$ | . . . , . O X O X O . . . . a , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O X O X X X . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . O X X O . . . b . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . O X O O O . O . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X O O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X X O X . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | X X O O X . . . X , . . . . 3 , . . . |
$$ | . O O . X . . . . . . . X . . O . . . |
$$ | . X O O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

There is an obvious shape weakness with the double peep here, but black can connect above and net it for now. However, if white got more stones in the centre this might not be possible later:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$W
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X X O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . X X O . . . . . . . . O . . . . |
$$ | . O X X O O . X X , . X . X . , X . . |
$$ | O . O X O X O O X . . O X . . X . . . |
$$ | . O O X X . . O X X . X . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . O X X . O O . O O O . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . O O X X . . . O . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O X O O X X 2 X X . O . . . |
$$ | . . . , . O X O X O 3 1 . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O X O X X X . 4 . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . O X X O . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . O X O O O . O . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X O O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X X O X . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | X X O O X . . . X , . . . . X , . . . |
$$ | . O O . X . . . . . . . X . . O . . . |
$$ | . X O O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

So here is the 137 I question. The obvious plan seems to be if white blocks (to ensure connection and safety for the not totally alive white group scraggling out from the top left) then black can get a nice atari and capture the side stone, which is worth quite a few points of territory and also thickens up the group so killing any white shenanigans in the corner should be possible:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X X O . O . . . . . . 7 8 . 6 . . |
$$ | . X . X X O . . . . . . . . O . . 9 . |
$$ | . O X X O O . X X , . X . X . , X . . |
$$ | O . O X O X O O X . . O X . . X . . . |
$$ | . O O X X . . O X X . X . . . X O 5 . |
$$ | . . . O X X . O O . O O O . 1 O 3 . . |
$$ | . . . O O X X . . . O . . O 2 4 . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O X O O X X . X X . O . . . |
$$ | . . . , . O X O X O . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O X O X X X . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . O X X O . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . O X O O O X O O O X . . . . . |
$$ | . O X O O X . . . X . X X O O . . . . |
$$ | . O X X O X . . . X . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | X X O O X . . . X , . O X O X , . . . |
$$ | . O O . X . . . . . . O X . O O . . . |
$$ | . X O O X . . . . . . X X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

But of course Iyama will not be so generous, but resists with the peep. If black connects above and goes for the net of before it doesn't work if he wants to answer 6 to keep those 4 stones dead (which he might not at this point, and probably white wouldn't save them yet but come back to block the 137 move and make that white group safe, having created the option to save the 4 stones later; I'm not sure how the fighting would go if black did connect above).

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X X O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . X X O . . . . . . . . O . . . . |
$$ | . O X X O O . X X , . X . X . , X . . |
$$ | O . O X O X O O X . . O X . . X . . . |
$$ | . O O X X . . O X X . X . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . O X X . O O . O O O . 1 O . . . |
$$ | . . . O O X X . . . O . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O X O O X X 3 X X . O . . . |
$$ | . . . , . O X O X O 4 2 . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O X O X X X 8 5 . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . O X X O 7 6 . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . O X O O O X O O O X . . . . . |
$$ | . O X O O X . . . X . X X O O . . . . |
$$ | . O X X O X . . . X . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | X X O O X . . . X , . O X O X , . . . |
$$ | . O O . X . . . . . . O X . O O . . . |
$$ | . X O O X . . . . . . X X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

In the game Ichiriki played from below, but that allowed white to create, in sente, the option to capture the marked 2 stones for 1 eye (and there's another eye on the top side) so white doesn't need to connect at a, could connect at 6, which is big for territory and also creates a vital point in the corner at b (Ichirki resigned when he failed to kill this). So looks like a big failure to me.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$B
$$ +---------------------------------------+
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . X X O . O . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X . X X O . . . . . . . . O . . b . |
$$ | . O X X O O . X X , . X . X . , X . . |
$$ | O . O X O X O O X . . O X . . X . . . |
$$ | . O O X X . . O X X . X . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . O X X . O O . O O O . 1 O 6 . . |
$$ | . . . O O X X . . . O . . O a . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O X O O # # 4 X X . O . . . |
$$ | . . . , . O X O X O . 2 . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . O X O X X X 3 5 . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . O X X O . . . . O . . . . . |
$$ | . . X . O X O O O X O O O X . . . . . |
$$ | . O X O O X . . . X . X X O O . . . . |
$$ | . O X X O X . . . X . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | X X O O X . . . X , . O X O X , . . . |
$$ | . O O . X . . . . . . O X . O O . . . |
$$ | . X O O X . . . . . . X X . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ +---------------------------------------+[/go]

They're just doing Meijin and Honinbo now unfortunately.

They do a lot more with Shogi.

He's only a leftie playing though, so it shouldn't be too surprising he does everything else with his right.

It is not uncommon to see lefties writting with their right hand, not only in Japan but also in other Asian countries. I am a leftie too, but was forced to write and use chopsticks by my right hand. My left hand is still stronger, but my right hand is far better in doing sophisticate acts (writting, using chopsticks, needle threading... and holding Go stones)
Btw, glad to learn that Iyama is also a leftie.

It was already pointed out, but I'll repeat: Iyama is not a leftie. Placing the go stones with his left hand (supposedly, only heard it from other 3rd sources so far) comes from his study with his teacher, Ishii Kunio. They were training online and Iyama placed the stones with his left hand because with his right hand he operated the mouse. Since there's no drawback from placing the stones with the left hand I guess he never bothered to change this habit.

By the way (since I'm a leftie, too): This retraining of lefties is a world-wide phenomenon and nothing special to the Asian continent. It happens in the western world, too, like here in Germany. My father was born in the 1940s and he got retrained to use his right hand instead of his actual dominant hand. Thankfully, these times are over, at least in Germany. Today they even bother to train lefties how to do it right so you don't develop a bad posture that leads to health issues. Sadly, I came before that.. *smears everything all over the place, too*

Back on topic: The last game of the Meijin title vs. Takao was absolutely amazing. I thought it was quite funny how much it resembled the gane of Shibano Toramaru and Cho Chikun that was posted here a few days ago where Shibano sacrificed 32 stones and still won the game. I happened to replay that game the night before the last Meijin title game and I was laughing like mad when I saw how the Meijin game developed. That was really cool.
Couldn't find a game between Iyama and Shibano so far, I definitely am looking forward to their games, these will be truly entertaining. That doesn't mean that the recent Iyama games are far from boring, though. I have a feeling that they have gotten increasingly complicated recently or at least changed in another way somehow - but this may only be for me since it's been quite some time since I really sat down on the board and replayed a few of his games.

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You have completely misattributed the quote, though I confess I did lazily assume Iyama was a leftie. However, on checking, the story you give, though widespread, is wrong - at least according to Ishii himself in his book "Waga Tensai Kishi - Iyama Yuta". The habit came from Iyama's grandfather, his first teacher, who encouraged it to stimulate the right side of the child's brain. He may have continued it when he started to play online, though I can't quite see why he would use a real board and a mouse.

This sort of right brain stimulation was a big fad in Japan some years ago, but it seems to have faded away. Does anybody know whether it works?

@ John Fairbairn: Thank you for correcting that misconception! Concerning the mouse and board thing: There is supposed to be some kind of "flesh memory" when you e.g. really play a stone on the board compared to just klicking /playing a game only or studying online/offline. I thought that the whole thing was based on this idea, but your explanation is another interesting way to look at it.

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Hello, today iyama is playing agaisnt ichiki ryo. Can i see it live ?

Thank you , couldn't find the live , but i found some pics..

It's a very slow "live"

http://tengen.live-go.net/camera.html

Right now empty chairs for lunch.

Iyama has an early lead but from his style I predict the game will come close again until nearly the end.

Some interesting point, ever since he became the youngest Meijin and youngest 9P ever in Japan in October 2009 his Elo has been highest among Japanese pro, supassing Cho U at that time. And I estimate it'll continue to 2020. (It's ok if talking about domestic ranking, not world ranking right?)

Turn out there is no middle close game this time as Iyama Yuta leading further and further. Fox server has relay this game (I'm wondering how Fox can relay so many important matches) and right now FineArt bet 91.6% on white

Latest update: Iyama Yuta wins

Any thoughts/reflections from stronger players on the recent Pair GO Match : Yu Zhiying & Ke Jie Pair
Black: Hsieh Yi Min & Iyama Yuta Pair: played. I have gotten about halfway thru the M. Redmond review, and it is an exciting game. I admit I was rooting for Iyama and Hsieh. I think a win would be a shot in the arm for Japanese GO.

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Walla Walla GO Club -(on FB)

We play because we enjoy the beauty of the game, the snap and feel of real stones, and meeting interesting people. Hope to see ya there! お願いします!

Anthony

Another match against Ichiriki is on the way, this time for the Kisei.

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Occupy Babel!

Today, Iyama beat Yang Dingxin of China and advanced to the semifinal of the LG Cup. The game is given below. His next opponent will be Ke Jie. I'm not sure when the game will be played. In a bad translation of a Japanese tweet I read something about Wednesday - can somebody confirm that?

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November 15