12-year-old Japanese girl to become youngest female professional Go player next year - The Japan News
By A Mystery Man Writer
Description
Eleven-year-old Saki Yanagihara will become a professional Go player on April 1 next year, according to an announcement by The Nihon Ki-in, a Japanese association promoting the game of Go.
Just 12 years 5 months old when she turns pro, the Tokyo-based Yanagihara will be the youngest active female professional at that time. Koharu Cho is currently the youngest professional Go player, and will be 13 years 4 months old on April 1 next year.
The association’s special recommendation system for female Go players will be applied to Yanagihara’s promotion as a first-dan player. Under this system, the teacher of a competent student honing their Go skills at the association can recommend her as a professional hopeful, separately from the recruitment exam run by the association.
Yanagihara was recommended after achieving certain promising results, such as being runner-up at the 37th world youth Go championship in the under 12 category. Her promotion was approved at a regular board meeting of the association on Tuesday.
She is scheduled to participate in professional league matches in January as a probationary player even before becoming a first-dan player.
“I was really surprised but happy,” Yanagihara said. “I’ll work hard so I can be a rival to second-dan holder Sumire Nakamura [the youngest woman ever to turn pro, then 10 years old]. I want to become an internationally successful Go player.”
9-year-old boy to become youngest pro go player ever in Japan
Teen Go prodigy Nakamura to shift playing base to South Korea
US-born Casey Phair becomes youngest player in World Cup history
5 Japanese women who can kick your ass (in martial arts)【Women in Japan Series】
Nine-year-old Miku Matsushima, the youngest player competing in the table tennis national championships in Japan, plays her opening round fixture in the junior girls' singles at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on Jan. 23
167 Shogi Kaikan Photos & High Res Pictures - Getty Images
15-Year-Old Japanese Professional Go Player Nakamura Debuts in S. Korea; Loses Match But Promises to Move Forward - The Japan News
Japan blooms just at the right time as the Nadeshiko looks to make new history at Women's World Cup
Sumire Nakamura Becomes Youngest 'Go' Title Holder - The Japan News
Female pro who created 'Dobutsu Shogi' retires from competition
9-year-old Sumire Nakamura attends an event as the one-day chief of Konohana Police Station in Osaka, Japan on January 12, 2019. Nakamura will become Japan's youngest-ever professional Go board game player on
Japan's Obuchi: Political 'princess' could be first female PM
from
per adult (price varies by group size)