Hello, everyone. As you might know, the 56th Judan tournament is going on right now in Japan. At this point, we’re in the second round; the players are competing in a knockout format to challenge Iyama Yuta to a match for the title.
The best way to keep up with this tournament is with the score chart at http://www.go4go.net/go/tournaments/scorechart/17-56-s20c . The favourites by rating are Ichiriki Ryo (JP #2), Yu Zhengqi (#3), Hsu Chiayuan (JP #4), Yamashita Keigo (JP #6), and Shida Tatsuya (JP #9) (ratings are from http://www.go4go.net/go/players/rank/2 and are unofficial although mathematical). Takao Shinji (JP #5) is not playing, probably due to focusing on defending the Meijin title from Iyama.
So far, the results concerning these top players are:
In the first round,
.
Hsu Chiayuan beat Akiyama Jiro (JP #14)
Shida Tatsuya beat Adachi Toshimasa (JP #40)
In the second round,
Ichiriki Ryo beat Nakano Yasuhiro (not on the ranking list of 60 players)
Murakawa Daisuke (JP #16) beat Motoki Katsuya (JP #12). The game started out quite ordinary, but then Murakawa sacrificed a group for some influence to help him build a central moyo. In the end, Motoki’s attempt to reduce the moyo left him too busy and he lost a large group on the left side. http://www.go4go.net/go/games/sgfview/66611
Hsu Chiayuan made an interesting side formation in his game against Akiyama: a 3-3 combined with a small high shimari facing away from it. The opening was quite buildy, but Hsu eventually invaded and the game became dominated by a large ko in the lower left corner. http://www.go4go.net/go/games/sgfview/66812
Nakano captured Rin Shien’s (JP #38) group with a simple-looking tesuji and won the game by resignation. It looked like the move had been available for a long time, so I assume Rin was too busy elsewhere on the board. http://www.go4go.net/go/games/sgfview/66411
Hatanaka Hoshinobu played an unusual fuseki as White against O Meien (JP #26). His second move was a two-space high approach to O Meien’s 3-4. O Meien tenukied to take the remaining empty corner, whereupon Hatanaka continued by making a double approach. Interestingly, O Meien himself was one of the few players in the Waltheri opening database to have played White’s second move (in 2001). Black made a side moyo, White reduced it successfully, and it eventually became a half-point win for O Meien. http://www.go4go.net/go/games/sgfview/66814
Ichiriki, still rated a modest 7p, won an early ko against Nakano which - although locally small - gave him a lot of thickness towards the right side. Anothe ko then began for the lower right corner, again won by Ichiriki. Then Ichiriki won ANOTHER ko in that corner. Getting the theme of this game? In the rest of the game, he utterly manhandles his opponent and secures a convincing victory. He seems to be going into this tournament in good form. http://www.go4go.net/go/games/sgfview/66813
Both Yu Zhengqi and Yamashita Keigo are still yet to play.