Yamashita Keigo (9p) defeated Iyama Yuta (9p), the defending title holder, to win the 36th Meijin on October 28, 2011 in Japan.
Yamashita Keigo (9 dan) simultaneously holds the Meijin and Honinbo titles.
Yamashita now becomes the 7th pro to simultaneously hold both the modern Honinbo and Meijin titles.
He joins the ranks of previous luminaries, Sakata Eio, Rin Kaiho, Ishida Yoshio, Cho Chikun, Cho U and Takao Shinji.
Interestingly, this is a reversal of the result from earlier this month, when Iyama took the Agon Cup from defending champion, Yamashita.
The Korean Myeongin
Meanwhile, the 24th Mingren and 39th Myeongin are getting serious in China and Korea.
In Korea, the 39th Myeongin semi finalists have been decided. Joining Baek Hongseok (8p) and Lee Changho (9p) are Park Younghun (9p) and Lee Taehyun (4p).
The Chinese Mingren
In China, on October 24, 2011, Jiang Weijie (5p) won the second match of the 24th Mingren title, against challenger Kong Jie (9p).
This means Jiang is only one win away from holding the best of three title. It’s certainly going to be a big task for Kong to come back from a 0-2 deficit, but let’s see if he can do it!
36th Japanese Meijin final gallery
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- The final game of the 36th Meijin title match.
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- Iyama Yuta reflects on the game after losing his Meijin title. Michael Redmond watches in the background.
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- Iyama Yuta (left), O Meien (middle) and Yamashita Keigo (right) count the game.
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- Yamashita Keigo (9 dan) simultaneously holds the Meijin and Honinbo titles.
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- Yamashita Keigo (left) and Iyama Yuta review the final game of the 36th Meijin title match.
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- Yamashita Keigo is interviewed after winning the 36th Meijin title.
About Jing
I`m so glad that Go-Game Guru exists … very nice pictures!
Thank you!
We’re glad you’re enjoying them Amon
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Thanks Amon!
Iyama’s q17 is a big surprise. If I was reviewing this game I would say blocking this way is a mistake as there is not already an extension from the wall, and as white lives in the corner in sente he gets to play k16, mitigating the wall. At least with the one-space high pincer black makes a nice thick shape to cover, but it still seems against principles and good for white to me.
That way of blocking is consistent with the pincer and with Iyama’s thick style.
I think that blocking the other way would have been better though.
Hmmm, black does get a big wall which is very useful in the ensuing fight. I would not have played on that side either, but I do see the point. Thickness is important even if your opponent gets that kind of extension in front of it!
Yes, at least he then invades at h17 soon after to start a fight, rather than playing m17 to make a pathetic number of points as a lot of people who’d block q17 probably would
Q17 surprised me too. It makes you wonder what the point of pincering was. At least it was the one space high pincer, so the result is quite thick. White S13 is perhaps joseki, but it’s also worth noting. If the wall was powerful enough, I think black would normally want to invade with H17 at H16 or G16 instead, because it makes it harder for white to manage the situation with a capping play (like H15 in the game). If black judged that playing that way wasn’t possible, then it does make you question the value of black’s influence.
I can only imagine Iyama Yuta had some reason for playing this way… Maybe Younggil will say something about it.
Yes, invading high is often better as the cap is a good response. But white doesn’t have the ladder so has to play the somewhat crude g16 instead of the nicer f15. The same shape (invading on 3rd line with thickness to other side) came up in a training game I played with Matthew Macfadyen 6d which was commented by Guo Juan 5p and she said high would have been better as the cap was a good response. Sgf at http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.j.simons/go/Andrew%20Simons%20vs%20Matthew%20Macfadyen.sgf
Thanks for showing us the review
. The variations in the lower left were worth studying.
I’m not very strong, but in reviewing Jin Donggyu’s game it looks like he was in trouble before the first 100 moves, and spent most the rest of the game in time trouble? Is there further comentary on the game?
Larry, I don’t know of any commentary, but I had a look at the game and I agree with you.
Black’s play starting with 25 seemed a bit heavy. White played some really nice moves though and it looks like black overlooked something in the top left.