Yamashita Keigo and Kono Rin will engage in a playoff on Monday 8/4 to decide the challenger to Iyama Yuta, Meijin. In the final day of league play on 7/31 Yamashita lost to Murakawa Diasuke while Kono beat Cho U. As a result, they ended in a tie at 6-2. Momentum should be on Kono's side. Yamashita lead the league at 6-0 just a month ago before losing his last two games (both played in July due to it having five Thursdays this year). Kono on the other hand started 1-2 only to finish with five straight wins.
[edit: That said, Yamashita beat Kono Rin last week in the Kisei league so call it wide open?]

Meanwhile crowd favorite (...OK, my favorite) Yuki Satoshi turned history on its ear by scoring two wins for two years in a row (!), beating Ryu Shikun on the last day. Yuki was demoted as usual (along with Ryu and Ko Iso) but it will be no surprise if he turns up in next year's league again.

_________________
Dave Sigaty
"Short-lived are both the praiser and the praised, and rememberer and the remembered..."
- Marcus Aurelius; Meditations, VIII 21

This has to be irritating to Yamashita after losing the last game of Honinbo league and then the playoff to Ida. To lose this playoff would have to be painful.

Yuki is also one of my favorites.

The Nihon Kiin homepage just reported that Kono Rin won the playoff by half a point with Black to become Meijin challenger. Game one is scheduled for September 4th/5th in Tokyo.

_________________
Dave Sigaty
"Short-lived are both the praiser and the praised, and rememberer and the remembered..."
- Marcus Aurelius; Meditations, VIII 21

Dislike.

I was really rooting for Yamashita.

This is Kono's first challenge for one of the big 3 it looks like.