Life In 19x19

I'm so glad a super young guy is doing well in Japan. Also will we ever get a true successor to Hikaru no Go aka the greatest manga ever?

Shibano Toramaru beat Murakawa Daisuke in first game of Judan match. His situation in Honinbo league improved since he won his game and is 4-1. He played already all his crucial opponents and his last 2 games will be against 2 players who are currently doing worst in league. I have feeling that age of Iyama is slowly vanishing.

The Battle of Pride between Shibano Toramaru and Kim Unji
https://youtu.be/Zim5ZTn62u8

Murakawa Daisuke strikes back! After 310 moves he won with white by 2,5 points, 1-1 is current score.

These are fascinating times!

Shibano won his last game in the Honinbo League against Yokotsuka Riki (7d) the other day, finishing with 6 wins and 1 loss. Since Kyo Kagen also finished 6-1, the two will face off in a playoff game to decide who will challenge Iyama for the Honinbo title. This game will be played on Monday (6th of April).

Shibano won the playoff and will challenge Iyama for the Honinbo. Meanwhile Iyama leads the Meijin league with an undefeated 4-0. Will we see these two square off for back-to-back best-of-seven matches this year?

I don't follow these player threads all that much, but I had occasion to look at this one and was surprised to see there's no mention of his latest exploits (or is it elsewhere?).

Anyway, it seems worth recording he is now 2-1 up in the Judan, and the next game - could be the decisive one - is scheduled for 26 June.

1. Shibano lost Game 2 of the Honinbo on 14 June.

2. To get international experience, and noting the shrinking opportunities to do so, from July 2020 he will play in the China Weiqi League, Division A, in a Shandong team with JIang Weijie, Fan Yuting and Zhou Ruiyang.

And Shibano lost game 3 of the Honinbo too, in a rather amusing, almost KGS style, 3-3 invasion dying locally, running out, but still dying. So whilst he took the Oza off Iyama, and the Meijin with an easier opponent in Cho U than usual holder Iyama, Iyama is putting up a much stronger defence of the prestigious Honinbo title, which he's had the last 8 years. Do you get a special title for 10 in a row?

I don't think there is any official award for length of holding a title consecutively except for the Honorable title. The record for the longest consecutive years holding the Honinbo title used to be held by Takagawa and, when Sakata couldn't match that there was a sense that no one would ever beat Takagawa's record. Cho Chikun made it to ten. I suppose the age of the players reaching the top has something to do with it. Cho was at the top long enough to fight off the younger players. Iyama, of course, started early, too, so perhaps he could make it to ten.

Its better to lose Honinbo title game "almost KGS style" than lose in court and be sentenced "almost KGS style" .

According to FA, just before corner invasion Shibano had only about 20% wr (but FA considered game playing CHN rules with 7,5 komi) - so maybe Shibano thought he is losing badly and tried to make some swing (almost Gennan style)? And iirc FA thought 3-4 contact play was better than 3-3 (but very slightly).

Shibano is down 0 for 3. In other contests, the underdog coming from behind is a big deal. Anyone have stats for come from behind wins for the big titles?

Shibano just clinched the Judan title, bringing his titles to 3 (out of 7 major titles).

As for the question on coming back from 3 down situation, there are 6 post WWII title games, as far as I know. 3 by Cho Chikun 9p (1983 Kisei, 1984 Meijin, 1992 Honinbo), 2 by Rin Kaiho 9p (1973 Former Meijin, 1983 Honinbo), and one by Hane Naoki 9p (2008 Honinbo).

More records for Shibano (I itemised the rest in First Teenage Meijin): Youngest player to hold three major titles, and fastest to do so from turning pro. And, presumably, the first player to win a major title wearing a mask. When asked how it felt, he said, "Mmgmnmrmrmmbnnmm."