October 1991

The third World Women's Amateur Go Championship, held in mid- October in Yokohama, was won by Sato Akiko of Japan. Sato stormed from behind to down last year's champion Kan Ying with a clamping tesuji at move 195 in the game between them. This move decided the tournament, as Sato and Kan both won all the rest of their games. Final standings:

1  Sato Akiko (Japan)           7-0 | 13 Szonja Miskolczi (Hungary)  3-4
2  Kan Ying (Hong Kong)         6-1 | 14 Annemarie Boelens (Neth.)   3-4
3  Fang Fang (China)            5-2 | 15 Jan Trevithick (Australia)  3-4
3  Kim Haesun (Rep. of Korea)   5-2 | 16 Jana Hricova (Czech.)       3-4
5  Yucong Phease (New Zealand)  5-2 | 17 Marisa Rodriguez (Spain)    3-4
6  Marie-Claire Chaine (France) 4-3 | 18 Eva Roos (Switzerland)      3-4
7  Irina Guskova (U.S.S.R.)     4-3 | 19 Seng Guekbeng (Singapore)   2-5
8  Li Yunok (D.P.R. Korea)      4-3 | 20 Kerstin Andersson (Sweden)  2-5
9  Antje Rapmund (Germany)      4-3 | 21 Lisbeth Hagen (Denmark)     2-5
10 Katarzyna Koenig (Poland)    4-3 | 22 Kirsty Healey (U.K.)        2-5
11 Joanne Phipps (U.S.A.)       4-3 | 23 Vera Rupel (Yugoslavia)     1-6
12 Carmen Lita (Romania)        4-3 | 24 Lynne Baird (Canada)        1-6

Shortly before the WWAGC, Sato Akiko had helped Japan win a clash between the top ten Chinese amateurs and three teams of Japanese amateurs. "Have mercy on us, we've sent real amateurs this time," the Chinese team captain said before the action started. Result: Japan 22, China 8.

Kobayashi Koichi has taken the Meijin title for a fourth straight year. Rin Kaiho put up formidable opposition in the first four games, but could win only one of them as Kobayashi's powerful middle-game and endgame play had its usual telling effect. In the fifth game, played October 23-24, Rin finally succumbed to the strain: his opening became a little unfocused and Kobayashi took an early lead. Kobayashi then let Rin have two pon-nukis, but proved that neither was worth the proverbial thirty points by winning the game and match.

A week after his unsuccessful Meijin challenge had ended, Rin began defending his Tengen title against Kato Masao. In the first Tengen game, played October 31, Rin usurped Kato's attack-and-kill technique: he forced Kato to resign by annihilating a 25-stone group.

Meanwhile, Fujisawa Shuko has pushed back theories about the age at which top-level tournament players are supposed to go into decline. He beat Hane Yasumasa 3-1 to regain the Oza title, which he last won in 1969. At sixty-six he becomes the oldest title-holder in modern Japanese go history.

The lightning tournament sponsored by TV Tokyo has been won, for the second straight year, by Cho Chikun. In the final game Cho defeated Yuki Satoshi, a 19-year-old 7-dan from the Kansai Kiin who had upset Rin in the first round.

Former world amateur champion Chin Kaei won his debut game in the Honinbo league. His opponent was Kato Masao.

The Nihon Kiin, using funds provided by Iwamoto Kaoru, recently purchased a building in Amsterdam to be used as a European Go Center. This will be the second overseas center sponsored by Iwamoto; the first was opened in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 1989.