Iyama Yuta
Iyama Yuta (井山 裕太 Iyama Yūta, born May 24, 1989) is the first Japanese pro who was born in the Heisei era.
Iyama was a child prodigy, the third youngest person to become a professional player in Japan as of 2008. The other two are Cho Chikun and Hashimoto Utaro. His teacher was Ishii Kunio. At 16 years of age, he established the current records for youngest professional to hold a Japanese professional open title (Agon Cup), and the youngest to reach 7-dan rank. He was promoted to 8-dan for becoming the challenger for the 33rd Meijin title in 2008 and to 9-dan for winning the title in 2009, at which point he became the youngest Japanese professional to hold one of seven big Japanese titles and the youngest ever Japanese 9-dan. Iyama demolished the record for the fastest promotion to 9 dan at the Nihon Kiin (7 years, 6 months). He is a member of the Nihon Kiin Kansai branch.
John Power said "Iyama plays thickly, waits for the opponent to attack, then tries to take the initiative with his counterattack." http://www.nihonkiin.or.jp/topics2008/topics11.html
Nihon Ki-in Profile (Japanese)
Promotion Record
- 9-dan 2009 for winning the 34th Meijin title.
- 8-dan 2008 for becoming the challenger for the 33rd Meijin title.
- 7-dan 8 October 2005 for winning the Agon Cup.
- 4-dan 2005
- 1-dan 2002
Tournament Results
- Winner of the 6th Daiwa Shoken Cup 2010
- Winner of the 35th Meijin 2010
- Winner of the 34th Meijin 2009
- Winner of the 18th Ryusei 2009
- Winner of the 2nd YugenCup 2009
- Winner of the 2nd Daiwa Grand Champion Cup 2009
- Winner of the 1st Daiwa Grand Champion Cup 2008
- Challenger for the 33rd Meijin 2008
- Winner of the 2007 Shinjin O
- Winner of the 2007 Nakano Cup
- Winner of the 2006 Nakano Cup
- Winner of the 2005 Nakano Cup
- Winner of the 2005 Agon Cup
- Runner-up of the 2005 Shinjin O
- Winner of the 19th (1998) All Japan Children's Tournament (Junior school section)