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 Shoji (now surpassed by Fujisawa Rina). Iyama learned Go at age five after watching his dad play on the computer, and was 3 dan within a year, before becoming a pupil of Ishii Kunio. The two of them played more than 1000 games over the internet. See John Fairbairn's post for more on his early life and career.
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. He 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. [1]
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
As of November 2012, after winning the 60th Oza from Cho U, Iyama held 5 of the major 7 domestic titles simultaneously ( Honinbo, Judan, Tengen, Oza and Gosei ) Having won Meijin previously, what was left is winning the Kisei title before he could be said to have won all 7. He will face Cho U again for that Kisei title starting Jan 2013.
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
- Defended title at 38th Tengen in 2012
- Winner of the 60th Oza 2012
- Winner of the 21th Ryusei 2012
- Winner of the 37th Gosei 2012
- Winner of the 67th Honinbo 2012
- Defended title at 50th Judan 2012
- Winner of the 7th Daiwa Shoken Cup 2012
- Winner of the 37th Tengen in 2011
- Winner of the 18th Agon Cup 2011
- Winner of the 20th Ryusei 2011
- Third place in the 24th Fujitsu Cup 2011
- Winner of the 1st Bosai Cup 2011
- Winner of the 49th Judan 2011
- Winner of the 6th Daiwa Shoken Cup 2010
- Defended title at 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)
[1] Not to take anything away from Iyama's performance but it was harder to reach 9-dan under the old oteai ranking system. Promotions to 9-dan by recommendation did occur, e.g. Go Seigen in 1950 after his successes in 10 game matches and Ishida Yoshio in 1974 after becoming Meijin Honinbo, but such promotions were very rare.[2]
[2] It was actually easier to make 9 dan, but harder to do so quickly (it took at least 8 years). The new promotion system is more stringent, but allows an exceptionally talented player like Iyama to reach 9 dan more quickly, if he can prove himself in the major tournaments. --Hyperpape