Female Strongest

The Female Strongest (or Saikyo) in English refers to two different tournaments in Japan: one present and one past. Japanese names of them are slightly different.

The 2020 Nihon Ki-in ordering of women's events is 1. Women's Honinbo, 2. Women's Meijin, 3. Tachiaoi Cup (former Aidu Chuo Hospital Cup), 4. Women's Kisei, 5. Female Strongest/Saikyo (domestic Senko Cup).

1) 扇興杯女流囲碁最強戦, Ōgi kyō-hai joryū igo saikyō-sen, Senko Cup Women's Go Championship.

In 2016 a new tournament started with the sponsorship of SENKO Group Holdings, a major Japanese conglomerate founded in 1916.

It is run as a simple four-round 16-player knock-out tournament. The previous winner has no special position, and must start with everyone else. E.g. Nyu Eiko won the 7th and 8th by winning all four games in each. But in the 9th edition, she was eliminated in the first round by veteran Kobayashi Izumi.

Note that there is an international version of the tournament, Senko Cup World Go Female Strongest.

Winners and Runners-up

• More information at Female Saikyo, Go to Everyone

2) (東京精密杯女流プロ最強戦, Tōkyō seimitsu-hai joryū puro saikyō-sen, Tokyo Seimitsu (Precision) Cup Women's Pro Championship)

This was a Japanese tournament for female professionals. It started in 1999 and discontinued in 2008.

The winner of this tournament played an exhibition match against a Westerner each year: the opponent was decided in a playoff between an American and a European representative selected at the US Go Congress and the European Go Congress, respectively.

Winners and Runners-up