Mukai Chiaki

    Keywords: People

https://www.nihonkiin.or.jp/images/player/000399.jpg
Mukai Chiaki’s Nihon Ki-in photo

Mukai Chiaki (向井千瑛, born 24 December 1987) is a Nihon Ki-in professional. (She reached 1 dan in 2004, 2 dan in 2007, 3 dan in 2009, 4 dan in 2010, 5 dan on 2012-02-01, 6 dan from 20 February 2021 (with 90 wins) and is a disciple of Honda Sachiko.

According to the [ext] Rating list, 2024-01-02, Mukai Chiaki is the #46 ranked female and #500 overall in the world, and #8 female in Japan.

Table of contents

Name and Family

Her surname Mukai 向井 means “Towards the well (i.e. water well)”, from 向 (Mu) = towards, direction, facing; and 井 (Kai) meaning well or spring. The characters in Chinese have the same meaning, but are pronounced Xiàngjǐng or Xiàngjǐ.

Her given name Chiaki 千瑛 means “A thousand gems”, from 千 (Chi) = thousand and 瑛 (Aki or E) = gem. In Chinese it would have the same meaning but be pronounced Qiānyīng or Qiānchēng. The characters for Chiaki 千瑛 can also be read Chie. However, her fellow female professional Kato Chie's given name has a different second character, 千笑, and means “A thousand smiles”. (Another Mukai Chiaki (向井 千秋, b. 6 May 1952), with a different second character of her given name, was the first Japanese and indeed Asian woman in space and a cardiovascular surgeon.)

Mukai Chiaki’s two older sisters Nagashima Kozue and Mimura Kaori are also professionals and fellow pupils of Honda Sachiko (herself one of three professional Go-playing sisters).

Mukai Chiaki married Sugimoto Akira 8p, 14 years older, in September 2013. They have one son, Kazuki, born in May 2014. Mukai Chiaki is the only one of the three sisters not to have taken her husband's name after marriage.

The four Kobayashi siblings (Kobayashi Chizu, Kobayashi Satoru, Kobayashi Kenji, and Kobayashi Takayuki, are her first cousins once removed (her mother's cousins; Kobayashis’ father and Mukai's maternal grandfather were brothers).

Winner and runner-up

Head-to-head scores against current female rivals

(Based on [ext] Mukai Chiaki, rating and game list, 20 Dec 2025)

Career record

Mukai has played almost 800 professional games and won well over half of them. Her overall professional game record is 799 games, 450 wins, and 349 losses, for a 56.3% win rate. For a few years after the birth of her son in 2014, she played far fewer games and and with less success.

After her son was in school, she could play more games, and achieve greater success. In 2024, she reached two finals, the 2024 Tachiaoi Cup and 2025 Female Kisei. In the latter, she beat the leading title winners Xie Yimin 27, Fujisawa Rina 26, and Ueno Asami 15.

It was the first time she had beaten Ueno Asami after 9 losses. [ext] Her husband encouraged her, “change your mindset and fight”, and she said, “I was going to win against my fear.” She took the initiative in the middlegame and widened her lead enough to win (B+5.5). She wrily said after the game, “I’m sorry. I prevented the sister showdown,” i.e. between Ueno Asami and Ueno Risa. But Mukai’s challenge was unsuccessful, losing 0–2 to the title holder Ueno Risa.

The Go to Everyone and Go Ratings sites conflict in the numbers.

Year total wins losses rate
2004 12 4 8 33%
2005 20 10 10 50%
2006 42 27 15 64%
2007 35 20 15 57%
2008 44 26 18 59%
2009 35 22 13 63%
2010 36 19 17 53%
2011 51 28 23 55%
2012 37 17 20 47%
2013 42 22 20 52%
2014 21 6 15 28.6%
2015 9 2 7 22.2%
2016 11 6 5 54.5
2017 51 32 19 63%
2018 7 3 4 42.9%
2019 13 7 6 53.8%
2020 50 24 13 65%
2021 18 6 33%
2022 49 30 19 61%
2023 42 27 15 64%
2024 44 29 15 66%

Outside links

Pictures

Mukai Chiaki and Sugimoto Akira, wedding photo, Sep 2013. (Image credit: blog.goo.ne.jp)
Mukai Chiaki and Sugimoto Akira, wedding photo, Sep 2013 (Image credit: blog.goo.ne.jp

Mukai Chiaki with baby son Kazuki, 2014 (Image credit: pandanet.co.jp)
Mukai Chiaki with baby son Kazuki, 2014 (Image credit: pandanet.co.jp

Mukai Chiaki with husband baby son, 2014 (Image credit: pandanet.co.jp)
Mukai Chiaki with husband Sugimoto Akira and their baby son Kazuki, 2014, (Image credit: pandanet.co.jp

yu zhiying ueno risa asian games 2023 (Image credit: nikkansports.com)
Ueno Asami selfie with (L→R) Mukai Chiaki, Ueno Risa, Nakamura Sumire, and Fujisawa Rina, Tachioi Cup, 2023 (Image credit: nikkansports.com


Mukai Chiaki last edited by Jono64a on January 26, 2025 - 02:07
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