Seki Kotaro

関 航太郎 Seki Kōtarō / Koutarou (세키 고타로) (1st character Tr. 關, Sm. 关) Tokyo Nihon Ki-in professional, b. 2001-11-28, Tengen titleholder from 2021. Student of Fujisawa Kazunari.

1p 2017-04-01

2p 2018-06-26

3p 2020-01-09 (2019 prize earnings)

4p 2021-07-28 (50 wins as of July 27)

7p 2021-09-10 (jump promotion for challenging for the Tengen)

8p 2021-12-07 (for winning it)

9p 2022-12-16 (for defending it)

• 2013: Won the World Youth Goe Championship (U-12), the first and only Japanese winner
• 2020: Won the Shinjin O and was awarded the Kido New Star Prize
• 2021: Won the Tengen
• 2022: Defended the Tengen
• 2023: Won the NHK Cup

Seki was the fastest player ever to take a major title, taking four years and eight months from professional qualification. He took the record from Shibano Toramaru, who took five years and a month.

According to John Power, while analyzing a game of Seki’s a year <before his Tengen victory>, Cho Chikun commented that he was convinced he would soon win a title. Instead of just playing the move everyone would play, Seki looked “for something better and this is the difference between title-winners and ordinary players.”

Links

Ki-in Ja. Wiki Ko. Wiki It. Wiki Wikidata Twitter Go4Go Go Ratings L19 thread

Pictures

seki kotarou apr2023 (Image credit: Foxwq.com)

seki kotarou tan xiao mlily 2023 (Image credit: Foxwq.com)