Mannami Nao and Kobayashi Izumi Advances to the Second Round

The main tournament for Female Honinbo title is on the run again. Sixteen players will compete for one last spot as this year Female Honinbo's challenger.

So far there already two players confirmed to the second round. They are Mannami Nao (2 dan) and Kobayashi Izumi (6 dan).

Mannami Nao surprised many people when she beat veteran Aoki Kikuyo (8 dan) by 9.5 points.

Aoki played quite a dangerous opening. She let her group in the bottom board to be attacked in order to keep white's groups separated. Mannami handled the situation well and stake a big territory in the right side.


Mannami Nao

As for Kobayashi Izumi, the result is as predicted. Though nowadays Kobayashi Izumi doesn't avhieve much (comparing to his "glittering" result in the past), she is still one of the strongest Japanese female player.

Kobayashi Izumi opened the game by playing her husband's trademark move by bringing a new fashion in it. Cho U's usual move is the one space high approach. Kobayashi played the move one point to the left, making it as two spaces high approach.

Kobayashi Izumi won the game at move 172 since Mimura Kaori resigned (it was Mukai Kaori, one of the three Mukai sisters. However, since she married to Mimura Tomoyasu, she got her husband's family name).


Kobayashi Izumi

Here is the links to the game:
Mannami Nao vs. Aoki Kikuyo
Kobayashi Izumi vs. Mimura Kaori