© 2016 Yuan Zhou

Master Play: The Style of Iyama Yuta

Yuan Zhou

Buy the full book at gobooks.com

This latest volume in the Master Play series analyses the playing style of Iyama Yuta, who is on the verge of being the first pro ever to hold all seven of the top Japanese titles in the same year — he has won each of the seven individually several times. Iyama has been dominating the Japanese pro world for some time now and has also had some impressive international successes, defeating both Lee Sedol and Gu Li in a fast play tournament. His style is a combination of a traditional focus on territory plus very impressive fighting skills.

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About the Author

Yuan Zhou (American Go Association 7 dan) was born in Tianjin, China. Tianjin is a major city in the northern part of China, near Beijing. His father taught him to play go at the age of six, and a year later he won the Tanggu District Junior Go Championship. After this auspicious beginning, Zhou began professional go training while he was still seven years old. He was twice invited to represent Tianjin in the All China Prodigy Cup.

In 1989 Zhou immigrated to the USA, becoming a US citizen and joining the American Go Association (AGA). Zhou was the president of the University of Maryland Go Club, from which he earned a BS in Electrical Engineering, and became increasingly involved in AGA events, winning many go tournaments. Please see the list below for Yuan Zhou’s 30 US go titles. Zhou was also elected to the AGA board of directors in 2005.

Zhou is one of the top competitors on the American go scene, winning the Eastern US Open, one of the biggest US tournaments in 1992. He also won the New Jersey Open, one of the biggest US tournaments, four times. Twice he has won the Maryland Open, another major tournament that attracts strong players. Zhou has placed in the top ten in the US Open many times, as well as in the North American Ing Masters Cup and the North American Fujitsu Qualifying Tournament. These tournaments involve the strongest North American go players and include pros. In Zhou’s go career, he has defeated pros many times, including four times in even tournament games: Hak Soo Kim 6p in the 1996 Fujitsu, Xuefen Lin 1p in the 2001 Eastern Oza, Huiren Yang 1p in the 2009 North American Ing Masters, and Feng Yun 9p in the 2011 SAMG World Team Go US Team Qualifier. Zhou also won the US Pair Go Championship four times. Zhou represented the USA in international tournaments many times (WAGC, Korea Prime Minister Cup, World Pair Go Championship, etc).

In 2009, Zhou represented USA in the 4th Korea Prime Minister Cup World Go championship in Jeonju, Korea and finished in 5th place.

In addition to his competitive successes, Zhou has become a popular teacher and lecturer, frequently giving lectures and teaching lessons at various go clubs in the Eastern US region. He has also published many go books with Slate & Shell (www.slateandshell.com) and SmartGo Books (www.smartgo.com). Zhou resides in Germantown, Maryland, USA. His website is at www.zhouyuan.com.

Copyright Page

(c) 2016 Yuan Zhou

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited.

Slate & Shell
1425 Westshire Lane
Richmond, VA 23238
www.slateandshell.com

Edited by William Cobb

Cover design by Laurie M. Crammond

Conversion to SmartGo Books by William Cobb

ISBN of print edition:
1–932001–73–5

Table of Contents

Master Play: The Style of Iyama Yuta

About the Author

Copyright Page

Introduction

Game One

The chapters in gray are included only in the full book.

Game Two

Game Three

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About SmartGo Books

Introduction

Iyama Yuta

Iyama Yuta 9 dan is leading a new generation in the world of Japanese professional go. Born in 1989, he was recognized as a child prodigy and became an insei when he was ten. At the age of sixteen he won the Agon Cup, becoming the youngest Japanese pro ever to win an open title and reach the rank of 7 dan. Iyama became a 9 dan when he won the Meijin title in 2009, again setting a record as the youngest to win one of the seven top Japanese titles and the youngest ever 9 dan.

In 2012, Iyama won the most prestigious Japanese title, the Kisei, for the first time. He was the youngest winner ever of this title, which also made him the youngest to have won all seven of the top titles, and he has continued to win the Kisei every year since. He has held six of the top titles simultaneously several times and at this writing holds all seven of them. Iyama is the only player who has ever held all seven titles at the same time. Also at this writing, Iyama is winning more than 80% of his games, many of which have been played in title matches against the strongest Japanese pros.

Iyama prefers to play territorial style although he is very flexible and is known for his thick and solid play. He typically waits for his opponent to attack and responds with excellent fighting skills. Iyama’s expertise at and enthusiasm for fighting makes him somewhat unusual among Japanese pros, but he leans more toward a territorial style than is typical of pros from other countries.

Iyama is the strongest Japanese born pro to emerge in recent years and is Japan’s great hope for a resurgence of Japanese success on the international level. He won his first open international title, the Asian TV Cup, in 2013, defeating Lee Changho of Korea in the first round, Wang Xi of China in the semifinals (Wang defeated Lee Sedol of Korea in the first round), and Park Junghwan of Korea in the final. In 2011, Iyama won the invitational fast-play Bosai Cup, defeating both Lee Sedol of Korea and Gu Li of China—all three players were ranked number one in their respective countries at the time.

Iyama’s dominance among Japanese pros is also well illustrated by his success in winning the top three titles (Kisei, Meijin, and Honinbo) in recent years.

The Kisei is the most prestigious title in Japan and has the largest prize for the winner of the title match, about $400,000 US. Iyama has held this title for the last four terms, winning it first in 2013. If he wins it again in 2017 for the fifth time in a row, he will earn the title of Honorary Kisei, which has been acquired only twice before: by Fujisawa Hideyuki (also known as Fujisawa Shuko) and Kobayashi Koichi.

Iyama first won the Meijin, the second most prestigious title, with a winner’s prize of about $370,000 US, in 2009. He won this title again in 2010, and since winning it again in 2013 has held it for the last three years. Only two players have won this title five times in a row: Cho Chikun and Kobayashi Koichi.

The third title among the top three is the Honinbo, for which the winner’s prize is about $320,000 US. It is the oldest professional title in Japan and was originally an honorary title given to the leader of the Honinbo school. Starting in 1939 it became a competitive title. Winning this title five times in a row also brings an honorific title, which has been done by Takagawa Kaku, Sakata Eio, Ishida Yoshio, and Cho Chikun. Iyama has won this title the last four years.

Iyama has not had a similar level of success in international matches, which is partly the result of a lack of participation in such matches because of his playing in so many Japanese title matches. Besides the Asian TV Cup and the Bosai Cup, he also won the Japan-China Agon Cup in 2015.

Game One

This is the first game from the finals of the 38th Meijin in 2013. Iyama is challenging the title holder, Yamashita Keigo 9 dan, who is also more of a fighter than other Japanese pros. These two are the most successful Japanese in international events in recent years.

Yamashita is Iyama’s strongest rival for the Japanese titles; they have played several title matches. Iyama is slightly more inclined toward territorial style play than Yamashita. In this game, Iyama is Black, Yamashita White: the title holder usually plays White in the first game of a title match as a sign of respect. After that, the players alternate colors. If the match goes to the final possible game, in this case game seven, the players use nigiri to determine colors.

Editor’s Note: The number of moves shown per diagram is minimized to encourage and facilitate study of the games.

Moves 1–4

＞＜ ▶︎

Iyama opens with alternating 3–4 point plays, following traditional, territorial style (“honte” plays).

White 4 is not honte because it exposes the weak side of the corner enclosure to Black’s strong side in the bottom right so it is a wrong direction move. Since it is a move by a top player, it would be called an 'interesting idea." (I would object if one of my students played this way.) White is trying to prevent Black from playing a prepared pattern. For example, if 4 is on the 4–4 point at A, Black might play at B to close the corner or approach at C to initiate the mini-Chinese opening—at any rate, Black could play an opening he had specially prepared. White 4 aims to disrupt whatever plan Black may have to offset the advantage of Black’s having first move.

After White 4, there are two particularly attractive plays on the board: a third line approach at the bottom left or closing the corner at B in the upper right. Naturally, Black would like to get both of these plays, and White wants to prevent that from happening.

Moves 5–7

＞＜ ▶︎

Black 5 reduces the severity of a white approach in the upper right while reducing White’s upper left corner. After White responds with 6, Black makes the approach in the bottom left at 7. This is an efficient way for Black to play: 5 protects the weak side of Black’s upper right corner and 7 attacks White’s corner from Black’s strong side in the lower right. This makes White flat on the left side. Playing high with 7 reduces the severity of a white attack on 7, increasing the chances that Black could get sente after a white attack there. In terms of the opening, this development is good for Black.

Moves 8–9

＞＜ ▶︎

White avoids following Black’s plan. Since the left side has little appeal to White now, he aims to break up Black’s position with 8. Playing at the bottom instead of the top helps White’s weaker position in the bottom left.

9 makes sense for Black. If Black attaches at A to make territory, White may play the avalanche joseki which would be bad for Black on the bottom. See variation “Not Good for Black” below.

Not Good for Black

＞＜ ▶︎

If Black goes for territory with 9 at this Black 1, after playing the avalanche with White 2 and 4, White could pincer with 6. This attacking extension would be an efficient way for White to play and obviously not good for Black. The pincer with Black 9 in the game is a better way for Black.

Moves 10–12

＞＜ ▶︎

Local fighting is likely to be good for Black given the overall position so White wants to avoid that. The two space extension with White 10 aims to avoid becoming overly involved locally here by playing lightly.

Black 11 aims at a cut in White’s two space extension, but since White’s two stones here are light, White can now attack in the upper right with 12. White is happy to break the board up into small pieces. Smaller territories enhance the impact of White’s komi.

Moves 13–15

＞＜ ▶︎

Black has to be careful about the danger of a white attack from the right against . Since a white pincer against would be painful, Black pincers White’s stone with 13, which is a good idea. Note that this creates the notorious magic sword joseki. White chooses the least complicated continuation with 14. With so many black stones around, White wants to avoid a difficult fight, but locally, the White 14—Black 15 exchange is good for Black.

Moves 16–20

＞＜ ▶︎

White 16 continues peacefully, but this is not a favorable development for White in terms of territory. Black’s stones have more territorial potential. Normally, White would attach at A with 16 to develop corner potential. When Yamashita does not do that, Iyama immediately attaches with Black 17, which is a good play locally. So White plays on the outside with 18 and Black pulls back with 19, which forces White to connect with 20, giving Black sente.

Moves 21–22

＞＜ ▶︎

Black has no choice but to defend at the top with 21.

At this point, Black’s opening seems more natural than White’s, making good territorial sense. White now has the challenge of producing value from his opening moves. The most obvious choice for White to do that now is to cut off , Black’s weakest stone, with 22 to start a fight. (See diagram “Normal Play” below.)

Normal Play

＞＜ ▶︎

White 22 would normally be played at this White 1 to avoid giving Black the double peep at B, a serious weakness. White makes the risky play at A in the game because it has a good follow-up move at C. White takes this risk in the hope of making a gain later because he anticipates that the threat of the double peep will be removed in the coming fight, at which point the threat of C would become severe.

Move 23

＞＜ ▶︎

Black is clearly ahead now in terms of solid points, but his total at this point is small. So White is not worried, although the game seems more difficult for White now. The key issue is what will happen in the coming fight in the lower right.

Naturally, Black runs out with 23. White’s two groups on the right side seem weak. So Black is not focusing on defense now. He sees a white group in the upper right that is not alive and it is not a thickness.

The full book continues this game to the end, followed by a thorough analysis of two more games.