Sumire Nakamura Becomes Youngest ‘Go’ Title Holder

Jiji Press

11:08 JST, February 7, 2023

Tokyo (Jiji Press)—Sumire Nakamura, 13, became the youngest male or female professional “go” player to win a major title in Japan on Monday.

The junior high school student won the Women’s Kisei title in a best-of-three match against Asami Ueno, 21, who failed to defend the title.

In the third game, held in Tokyo on the day, Nakamura, a third-dan player, clinched her second win after 250 moves.

Nakamura became a title holder at the age of 13 years and 11 months, breaking the previous record of 15 years and nine months, set by Rina Fujisawa, 24, who won her first title in 2014, according to the Nihon Ki-in, Japan’s association for the board game.

“Winning the title was a big thing, and it gave me confidence,” Nakamura told a press conference after the day’s game.

In April 2019, when she was 10 years and zero months old, Nakamura became the youngest professional go player ever in the country at the time, under a special scheme for talented young players.

The achievement came after Nakamura lost in her two attempts for other titles in April and July 2022.

As the world of go now has even younger players, Nakamura said, “I want to become a respected player.”