Iyama Yuta 10th Dan Inauguration Ceremony

The investiture ceremony for Yuta Iyama (35), a 10th dan who won the 62nd Yamato House Cup 10th Dan Go Tournament, was held on June 13th at the Meiji Memorial Hall in Minato Ward, Tokyo.

Iyama challenged Shibano Toramaru, a 24-year-old Meijin, in this best-of-five match. He was down 1-2, but he won consecutive matches to turn the tables and take the title. He achieved his sixth title after six terms. He also regained the triple crown of Oza, Gosei, and Judan. He also now holds 60 of the seven major titles (9 Kisei, 8 Meijin, 9 Oza, 8 Tengen, 11 Honinbo, 9 Gosei, and 6 Judan).

In the main tournament to compete for the right to challenge, he defeated Daisuke Murakawa (9th dan) in the first round, Rina Fujisawa (Women's Honinbo) in the quarterfinals, Kotaro Seki (9th dan) in the semifinals, and Xu Jiayuan (9th dan) in the challenge. This was his first appearance in the Judan tournament since 2019, when he lost his title to Murakawa.

In his thank-you speech, Iyama said, "In recent years, it has been difficult to even win the right to challenge, but this season I was blessed with good fortune. I have had some tough battles against Judan Shibano over the past few years, and I could see his ability and growth. This time it was a tough best-of-five match, but I think luck was on my side in the end. Now that I'm in my mid-30s, I've been competing in title matches against younger generations. I think I was able to show with this result that if I can continue to grow and improve myself, I still have room to compete. I would like to continue to hone my game so that I can put up a better fight next season."

A message from Shogi player Yuta Iyama to students

I started playing Go when I was five years old, after becoming interested in video games. The appeal of Go is that anyone can enjoy it, regardless of age or gender. Players can compete on an equal footing and play however they like, just like painting a picture on a canvas.
Some people may have the impression that Go is difficult, but it is actually a very free game that anyone can start playing. Recently, there are many apps and other things that make it easy to enjoy, so I would be happy if students who have never played Go before would give it a try.

Student Newspaper Online Interview June 13, 2024 Hosei University 4th year student Shimada Daiki