Hikaru No Go Fan Fiction ❯ The Invitational ❯ A Friendly Conversation ( Chapter 4 )

As you probably know, I don't own Hikaru no Go and appreciate the owners letting me play in their universe. I definitely don't make any money from this fic.

 

 

 

 

Weekly Go, volume 21; issue 18; page 9

 

Young Professionals Title

The Sai Invitational Cup

 

. By KOSEMURA

 

What are the young professionals up to while they wait to compete for the serious titles such as Meijin or Honinbou? Why they create their own tournament and title of course. This reporter has learned about an unsanctioned tournament started by Waya 3-dan. It is called the Sai Invitational Cup and is open by invitation only to higher insei and new professionals. The finals consist of a best of three series final between the challenger and the title holder. The challenger is the player with the best record after an 8 person round robin series of games.

 

This is the second year that Waya 3-dan and his friends have held the tournament. Kuwabara Honinbou was sufficiently intrigued by the idea that he arranged for the finals to take place in one of the tournament rooms in the Japan Go Institute.

 

“I asked the officials to let the kids use the room of Profound Contemplation, but the Institute wouldn't agree to that. They did let them use one of the lesser rooms, though. It's good to see these kids' energy. They can't compete for the real titles yet so they make up one of their own. Maybe that will keep them from coming after me for awhile. Ho. Ho. Ho.”

 

Shindou 3-dan recently successfully defended his title against Kadowaki 2-dan and afterwards was willing to give us a few words. “Even though this is unsanctioned and totally unofficial, I took the defense of the Sai Invitational Cup very seriously. I plan to be the final challenger for a real title or two in the very near future and may as well start learning how to defend myself against a challenger now rather than later. It was just a surprise that you and Kuwabara Honinbou found out about it. It kind of freaked me out.”

 

What did Shindou 3-dan win for his prize? He won the `right' to pay for a sushi dinner for all 8 participants. Waya 3-dan tricked Shindou 3-dan into it last year and this year both he and Kadowaki 2-dan agreed the winner would buy sushi again.

 

Waya 3-dan said the idea was for insei and low level dans to get some real tournament practice. “The Young Lion's Tournament is a single elimination round and doesn't offer the same depth of experience as a round robin. That's what my friends and I tried to recreate.”

 

Reader, you should consider congratulating Shindou 3-dan on his win the next time you happen to see him in the halls of the Japan Go Institute. Unofficial or not; unsanctioned or not, Shindou 3-dan won a serious tournament match series against his peers.