Taiwan Today

Twenty-year-old Taiwanese Go player Hsieh Yi-min was crowned champion of the prestigious Kisei tournament Jan. 28 in Tokyo, becoming the first ever triple-title holder in the history of women’s professional Go play in Japan. Hsieh defeated three-time defending champion Yukari Umezawa of Japan in the second match of their best ofthree showdown to grab the Kisei title. She became the youngest player ever to attain the feat. The victory completed Hsieh’s dominance of Go play in Japan. She also holds the illustrious Honinbo title, which she has won three years in a row, as well as the women’s Meijin title for two years running. She was also the youngest player ever to win these two honors. Hsieh’s triumph Thursday attracted the attention of a number of leading Japanese news organizations, including Jiji Press, Asahi Shimbun and the Sankei Shimbun. Several Taiwan media outlets also sent reporters to Japan to cover the story and witness the historic event. Asked by journalists how she felt about her accomplishment, a choked-up Hsieh said, “I was bent on becoming a professional Go player ever since coming to live in Japan at the age of 12. What I most want to do right now is share this happy news with my parents who have always striven hard to support my Go career.” Hsieh noted that in her first few years in Japan, when she did not speak any Japanese at all, her mother and father took turns coming to the country to take care of her. She added that they provided her with a lot of financial support so that she could pursue her endeavor. As a result, Hsieh stated she has decided to give her parents the entire amount of her 5 million yen (US$55,585) in prize money for winning the Kisei title. “I could not have achieved what I have this day on my own. I owe a lot to everyone for their support and encouragement,” a thankful Hsieh said. She also expressed special thanks to her mentor Huang Meng-cheng for always being there to cheer her on at every tournament in which she has competed. Hsieh is slated to represent Taiwan at the Asian Games in Guangzhou, mainland China later this year. “Although I’ve accomplished my longstanding dream of winning the Kisei title, becoming the triple-title holder, this is not the end of the line for me,” Hsieh stressed. She said her next goal is to achieve success in Go play on the international stage. (SB)