[Stones and Stories] Japanese Genius Go Girl Knocks on the Door of Korea Baduk Association

Sumire Nakamura 3-dan's Experience in Korean Baduk
A Record of 2 Losses This Year... Facing the Walls of Korea and China
Will She Find Lessons in Defeat?
Attention on Sumire's Life Moves

"Korea seems to be a bit more advanced."

Sumire Nakamura, the genius Go girl from Japan, said this regarding her choice to join the Korea Baduk Association. Last October, Sumire's message resonated deeply within the Japanese Go community.

Japan is a country with great pride in Go. There was a time when it led the world of Go. In fact, both Cho Hunhyun 9-dan and Cho Chikun 9-dan, who represent Korea, studied in Japan. Based on their experience in the Japanese Go scene, they were able to reach the top ranks worldwide.

It was once common for promising young Go talents in Korea to go study in Japan. At that time, Japan's status in Go was tremendous. However, Japan's glory days are decades past. Currently, Japanese Go is overshadowed by the momentum of Korea and China and struggles to assert itself.

In this context, Sumire, who is considered the future of women's Go, moving her affiliation to the Korea Baduk Association sent shockwaves through the Japanese Go world. Born on March 2, 2009, Sumire is 14 years old. There is a reason she is called a genius Go girl. In February 2023, she won the Women's Kisei title, setting the record as the youngest winner in Japanese Go history. She achieved this at the age of 13 years and 11 months.

The Japanese stage may be too narrow for Sumire to nurture her Go dreams. To reach the top of women's Go worldwide, she must overcome the high wall of Korea beyond China. Korea's Choi Jeong 9-dan is widely recognized as the strongest female player in the world. Moreover, Korea also has Kim Eunji 9-dan, another girl hailed as a genius Go player.

Although Sumire has joined the Korean scene, the path ahead is inevitably tough. As of the 30th, Sumire's record this year under the Korea Baduk Association is 0 wins and 2 losses. She participated in the ‘2024 Korea-China-Japan Genius Girls Trilateral’ tournament held as a New Year's special and lost both matches. She tasted defeat against Wu Yiming 5-dan, a promising Chinese female player, and Kim Eunji, the future of Korean women's Go.

In Go, winning and losing is not everything. Players who grow from their defeats are ultimately the ones who succeed. How many understand this simple truth but fail to put it into practice?

Ultimately, one's attitude toward life determines their future. This is why we are curious about the life moves of Sumire, the genius Go girl.