Photo/Illutration Rina Fujisawa, left, a 5-dan player, defeats her 2-dan challenger, Sumire Nakamura, in the 33rd Women’s Meijin title match in Tokyo on April 16. (Provided by the Nihon Ki-in)

Sumire Nakamura’s dream of becoming the youngest professional go title holder of either sex suffered a major setback April 16 when she lost to defending champion Rina Fujisawa.

The 13-year-old junior high school student, the eldest daughter of 9-dan player Shinya Nakamura and a 2-dan player herself, lost two games straight out of three in the 33rd Women’s Meijin title match held in Tokyo.

With her fifth consecutive victory in Mejin titles, Fujisawa, a 5-dan player, was named honorary female Meijin.

Nakamura was magnanimous in defeat but expressed regret over her performance.

“I am sorry that my moves were not very good, but I was able to learn a lot by playing against Fujisawa when the stakes were so high,” she said. “It made me realize that I still have a lot to learn.”

Prior to the title match, Nakamura hoped to make a history by winning a first-ever title at the age of 13 years and one month, eclipsing Fujisawa’s record at 15 years and nine months.

Fujisawa, 23, praised her rival for managing to qualify for the challenge at such a young age.

“She is still just 13 years old and it had been unthinkable for a player of such a tender age to enter a title match,” she said. “She has massive potential to rise further. It is something I am looking forward to and at the same time I felt, again, that she is a formidable player.”

Interest in the teenager has given her star power. While the popularity of go remains in a slump, she is the only player to attract as many as 70 reporters from 25 news outlets to a competition.

Fujisawa acknowledged that the young student has reinvigorated the world of the traditional board game.

“Thanks to Sumire’s ascent, news media came to shine more light on go,” she said. “She keeps stimulating me and I am determined afresh to work harder.”

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