original site：https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OfQw42PC94
original title：一力遼、世界一直後に現地インタビュー 語った感慨と責任「自分が何とかしたい、と」
Oide Kouji (Asahi Shimbun Go Correspondent): It is currently 8:43 p.m. local time (8-9-2024, the 3rd game from the 10th Ing Cup final, Ichiriki Ryo 9P 3:0 Xie Ke 9P), and Ichiriki Ryo has just finished the award ceremony and an interaction with fans. After dinner, he finally has time for an interview. First of all, congratulations to Ichiriki Ryo on winning the championship.
Ichiriki Ryo: Thank you very much.
Oide Kouji: It’s truly amazing. We were following the game, but we could only understand some of the numbers. So, we apologize, but when you initially tried to capture the white stones in the center, AI still considered you to have an advantage. Then, as the ko fight developed, we didn’t know what was happening. We just saw the AI's win rate change, and at that point, there was laughter from the Chinese research room next door. We thought the game was over for you. But later, there were loud cheers, and the Japanese research room started laughing. After these ups and downs, you won the championship. How did you feel throughout the match? When you aimed to capture the white stones, did you feel you had a chance?
Ichiriki Ryo: When I pressed with Black 99 and cut with Black 101, I felt I had a chance. But after White escaped, the situation became very complicated. I wasn’t sure what the correct play was in the lower-left corner. The final exchange left me in a tough position.
Move 99-101, Black win rate: 76% (data from golaxy) AI think black was a bit better at this point, but the situation was extremely complicated.
Move 156, Black win rate 1.4% (data from golaxy), it resulted to an imbalanced exchange, although black captured some stones on the left, black group at the bottom was captured. There are 5 liberties for the bottom black group, but white has 6 liberties, and white wins the capturing race there.
Oide Kouji: But you turned the game around.
Ichiriki Ryo: Yes, the game was difficult all the way through. My opponent might have been affected by the time pressure, but I was able to seize the opportunity for a reversal on the upper size during the endgame.
Move 199-201 Black win rate 3.5% > 36.9% (data from golaxy) There are defects in white shape, white groups are divided.
Oide Kouji: You used two overtime periods (which each cost black for two stones/ territory points), while Xie Ke used only one. Did the overtime affect you, especially when counting the points?
Ichiriki Ryo: Since I used one more overtime, I reminded myself that I needed a 10-point lead on the board to win. After gaining some advantage in the upper area, the situation improved significantly.
Oide Kouji: In the end, you captured your opponent’s large group.
Ichiriki Ryo: Yes, if my opponent had responded correctly, it would have been a close game. Perhaps he regretted some of his earlier moves.
Move 202 Black win rate 36.9% > 73% (data from golaxy) White played several problematic moves after the initaial mistake, and the game turned over.
Oide Kouji: At the end, you knew you were about to win the championship. Did your hand shake when making the final moves?
Ichiriki Ryo: Yes, in the ultimate final moment, when I was about to capture the large group on the right, my hand did tremble a bit.
Move 231 Black win rate 98.9% (data from golaxy) Black divided the two groups, both groups on the left and right did not alive.
Move 233 Black win rate 99% (data from golaxy)
Move 235 Black win rate 99.3% (data from golaxy) On the left hand side, white captured 5 black stones to live, black must capture the group on the right!
Move 237, last move of the game, white resign
Oide Kouji: In your earlier interview with the Japanese media, you mentioned that winning this world championship was not only a dream come true for yourself but also for the entire Japanese Go community. I’ve interviewed many people, and I think no one in Japan takes world championships as seriously as you do. Ever since you were a child, you’ve flown abroad for many tournaments, and it’s famous that you used to cry after losing. Now, after finally winning a world championship, how do you feel deep inside?
Ichiriki Ryo: I’m filled with emotion. Everything I’ve done up to this point has finally yielded results. As I mentioned earlier, this is not only my dream but also a dream for the Japanese Go community. My teacher at the Hong Dojo (the Dojo that nourished Ichiriki Ryo to a professional go player), Hong Kiyoung, once said the dojo was established to train Japanese to reach world champions. Now that I’ve achieved that goal, I feel a great sense of relief.
Oide Kouji: Winning a world championship at 27—how does that compare to your initial plans?
Ichiriki Ryo: When I was in my teens, I hoped to win a world championship earlier. But I realized that even winning one world title is extremely difficult. I’m very happy to have achieved this goal in my twenties.
Oide Kouji: Looking back on your journey, you still feel it was all worth it?
Ichiriki Ryo: Yes, I’ve been through many hardships and regrets, but those experiences are what brought me to this result.
Oide Kouji: I may have asked this in a previous interview, but years ago, you faced Iyama Yuta in three consecutive title matches (In 2017-2018, Ichiriki Ryo challenged the best player in Japan that time - Iyama Yuta in Kisei, Oza and Tengen title, Iyama Yuta defeated Ichiriki Ryo in 4:0, and two 3:0 respectively). At that time, Shibano Toramaru said you were already very mature, and even Iyama Yuta thought it was only a matter of time before you surpassed him. Although Iyama was leading Japanese Go then, I believed that you would soon be able to compete with the world’s top players. However, it still took a long time for you to become a world champion. Was it more than just technical growth that led to your success today?
Ichiriki Ryo: Over the past six years, I’ve encountered many good and bad things. Compared to back then, I feel I’ve grown significantly in terms of my mindset. I’ve been through many title matches in Japan, including seven-game series with Iyama Yuta that went to the final game (In 2024 Kisei title match, Ichiriki Ryo 4:3 defeated Iyama Yuta). Those experiences have helped me grow and brought me to where I am today.
Oide Kouji: Before you won the championship, we spoke to Iyama Yuta. He said that the future is what really matters. What do you think of that?
Ichiriki Ryo: I agree. While this result is fantastic, I hope to continue competing in future tournaments and aim for more championships. I believe I must carry a sense of responsibility moving forward.
Oide Kouji: You won your first world championship at the Ing Cup. I remember that when you were 11 years old, you reached the final of the Ing Cup World Youth Go Championship, where you lost to Ke Jie and finished as runner-up. Was that the first time you became aware of the world championship?
Ichiriki Ryo: Yes, it was. Before that, I had been to several dojos in Korea to study Go, but my first real experience of the idea of a world championship came 16 years ago. I still vividly remember that time. In the Ing Cup semifinals (2:1 against Ke Jie) this time, I felt like I finally had a chance for revenge.
Oide Kouji: I heard you became an Insei in the second grade, 19 years ago, the same year that Cho U won the last world championship for Japan. You probably don’t have many memories of Japanese Go in the 20th century, do you?
Ichiriki Ryo: That’s right. By the time I became an Insei, Japanese Go had already distanced itself from world championships. Whenever the topic of world championships came up, people would talk about how Japan was the strongest in the 1990s, but then China and Korea overtook us, and for years, we didn’t have a chance to win a title. Hearing that always frustrated me. Especially in recent years, I’ve wanted to do something to restore pride to Japanese Go.
Oide Kouji: After winning the Kisei and Honinbo titles, did you feel a stronger sense of representing Japan’s Go community? In China, many people view you as the current top player in Japan. Are you aware of that responsibility?
Ichiriki Ryo: Since face-to-face world tournaments resumed last August, I’ve been aware of that more strongly. Just before that, I won the Honinbo title, and when I went to China and Korea, people called me the current top player in Japan. Lately, that sense of responsibility has grown even stronger.
Oide Kouji: Hong Kiyoung said that Ichiriki Ryo never gives up, even when AI shows a drop in win rate. Eguchi Takeshi, a journalist from Yomiuri Shimbun sitting next to us in the research room, said, "Only those who believe in themselves will laugh last." Has Hong Kiyoung’s philosophy influenced you?
Ichiriki Ryo: Not only Hong Kiyoung but also many people in Japan’s large analysis sessions have been supporting me, including many journalists. I feel that those voices of support have become more and more familiar to me.
Oide Kouji: During the match, we interviewed Chang Hao (the current president of the Chinese go association, a legendary go player with 3 world titles and 8 first runner-up in world title) and asked why Japanese Go has struggled for 19 years without a world championship. He mentioned that Japanese players tend to lack the overall skill in very complex positions. However, he also said that players like Iyama Yuta, Ichiriki Ryo, and Shibano Toramaru are slowly overcoming these difficulties and are no longer consistently at a disadvantage in such positions. Is that something you’ve always been mindful of?
Ichiriki Ryo: Chinese players tend to show great strength in key moments. In this Ing Cup, I was at a disadvantage for long periods in games two and three. But in these unpredictable situations, I didn’t fall behind my Chinese opponents, and that boosted my confidence a lot.
Oide Kouji: After returning to Japan, your schedule is still very busy. It’s only been a few hours since you became world champion. You can relax a little now.
Ichiriki Ryo: Yes, it feels like a weight has been lifted (laughs).
Oide Kouji: Next, you have the Meijin title match.
Ichiriki Ryo: I’ll return to Japan on the 9th. After that, I’d like to take a short break, but next week is the Meijin match, so I’ll need to adjust for that.
Oide Kouji: I heard you have to get up at 5 a.m. tomorrow and catch an early flight. After arriving at Haneda Airport, you’ll have more interviews waiting for you, and then you’ll go to the Nihon Ki-in for a press conference. After that, you’ll finally be free.
Ichiriki Ryo: Yes, but I’m very happy to meet so many people, and I’d like to enjoy these moments.
Oide Kouji: This championship was long-awaited by the Japanese Go community, and you, Ichiriki Ryo, have finally become a world champion and fulfilled that goal. I want to express my gratitude to you. Congratulations on rewriting history. We look forward to your performance in the Meijin match.
Ichiriki Ryo: Thank you very much.
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