PokeEarn Interview Akika Yasuda | PokeEarn Official Site | PokeEarn

Yasuda's encounter with Go came at age 5. Influenced by her grandfather, she touched Go stones for the first time, which led her to start attending a Go class.

"I went not so much to play Go as because it was fun to play with friends my own age. It was a class that taught me the importance of manners, greetings, and patience."

Yasuda gradually came to admire the senior students at her Go class who were spreading their wings toward becoming pros. Then, after placing at a national tournament as a second-year junior high student, she resolved to become an insei of the Nihon Ki-in, a pro in the making, so to speak.

"Go, which had been fun, suddenly changed into something severe, where each and every result would shape my future. I was also surprised by the level and the high awareness of those around me."

Yasuda looks back on her insei years as "painful," feeling anxious as players her own age went on to become pros. The reason she didn't give up was the support around her.

"I thought about quitting Go many times. But thanks to the encouragement of my family and my class teacher, Mr. Hotta (9-dan Yozo Hotta), I somehow managed to keep going."

Her perseverance bore fruit, and in 2021 Yasuda splendidly achieved her promotion (turning pro).

"I was happy, and relieved. At the same time, I felt the pressure of now having to live as a professional."

Now in her fifth year as a pro, she says her awareness of "wanting the viewers to enjoy it" has grown stronger in her matches.

"As the phrase 'Go that captivates' suggests, I came to be conscious that playing Go that entertains the fans is also part of a pro's role."

One match that stands out to her in terms of "having people enjoy it" was a game at a certain young players' tournament.

"The AI's real-time evaluation kept swinging back and forth, and it was a match where you couldn't tell what would happen until the very, very end, so I think it was enjoyable for the viewers. It's not that I was aiming for 'Go that captivates,' though (laughs)."

Yasuda says her own style of Go has been changing over these five years.

"Partly because of the spread of AI, my style has changed quite a bit. Originally I was the type to eliminate all my weak stones and go on the attack, but now I've come to prioritize 'territory,' securing my own area first and holding on to win, and those kinds of games have increased."

Her current goal in matches is "reaching the main tournament of a women's title event," seen as a stepping stone to becoming a top player.

"Reaching the main tournament is a big goal for me, and I want to build up my practice and break through the wall."

Yasuda actively takes part in popularizing Go, appearing on NHK Educational TV's "Igo Focus" and "NHK Cup TV Go Tournament," participating in events, and publishing an introductory book. When we asked about her intent...

"My teacher, Mr. Hotta, is someone who values popularization, so I naturally came to think the same way. I believe Go has the power to create connections between people that transcend generation and position, so I'd be happy if such connections increased through Go."

In fact, through Go events and the like, Yasuda interacts with a wide range of people, from kindergarteners to the elderly. She has also published an introductory book that carefully breaks down the rules and enjoyment of Go.

"There are plenty of wonderful technical books out there, but introductory books hadn't come out much recently, so I worked with my editor, being particular about clarity and adding refinements, to make it."

If popularization activities increase, practice time will naturally decrease. How does Yasuda think about this dilemma?

"There are times I wish I could increase my practice hours. At the same time, I like to think I understand the importance of popularization too. Before a match I'll leave out popularization activities and devote that time to researching my opponent, and so on, trying to balance the two while finding ways to make it work."

What kind of practice and study does she usually do?

"Practice games between players are the main thing, but I've also come to use AI more. I play against AI and have AI evaluate the games I've played. Of course, I also do tsumego (life-and-death problems) and game-record replays."

Game-record replay is a method of Go study in which past game records are laid out on the board.

"I think about where I would play, then look at the move the player actually made and replay it. It's instructive to see, oh, so that's how they played, and sometimes I'm moved by a wonderful move."