9-Yr-Old "Go" Player Fujita Scores 1st Win at Official Match

Osaka, Feb. 1 (Jiji Press)--Reo Fujita became the youngest professional player of the board game "go" to win an official match on Tuesday at the age of nine years and nine months.

First-dan Fujita defeated ninth-dan Yoshitaka Ushikubo, 75, at a preliminary for the 49th Meijin grand champion matches in the western Japan city of Osaka.

The previous record was held by third-dan Sumire Nakamura, 13, who marked her first official win when she was 10 years and four months old.

Following the win at his fourth official match, Fujita said, "I'm delighted to have had the win."

In September 2022, Fujita, an elementary school third-grade boy, passed a special exam for junior players to become the youngest professional at the age of nine years and four months.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]