Suzuki Ayuimi - Team Wakagoi Co-Captain 25-26

Wakagoi's Co-Captain is the experienced veteran 7 Dan Suzuki Ayumi (鈴木歩), born 23rd September 1983 making her 42 she became a Professional using the (harder) league route in 2001 at 18.

She has been one of the top female players in Japan for years though has been slightly  eclipsed of late by the two newer waves she still has an impressive win rate of 57.6%

Her play style is more stable than many professionals. She is often described as exactly that - a stable player who is extremely difficult to beat. She does not makes big mistakes and keeps games close even when behind. She has described herself as a player who favours actual points over influence or attempting to build a large moyo. She also is talented at reducing opposing frameworks with excellent Sabaki skills and tends to lean into this approach against aggressive players like Ueno Asami. All helped by impressive reading abilities. She makes a very interesting matchup against almost all of team Senko for example.

Her style is also one that allows her to do well against and including stronger male Professionals.

ELO wise she is currently stands at #453rd best player in the world

An almost standard chart for the more mature players. You can see the stratospheric rise followed by a dip (married 2011, children born 2014 and 2017 and post leaving the intense care stage an increase again). Followed by another drop but you have to remember those children are still young. The eldest is not 12 and the youngest 9 so if other Professional's charts in similar situations can inform then it's once the child is past 10 that some measure of consistency and improvement is returned.

She also has some finals in top tournaments, so has won a top tourney (Kisei) once

Honinbo

2008 lost to Xie Yimin 0-3

Meijin

27th lost to Xie Yimin 0-2

Kisei (Blitz)

23rd beat Ueno Asami 2-1
24th lost to Ueno Asami 0-2


Here  is her X league fluff piece where she, rather amusingly has said she has been ordering dinner menu's lighting fast to prepare for the new rules. She also shows her favourite aid to play in a bright red hot water bottle which gives a good nights sleep which any game player will know is key to mental alertness..