Xie Yimin - Igo & Shogi Channel Co-Captain

 

Xie Yimin (謝 依旻) is a famously strong Japanese

Professional currently at 7 Dan. She was also the last woman to become Professional in full competition with the men in the standard open Professional tournament. 

She was born in Taiwan on 16th November 1989 and started playing because her older brother did but rapidly showed talent training in South Korea. Her family then  moved to Tokyo where she became in Insei and eventually turned Profesional at 14 years 4 months in 2004.

For many years she was the top woman in Japan and has a quite stunning Professional record - at least until the new wave of players started coming through. Like perhaps Ueno Asami she is an aggressive player - in her own words (translated) "My style is more attacking. While others balance from opening to endgame... I often force attacks or captures even when surrounding would win, because my opening is weaker." When described her style is often noted as being aggressive with sharp combativeness and a willingness to take risks. She often plays surprising moves to unbalance opponents and thrives in desperate situations. Interestingly her teacher pointed out that as her defense needs improvement along with opening Fuseki she often favours fights over safer surrounding plays. Admittedly the more interesting question is 'when' that applies.. She currently has an ELO of 3073 which makes her the #408th best player in the world and, as far as I can see the #4 female player in Japan. Last year she Captained the Fukuoka team but had a bit of a mare of a tournament losing 6 and only winning 1 such that the team coach decided not to protect her and allowing her to be drafted. Igo&Shogi snatched her up and are obviously hoping that a - last year was an aberration and B - Fujisawa Rina is on the same team so reducing the elite players she may have to play.. If she can return to former glories it makes Igo&Shogi Channel totally stacked with star players.. Looking at her Ratings chart

You can see how hight she rose in those first 3 years, her score then crashed, which not entirely unsurprisingly coincided with her forming a hip hop group with fellow professionals. She then climbed up but now people like Rina and Asami were coming through and she started to fall back. Of late she does seem to be back on an upwards turn. Looking at competitions Female Meijin 20th beat Kato Keiko 2-0 21st beat Chinen Kaori 2-1 22nd beat Mukai Chiaki 2-0 23rd beat Mukai Chiaki 2-1 24th beat Mukai Chiaki 2-0 25th beat Okuda Aya 2-0 26th beat Kato Keiko 2-1 27th beat Suzumi Ayumi 2-0 28th beat Aoki Kikuyo 2-1 29th lost to Fujisawa Rina 0-2 31st lost to Fujisawa Rina 1-2 So complete dominance early with Rina removing her dominance eventually.
For the female Honinbo a similar situation 26th beat Yashiiro Kumiko 3-0 27th beat Suzumi Ayumi 3-1

28th beat Aoki Kikuyo 3-1 29th beat Mukai Chiaki 3-0 30th beat Mukai Chiaki 3-1 31st beat Okuda Aya 3-0 32nd lost to Mukai Chiaki 2-3 33rd lost to Fujisawa Rina 0-3 34th beat Fujisawa Rina 3-2 35th lost to Fujisawa Rina 1-3 36th beat Fujisawa Rina 3-2 37th lost to Fujisawa Rina 1-3 Her apart from the back and forth between her and Rina at the end you have to note Chiaki actually winning it once (otherwise this must have been a stressed friendship)
The quickplay Kisei shows the same 13th beat Umezawa Yukari 2-0 14th beat Umezawa Yukari 2-0

15th lost to Aoki Kikuyo 1-2 16th beat Aoki Kikuyo 2-0

17th beat Aoki Kikuyo 2-0

18th beat Konishi Kazuko 2-0

19th beat Yoshihara Yukari 2-0

20th beat Nyu Eiko 2-1

21st lost to Ueno Asami 0-2

An interesting name here is Nyu Eiko playing well in a knockout blitz tourney. Finally we have the Saikyo where Yimin has won 2 and been runner up 4 times..

Personally she seems well liked and respected. Close friends include Chiaki Mukai and Okuda Aya who were both teenage Insei friends and both Ueno sisters have mentioned their respect.