Yanagihara Saik - Fukuoka Team Captain 25-26
The team coach protected her and her 2 wins 4 losses over Xie Yimin (now with Igo) so obviously sees a lot of potential in this young lady.
She became a pro by recommendation in April 2023 and until (quickly) overtaken by good friend Takayama Nonoka was the youngest ever female Professional. She also has had a Dan promotion already. She also does not have a vast array of competitive data and due to the time consuming way challenges to major tourneys are organised is also not in the finals of any major competitions.
Her ELO is currently an impressive 2922 placing her as the #604th best player in the world.
Her chart also shows continual improvement
The top plateau is tiny and is over a point or two so is is perhaps a blip, perhaps a stabilising. This competition will prove whether the coaches instincts were good or not.
There are indications of very strong application to her craft (and this is Professional GO, none of the players listed here will let their focus slip). She apparently solves 1,500 go puzzles a day (which is extreme) and usually spends ten hours studying.
She has a calm and solid playstyle with a strong emphasis on territory but not a passive one. She uses the territory to allow her to aggressively contest open space when she gains the opportunity. 9 Dan Yuki Satoshi praised her play as having the artistry of a veteran and also is utterly absorbed in game emotionally and mentally being described as having a boldness in posture shifting to an intense focus in key reading moments that can make games tense. One quote that seems to show this was that she shows a 'sharp predatory gaze, that belies her calm style - like sniffing out prey'
Competitively this is how I can be in games (without the talent), and this does indication of intense focus on the desire to win can make games more stressful/intense for both players.
I will be interested to see what her games tell us in competition...
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