Xie Yimin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Xie Yimin
Chinese	Trad. 謝依旻 Simp. 谢依旻
Pinyin	Xiè Yīmín
Born	(1989-11-16) 16 November 1989 (age 35) Miaoli, Taiwan
Residence	Tokyo, Japan
Teacher	Kou Mousei
Turned pro	2004
Rank	7 dan
Affiliation	Nihon Ki-in; Tokyo branch

Xie Yimin (simplified Chinese: 谢依旻; traditional Chinese: 謝依旻; pinyin: Xiè Yīmín) was born on November 16, 1989. She is a professional Go player from Taiwan who plays in Japan. Go is a strategy board game for two players. Xie Yimin is known for holding many important titles in the world of Go. She has been given special honors like "Honorary Female Honinbo" and "Honorary Female Meijin" because of her amazing achievements.

About Xie Yimin

Her Early Life and Go Journey

Xie Yimin started playing Go when she was just five years old. She went to a Go school that her older brother also attended. When she was seven, she joined a children's tournament in South Korea. She was part of the team from Taipei and won all three of her matches!

At age eight, Xie Yimin won the Kaiho National Children's Go Cup. After this big win, she met Kou Mousei, who would become her teacher. In 2002, she joined the Nihon Ki-in as an insei. An insei is a student who trains to become a professional Go player.

Becoming a Professional Player

In 2004, Xie Yimin became a professional Go player. This means she plays Go for a living. She was only 14 years and 4 months old at the time. This made her the youngest female professional Go player ever! She was also one of the few female players to become professional through the main league, not just a special league for women.

Winning Big Titles

Xie Yimin has won many important Go titles throughout her career.

First Wins and Records

In 2006, Xie Yimin won the Wakagoi Cup. This was a tournament for players aged 30 or younger. It was a big deal because she was the first female player to win a mixed-gender tournament in the history of the Nihon Ki-in. Also in 2006, she won the Female Saikyo title. She was only 17 years and 1 month old, making her the youngest female to hold a Go title. Because of these wins, she received the Kido Female Award.

In 2007, she became the youngest Female Honinbo at 17 years and 11 months old. She also challenged for the Female Meijin title. She won the Kido Female Award again.

Becoming a Champion

In 2008, Xie Yimin won the Female Meijin title. This made her the second player ever to hold both the Female Honinbo and Female Meijin titles at the same time. She won the Kido Female Award for the third year in a row. She also received the Kido Shinjin Award, which is for new talented players.

In 2009, she successfully defended both her Female Meijin and Honinbo titles. She won the Kido Female Award for the fourth time.

Holding Multiple Titles

In 2010, Xie Yimin won the Female Kisei title. This was a huge achievement because it meant she held all three major female Go titles at the same time! She was the first player to do this. She also defended her Female Honinbo and Meijin titles. She received the Kido Yushu Kishi Award and her fifth Kido Female Award.

In 2011, she defended her Female Kisei title. She also defended her Female Meijin title, even after a match was paused because of a big earthquake. She won the Kido Special Award, Kido Yushu Kishi Award, and her sixth Kido Female Award.

In 2012, Xie Yimin lost her Female Kisei title. However, she won the Female Meijin title for the fifth year in a row. This amazing achievement earned her the title of "Honorary Female Meijin."

Later Achievements

In 2013, Xie Yimin won back her Female Kisei title, meaning she once again held all three major female titles. Later that year, she lost her Female Honinbo title.

In 2014, she successfully defended her Female Kisei and Female Meijin titles. She held the Female Meijin title for the seventh year in a row.

In 2015, Xie Yimin won the Female Honinbo title again.

In 2016, she became a guest professor at Heian Jogakuin University. She also defended her Female Meijin title, making it her ninth year in a row with that title!

In 2017, Xie Yimin lost the Female Meijin title. She also finished as the runner-up in the 4th Aizu Central Hospital Cup.

Her Amazing Achievements

Xie Yimin has won many important Go titles. Here are some of her main wins:

Beyond the Go Board

When she's not playing Go, Xie Yimin enjoys hip-hop dance. She has even performed her dance moves at different events!