Queen of Go Reclaims Throne After Four Years! Lu Yu-Hua Defeats Yang Tzu-Hsuan to Regain Women's Strongest Title

The finals of the 12th 'Kenjo Cup Women's Strongest Go Championship' concluded on August 11 at the Haifeng Qi Academy, where current 'Women's Meijin' Lu Yu-Hua faced off against last year's champion Yang Tzu-Hsuan. After an intense battle, Lu secured a mid-game victory playing as White, successfully avenging her defeat from four years prior and claiming her third 'Women's Strongest Go' title, now holding both the Women's Meijin and Women's Strongest titles simultaneously.

The Kenjo Cup Women's Strongest Championship kicked off this week! Over the past five years, the tournament has largely been dominated by Taiwan's top three female players—Lu Yu-Hua, Yang Tzu-Hsuan, and Lin Yi-Ting. This year, Lin failed to revive in the losers' bracket, setting up another final showdown between Lu and Yang.

Four years ago, it was Yang who defeated Lu in the championship match, capturing her first 'Women's Strongest Go' title and establishing her leading position in Taiwan's women's Go scene. Now, Lu sought to reclaim her throne, challenging Yang once again in a high-stakes rematch.

Lu Yu-Hua, Women's Strongest (Haifeng Qi Academy)

Although Lu narrowly lost to Li Chia-Hsin 3-dan in the winners' bracket, she quickly adjusted, defeating Chen Pin-Hua 2-dan, Japanese player Suzuki Ayu 7-dan, then avenging her earlier loss to Li Chia-Hsin. Finally, she overcame amateur dark horse Chen Chien-Yu 7-dan in the losers' final, fighting her way back into the championship match to challenge undefeated Yang.

Lu Yu-Hua defeats Li Chia-Hsin 3-dan in the losers' bracket, securing a crucial victory

Lu Yu-Hua: Mid-game breakthrough was key; mindset more composed than four years ago

Lu Yu-Hua, Women's Strongest (Haifeng Qi Academy)

After the match, Lu said the game remained close throughout: 'I felt I had a slight edge, and later my opponent made a significant mistake, allowing me to seize victory.'

She added that Yang's opening strategy completely surprised her: 'I hadn't reviewed it yesterday, but I just played naturally, following my own rhythm.' Regarding the turning point, she identified moves 56 to 60—the mid-game tussle—as decisive.

Reflecting on her loss in the final four years ago, Lu admitted her mindset has changed significantly: 'Even though I lost to Teacher Yang four years ago, we often meet in regular matches, so I just treated this as another game with a calm mind.'

She also noted she now feels more relaxed compared to four years ago: 'Back then, I felt more pressure. Now, with more tournament experience, I'm less nervous and manage my time more efficiently.' She used to obsess over tiny details within a 5% win-rate margin, spending too much time, but realized those weren't what decided the game—mid-to-late game fights and endgame consolidation were far more critical.

After winning, Lu expressed genuine joy and revealed she still aims to secure the representative spot in the upcoming women's selection tournament.

Yang Tzu-Hsuan: Though defense failed, will keep striving for success

Yang Tzu-Hsuan 6-dan (Haifeng Qi Academy)

Yang, who failed to defend her title, said the game was difficult from the start: 'I wasn't familiar with the opening phase, ran into problems early, and struggled throughout.' She mentioned she had played this opening before, but the actual follow-up diverged from her expectations, forcing her to improvise and gradually adjust.

Despite failing to achieve back-to-back titles, Yang displayed grace and sportsmanship, thanking her supporters after the match. She announced she will fly to Hebei next week on the 18th to continue competing in the Women's Weiqi League: 'Though I didn't win today, I'll keep working hard and aim for good results in other tournaments.'

The Kenjo Cup Women's Strongest Go Championship is hosted by the Chinese Professional Go Association and Haifeng Qi Academy, sponsored by Kenjo Group, with a championship prize of NT$500,000 and NT$200,000 for the runner-up.