Who Are Women Go Pros? List, Title Holders, Youngest Records, and Who’s the Strongest

“Which women Go pros are out there?” “Who’s the strongest right now?”

You may have seen a women pro’s name in the news and wondered about them.

In recent years, women pros have been drawing more attention than ever—there are prodigies who turned pro at age 10, and even players who have won open (mixed-gender) tournaments.

This article summarizes everything from the basics of women Go pros, to a list of notable active players, women’s titles and current holders, youngest records, and even the question of “who is the strongest.”

Note: The information is current as of October 2026.

What Is a Women Go Pro?

A women Go pro is a female professional player affiliated with the Nihon Ki-in (Japan Go Association) or the Kansai Ki-in.

In shogi, “kishi” (professional player) and “joryu kishi” (women’s professional) are separate systems.

In Go, however, women pros are the same kind of professional players as men, and they compete in most official tournaments.

Here, we’ll look in order at the basic status of women pros, the path to becoming a pro, and an approximate headcount.

The Basics｜They Are Female Professional Players

In Go, women pros are “professional players” with almost no distinction by gender. They can enter major title matches such as the Kisei and Meijin under the same conditions as men.

On top of that, there are also “women’s tournaments” that only women can enter.

The Women’s Honinbo, Women’s Meijin, and Women’s Kisei are 대표 examples.

Women pros compete in both open tournaments and women’s tournaments, building up wins and titles.

In shogi, women’s professionals are a separate qualification from “kishi.”

Because the same term can mean different things in Go and shogi, be careful not to confuse them.

How to Become a Women Go Pro (Selection Systems)

At the Nihon Ki-in, there are two main routes to becoming a pro.

The first is the “regular pro” selection exam, open to all genders. Players train as insei (Go apprentices) and only those who survive a tough league can turn pro.

The second is “Women’s Special Selection,” which is only for women.

The Nihon Ki-in holds an annual selection exam for Women’s Special Selection pros.

Women can aim to become pros through either of these two routes.

There is also a recommendation-based system called “Elite Special Selection,” designed to develop young talent capable of competing internationally.

Number of Women Go Pros

The number of women Go pros across the Nihon Ki-in and Kansai Ki-in is often said to be around 100, but an exact figure is not officially published on their websites.

As a rough sense of scale, about one in five professional players is female.

List of Women Go Pros｜Notable Active Players

Because there are close to 100 women pros, this section does not cover everyone; instead, it focuses on title holders and players with notable achievements.

Ranks and titles are based on the Nihon Ki-in’s player listings.

If you’ve heard a name but wondered “what have they accomplished?”, use this section to find players you’re interested in.

Top Players on the Front Lines

At the center of today’s women’s Go scene are two players: Ueno Asami 6-dan and Fujisawa Rina 7-dan.

Ueno Asami 6-dan is known for her aggressive style and the nickname “Hammer.”

In January 2026, she reclaimed the Women’s Kisei title from her younger sister, Ueno Risa 4-dan, and now holds three women’s titles.

Her detailed career is also introduced in PlayGo.gg’s Ueno Asami profile.

Fujisawa Rina 7-dan is the granddaughter of Honorary Kisei Fujisawa Shuko.

She has held the Women’s Honinbo for six consecutive terms, and the 45th edition puts a seventh straight title on the line.

For game records and biography, see Fujisawa Rina’s profile.

Experienced Veterans and Proven Players

Chasing the top two are veteran players who have fought on the front lines for many years.

Even as younger players rise, the veterans still have a strong presence.

The Women’s Legend Tournament, launched in 2021, is a place to enjoy games between these accomplished players.

Young Players to Watch

The most talked-about young player is likely Ueno Risa 4-dan.

She faced her sister Asami 6-dan in a sister-versus-sister title match in the Women’s Kisei.

This term, she is challenging Fujisawa Rina 7-dan in the Women’s Honinbo.

Nakamura Sumire, who moved to the Korean Baduk Association, is also someone Japanese Go fans continue to follow closely.

In the Korean Baduk Association rankings announced in August 2026, she placed 3rd among women.

Women’s Titles and Current Holders

On the Nihon Ki-in’s women’s tournament page, there are six women-only individual tournaments and one team competition, the Japan Women’s Go League.

Among them, the most prestigious are the “three major women’s titles”: Women’s Honinbo, Women’s Meijin, and Women’s Kisei.

The Three Major Women’s Titles｜Women’s Honinbo, Women’s Meijin, Women’s Kisei

An overview of the three major women’s titles is as follows.

The Women’s Honinbo began in 1981 and is the oldest women’s title match.

It uses a challenge-match format, where the previous champion faces a challenger who advances through a tournament.

The title match is a best-of-five; the first to three wins takes the title.

The Women’s Meijin began in 1988 and has one of the highest winner’s prizes among women’s tournaments.

The title match is a best-of-three; the first to two wins takes the title.

The Women’s Kisei began in 1997 and is contested as a best-of-three.

It’s a tournament where young players often surge through and take the title.

It has also become a stage where records are set, including the youngest-ever title wins.

Other Women’s Tournaments

In addition to the three major titles, there are other distinctive women’s tournaments.

The Senko Cup, alongside the Women’s Meijin, offers a high winner’s prize of 10 million yen.

The Japan Women’s Go League is drawing attention as a new format where teams compete rather than individuals.

The Fumakilla Women’s Brains Match is a tournament that has been held five times since 2021, sponsored by Fumakilla Limited.

From 2026, it moved to become an official tournament hosted by the Nihon Ki-in.

Youngest Records Among Women Go Pros

In the Go world, more and more women pros are turning pro at a young age and producing results quickly.

The players who have rewritten the youngest records are Nakamura Sumire and Fujisawa Rina 7-dan.

Here we introduce the youngest pro-debut record and other major records.

The Youngest Pro Ever Is Nakamura Sumire (10 years 0 months)

The youngest professional Go player in history is Nakamura Sumire, who turned pro in April 2019 at 10 years 0 months.

The previous record was held by Fujisawa Rina 7-dan at 11 years 6 months, and it was the first update in nine years.

Nakamura became 1-dan as the first player selected under the Nihon Ki-in’s newly created “Elite Special Selection Recommended Player” system.

This system was created to develop players capable of competing on the world stage.

The birth of an elementary-school pro became major news, and her name spread even among people who didn’t know Go.

Later, Nakamura transferred to the Korean Baduk Association in 2024.

Seeking an environment with stronger opponents, she now competes against Korea’s top women players.

Other Records: Youngest Win, Youngest Title, and More

After turning pro, Nakamura continued to set new youngest records.

• First official-game win: Achieved in July 2019 at 10 years 4 months, breaking Fujisawa Rina 7-dan’s record of 11 years 8 months.
• Winning a women’s title: In 2023, she defeated Women’s Kisei Ueno Asami in the 26th Women’s Kisei to win a title at 13 years 11 months. The previous youngest record belonged to Fujisawa Rina 7-dan, and Nakamura shortened it by 1 year 10 months.

Fujisawa Rina 7-dan also once swept the youngest records.

In today’s Go world, it’s no longer rare to see young women pros defeat veterans.

Strength of Women Go Pros｜Who’s the Strongest?

There is no official “women pro ranking,” so here we’ll consider the question based on titles won and results in open (mixed-gender) tournaments.

The Women Pros Said to Be the Strongest Right Now

The two names most often cited as the strongest women pros are Ueno Asami 6-dan and Fujisawa Rina 7-dan.

By number of women’s titles held, Ueno Asami 6-dan is on top.

She holds a triple crown—Women’s Meijin, Women’s Kisei, and the Senko Cup—and has also previously completed a full set of women’s titles.

In 2022, she won the international SENKO CUP World Go Women’s Strongest.

This was the first time a Japanese woman player became world No. 1 in an international event.

Meanwhile, Fujisawa Rina 7-dan has held the Women’s Honinbo for six consecutive terms.

If she defends in the 45th edition, it will be her 10th overall term and a record-setting seventh straight title as the sole all-time leader.

Chasing these two is Ueno Risa 4-dan, the younger sister of Ueno Asami 6-dan.

In 2025, she won her first SENKO CUP World Go Women’s Strongest 2025 title by defeating Korea’s Choi Jeong 9-dan.

Her sister Asami 6-dan also won the same event in 2022, meaning both sisters have experienced being world No. 1.

With Risa 4-dan reaching the top of the world as a teenager, the day she battles the two for the “strongest” spot may not be far off.

How Do They Compare to Male Pros?

It’s fair to say that women pros’ strength is fully competitive even in open (mixed-gender) tournaments.

Here are some representative examples.

• Ueno Asami 6-dan: In 2019, reached the final of the Ryusei, an event open to all pros, and finished runner-up. In 2021, she also advanced to the best-of-three final of the Shinjin-O.
• Fujisawa Rina 7-dan: In 2020, won the open Hiroshima Aluminum Cup Wakakoi Tournament, becoming the first woman in history to win it.

In 2019, Fujisawa Rina 7-dan also became the first woman player to win a main-tournament game in one of the seven major title events, in the Tengen.

While the barrier of the seven major titles remains high, the gap between women pros and the top male pros is clearly narrowing.

How to Watch Women Pros’ Games

You can easily watch women pros’ games on TV and online.

On the Nihon Ki-in’s official website, results and schedules for each tournament are updated regularly.

On YouTube channels such as the Nihon Ki-in and the Go & Shogi Channel, you can enjoy games with commentary by professional players.

Be sure to check them out.

Summary

Women Go pros are professional players who compete on the same stage as men.

In women’s tournaments, the current picture centers on the two leaders—Ueno Asami 6-dan and Fujisawa Rina 7-dan—while younger players such as Ueno Risa 4-dan chase them.

Let’s recap the key points of this article.

• Women Go pros are female professionals affiliated with the Nihon Ki-in or Kansai Ki-in, with around 100 in total
• The three major women’s titles are Women’s Honinbo, Women’s Meijin, and Women’s Kisei
• The youngest pro in history is Nakamura Sumire, who turned pro at 10 years 0 months
• The current top two are Ueno Asami 6-dan (triple crown) and Fujisawa Rina 7-dan (six straight Women’s Honinbo titles)

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