Shinjin-O

The Shinjin-O ("King of the New Stars") is Japan's premier championship for young professional Go players, held annually since 1976. The tournament is restricted to professionals ranked below 7-dan and under 25 years of age (originally under 30, tightened in 2006), reflecting the increasingly young age at which top players peak. It uses a single-elimination format with the final decided in a best-of-three match. Winning the Shinjin-O is often seen as a career milestone signaling a young player's readiness to compete for major titles.