Toshirou Tsubaki

Tsubaki is boisterous, friendly and intimidating without necessarily intending to be. His booming voice and physical presence badly unsettle Hikaru, who finds it difficult to concentrate when playing near him.

Away from that first impression, Tsubaki is warm and straightforward. He enjoys Go deeply and treats Hikaru more like a younger fellow competitor than an enemy once they become acquainted.

He is also realistic about his circumstances. Unlike the teenage insei who can try repeatedly, Tsubaki has adult responsibilities and understands that he cannot spend years continuing to chase professional qualification.

Tsubaki is a strong amateur capable of competing in the professional examination despite never having followed the normal insei route.

His strength is sufficient to defeat Hikaru during the preliminary examination. Part of Hikaru's difficulty comes from being distracted by Tsubaki's intimidating presence, but Tsubaki is genuinely skilled and does not advance through psychological pressure alone.

His experience also gives him a mature approach to competitive Go. He understands how tournament pressure affects younger players and later helps Hikaru prepare mentally for the main examination.

Tsubaki meets Hikaru during the preliminary stage of the professional examination. Hikaru becomes unusually nervous around him and loses their game, forcing him to confront a weakness in his concentration before the full exam begins.

The two subsequently become friendly, and Tsubaki gives Hikaru practical advice about playing under pressure. His presence also shows that the professional examination is not limited entirely to insei.

Tsubaki fails to qualify as a professional and accepts that he cannot continue pursuing the goal indefinitely. Before leaving the examination behind, he asks Hikaru to keep moving forward and carry the dream that Tsubaki himself could not realize.

Hikaru Shindou initially finds Tsubaki intimidating and loses to him during the preliminary examination. Tsubaki later befriends Hikaru Shindou and entrusts his unrealized professional ambition to the younger player after failing the examination.