Antti Tormanen was awarded the 2009 Shizuo Asada Fighting Spirit Prize, becoming the second Finnish player to receive this award, following Vesa Laatikainen in 2006. This prize is given in recognition not only of fighting spirit but also for good deportment and sportsmanship.

Antti Tormanen

Ranka: Congratulations on winning the Shizuo Asada Fighting Spirit Prize. How do you feel?
Antti Tormanen: I feel very grateful. I guess my games were full of fighting, but I’m sure there were many other players who could say that too. Anyway, I feel very happy.

Ranka: How would you compare this tournament with the European go tournaments that you have attended?
Antti Tormanen: Comparing it with the European Go Congress, it has the same atmosphere, and the games and the players are the same, but the organization is better. With only sixty-six players and a large number of organizers, it has been running very smoothly. Another difference is the presence of professional players to comment on the games, which has been very nice.

Ranka: Which was your best game in the tournament?
Antti Tormanen: The first game, against the player from the United States. In that game I made only two big mistakes that I am aware of. There were plenty of smaller mistakes, but my flow of play was best in this first game.

Ranka: And after that?
Antti Tormanen: After that the games got more difficult. I won some games that I should have lost. I just kept fighting and fighting, but I made many mistakes.

Ranka: Thank you