"With sure and steady moves, Sai and Hikaru are making a name for Hikaru Shindo as the one who might possibly beat the venerable Akira Toya ... Principals, teachers and Go tournament kids alike are all wondering who this unruly bronco of a Go player is."--Cover.

Hikaru faces the preliminary rounds of the pro test in which he must eliminate all opponents, including one who seems to know how to exploit Hikaru's weaknesses.

The main round of the pro test has begun. Everyone's feeling the pressure, no one more so than Hikaru's friend Isumi, who has failed the test twice before. Fighting off his feelings of self-doubt, Isumi faces his next opponent, who turns out to be Hikaru. But a careless mistake lands the pair in an awkward position!

Akira is beginning a new school year at Kaio Middle School. With his daunting reputation as the Toya Meijin's son, Akira finds he must prove himself to more than a few mean and jealous classmates. And with the help of upper-classman Yuri Hidaka, Akira finds the confidence to persevere in his hunt to beat Hikaru. Meanwhile, Hikaru is having a hard enough time just trying to find a third teammate to play in the Haze Middle School Go Club. A possible...

The Hokuto Cup games are about to begin, and Hikaru gets caught up in some misunderstandings that make it difficult for him to concentrate on go. In the first match between Japan and China he starts out poorly and seems well on the way to a resounding defeat. Only by getting a tight grip on himself can he possibly make a showing, but that's far easier said than done!

"Hikaru is determined to move carefully, step by step, up the ladder of professional go. He pours his energy into it, striving to get closer to his ultimate goal--playing the Divine Move. After many games he finally gets to play a 7-dan, who turns out to be someone he's confronted before, though not in competition. Their mutual animosity fires their competitiveness, pushing them to play with maximum intensity."--P. [4] of cover.