Kenji Tsumura
| Kenji Tsumura 津村 健志 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 19 August 1986 (age 28)[1] |
| Residence | Hiroshima, Japan[1] |
| Nationality |
 Japanese |
| Pro Tour debut | 2003 Pro Tour Chicago[1] |
| Winnings | US$146,142[2] |
| Pro Tour wins (Top 8) | 0 (6)[3] |
| Grand Prix wins (Top 8) | 2 (13)[4] |
| Lifetime Pro Points | 261[5] |
| Highest Constructed Rating | 2260[1] |
| Highest Limited Rating | 2256[2] |
| Planeswalker Level | 47 (Archmage) |
Kenji Tsumura (津村 健志) is a professional Magic: The Gathering player from Japan. He is one of only eight players to have reached the top eight of a Pro Tour more than five times.
Career
Tsumura debuted at the 2003 Pro Tour in Chicago. Over the next two seasons, he qualified for most Pro Tours, but never earned more than the minimum two pro points. The 2005 season saw Tsumura make his breakthrough. A twenty-first-place finish at the first Pro Tour of the season in Columbus was a sign of things to come. At Pro Tour Atlanta, he made the final day of a Pro Tour for the first time. Alongside teammates Tomoharu Saitou and Tomohiro Kaji, Tsumura was eliminated in the semifinal by the eventual winners, Nova (consisting of David Rood, Gabe Tsang, and Gabriel Nassif).[6] The next Pro Tour, held in Philadelphia, Tsumura proved that Atlanta was no fluke. He made the top eight a second time, this time making it all the way to final before losing to Gadiel Szleifer.[7] At Pro Tour Los Angeles, Tsumura made the top eight for a third time in one season, once again losing to the eventual winner, Antoine Ruel, this time in the semifinal.[8] In addition to his three Pro Tour top eights, Tsumura also reached the top eight of four Grand Prix events. At the end of the season, he earned the Player of the Year award, beating out Olivier Ruel 84 points to 83 over the season.[9] He did so without ever having made day two of a Limited format Pro Tour, so he made it his goal to improve in this format the following season.[1] He succeeded with this goal, winning back to back Grand Prix events in Kuala Lumpur and Tolouse, both of which were limited. In addition Tsumura also made the top eight of Pro Tour Kobe, losing to Bastien Perez in the quarterfinals.[10] The 2007 season saw Tsumura make the top eight of a Pro Tour for the fifth time in Geneva.[11] After the 2007 season Tsumura announced that he would take a break from travelling to Magic tournaments to complete his studies. Nevertheless he managed a top eight appearance at a Grand Prix on home turf and another top eight appearance at the 2008 World Championship in Memphis.[12] In 2012 Tsumura was voted into the Magic: The Gathering Hall of Fame and his induction has been conducted at Pro Tour Return to Ravnica in October 2012. Later that year he made another top eight appearance at Grand Prix Nagoya.
Accomplishments
Top 8 appearances
| Season | Event type | Location | Format | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003–04 | Nationals | Osaka | Special | 11–13 June 2004 | 2 |
| 2005 | Grand Prix | Osaka | Team Limited | 8–9 January 2005 | 4 |
| 2005 | Pro Tour | Atlanta | Team Limited | 11–13 March 2005 | 4 |
| 2005 | Pro Tour | Philadelphia | Block Constructed | 6–8 May 2005 | 2 |
| 2005 | Grand Prix | Niigata, Niigata | Block Constructed | 23–24 July 2005 | 6 |
| 2005 | Grand Prix | Salt Lake City | Block Constructed | 27–28 August 2005 | 3 |
| 2005 | Pro Tour | Los Angeles | Extended | 28–30 October 2005 | 3 |
| 2005 | Grand Prix | Beijing | Extended | 26–27 November 2005 | 8 |
| 2006 | Invitational | Los Angeles | Special | 10–12 May 2006 | 3 |
| 2006 | Grand Prix | Kuala Lumpur | Limited | 3–4 June 2006 | 1 |
| 2006 | Grand Prix | Toulouse | Limited | 24–25 June 2006 | 1 |
| 2006 | Grand Prix | St. Louis | Limited | 22–23 July 2006 | 3 |
| 2006 | Pro Tour | Kobe | Booster Draft | 20–22 October 2006 | 5 |
| 2007 | Pro Tour | Geneva | Booster Draft | 9–11 February 2007 | 3 |
| 2007 | Grand Prix | Dallas | Extended | 24–25 February 2007 | 3 |
| 2007 | Grand Prix | Stockholm | Limited | 5–6 May 2007 | 3 |
| 2007 | Grand Prix | Montreal | Block Constructed | 23–24 June 2007 | 4 |
| 2007 | Invitational | Essen | Special | 18–21 October 2007 | 4 |
| 2007 | Grand Prix | Kitakyuushuu | Limited | 10–11 November 2007 | 7 |
| 2008 | Grand Prix | Shizuoka, Shizuoka | Standard | 8–9 March 2008 | 3 |
| 2008 | Worlds | Memphis, Tennessee | Special | 11–14 December 2008 | 6 |
| 2009 | Nationals | Fukuyama | Special | 18–20 July 2009 | 4 |
| 2012–13 | Grand Prix | Nagoya | Standard | 8–9 December 2012 | 6 |
Last updated: 9 December 2012
Source: Event Coverage at Wizards.com
Other accomplishments
- Pro Tour Player of the Year 2005
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Kenji Tsumura 2006 Pro Player card (from the Magic: The Gathering Time Spiral expansion)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kenji Tsumura 2007 Pro Player card (from the Magic: The Gathering Lorwyn expansion)
- ↑ "Lifetime Pro Tour Top 8s". Wizards of the Coast. 2007-02-12. Retrieved 2007-04-04.
- ↑ "Lifetime Grand Prix Top 8s". Wizards of the Coast. 2007-06-26. Retrieved 2007-07-01.
- ↑ "DCI & RPGA Rankings and Ratings". The DCI. 2010-02-22. Retrieved 2010-03-02.
- ↑ "Nova Burns Brightest in Atlanta!". Wizards of the Coast. 2005-03-13. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
- ↑ "Szleifer Seizes Sunday". Wizards of the Coast. 2005-05-08. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
- ↑ "A Starring Role for Antoine Ruel". Wizards of the Coast. 2005-10-30. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
- ↑ Knutson, Ted (2005-12-01). "Feature: Kenji Tsumura, Player of the Year". Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved 2007-04-04.
- ↑ "Merkel’s Time is Now". Wizards of the Coast. 2006-10-22. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
- ↑ "Hron’s Victory Years in the Making". Wizards of the Coast. 2007-02-11. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
- ↑ "Malin, Team USA Crowned Kings of Magic". Wizards of the Coast. 2008-12-14. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
Preceded by Gabriel Nassif |
Pro Player of the Year 2005 |
Succeeded by Shouta Yasooka |
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