From the forties of last century, Honinbo raised the curtain on the modern Go. Whenever
you win a champion, next time you don't need to fight from the bottom, you only
need to calmly wait for one challenger. This makes consecutive domination possible.
However, there are still very few who can achieve 5 consecutive titles. Among so
many go players and tournaments, it is not exaggerating to say that the players
who can dominate one champion for a very long time are myth. Who can create the myth
of consecutive titles?
Cho Hunhyun's record is the biggest myth of all the myths. Sixteen
consecutive Paewang champions are an astronomical figure! Sixteen year is enough
time to train a kid who has no knowledge of Go to a mature top-flight player. Up
to 1992, under the intense attack by his disciple Lee Changho, this record finally
stopped with a huge period mark. While Cho Hunhyun was unraveled on Korea baduk
arena, consecutive titles to him were as simple as routine. When he savagely
oppressed the whole Korea baduk world, Seo Bongsoo could only act as the
"greatest challenger", striving tragically and persistently. Cho Hunhyun also
has achieved 10 consecutive Guksu titles, 9 consecutive Wangwi titles, 8
consecutive Chaegowi titles, 7 consecutive Myungin titles, 7 consecutive Gukgi
titles, 5 consecutive Daewang titles ..... Cho Hunhyun's myth is like wonderful
and unreal legend, keeping you in reveries and reminiscences. Maybe one day in
the future, someone can make the same myth as Cho Hunhyun's, but it can only
happen in countries like U.S.A and Europe. At least in Go deep-rooted countries
like China, Japan and Korea, this kind of domination is very hard to happen
again.
Even for Cho Hunhyun's single title record, there are only two players still
arduously chasing.
Ma Xiaochun's 13 consecutive Mingren champions should have the highest "carat",
because nationwide there are few tournaments which have been organized for more
than 10 times. Since he successfully challenged the title in 2nd Mingren, Ma
Xiaochun has tightly controlled the "Meijin" title. Over more than 10 years, he
holds out against continuously pounding by almost all top players and stands lofty and firm,
you cannot say this is not a miracle. Mingren title seems specially designed for
himself, he successfully defended this title one year after another, in reality
as well as in name it becomes Ma Xiaochun's "happy journey": Nie Weiping's
dream of all-round champions was broken here, Chang Hao's great ambition of
unifying Go arena was thwarted right here, Liu Xiaoguang's great undertaking of
"rallying all mountains and rivers" was so close to accomplish but slid into
the abyss ...... When Ma dynasty drags its exhausted body and walks alone with
its ability falling short of his wishes, the "Meijin" flag over the lone city
gate is still fluttering in its never-old appearance. Another year comes by and
the autumn wind starts again, in autumn wind we hope this episode of fairy tale
will be more brilliant.
The other player who can hope to break Cho Hunhyun's record is the current world #1
Lee Changho. In 1992 when he was only 6p, Lee Changho took over Kisung title
from Cho Hunhyun's hand, and then started building Lee's mansion. Till now, his
Kisung mansion with more than ten floors, though, is not the most important one
in Lee's flock of buildings, but it is still full of power and grandeur. The time
to build the roof is still unknown, perhaps in the near future; and maybe the
designer of the roof is still not entering 1p.
Besides these two players, within 10 years, no one can hope to break Cho
Hunhyun's record. However, one after another myth that once touched us to swell
up our blood veins, and one after another scene that happened in the history,
all silently relate that once performed miracles. The birth of every myth
contains tears of blood and sweats.
By 2:4, Cho Chikun's ten consective Honinbo titles amazingly came to a sudden end,
Cho Sonjin, feeling like a stranger for the people who are not familiar with Go
world, became famous overnight. Having transcended his spectacular
senior Takagawa Shukaku but not himself who has created the new record, Cho Chikun
heaved a deep sigh. However, in childhood having heard a lot of interesting myth
from his uncle, now himself became their leading role, isn't our unpredictable
life more like so profound Go games?
Takagawa Shukaku's record is 9 consecutive Honinbo titles, which was a miracle at
that time. Unfortunately, in his rival contest with Go Seigen held once every
year, Takagawa Shukaku lost time and again. In his Ten Game Match with Go
Seigen, he was utterly routed. If Go Seigen was not restricted from Honinbo,
perhaps Takagawa Shukaku could not create this record.
The other player holding 9 consective titles is Cho Namchul, he was also kind of
lucky. Nowadays when players' strength is very close, the opportunity of
consecutive titles become less and less.
Kobayashi Koichi was once terrifying. In the eighties, he was in reality as well
as in name "Japan Go #1", and at that time "Japan Go #1" is out-and-out "World
Go #1". If you browse over newspapers, journals and magazines of that period, you
will find out to what degree people are fearful of Kobayashi Koichi. Especially
for Chinese Go fans, if they know one foreign player besides Chinese, it must be
Kobayashi Koichi. Looking back those years, just from the record of 8 consecutive
Kisei titles, you can see how imposing and magnificent Kobayashi Koichi is.
Kato Masao maintains a record of 8 consecutive Oza titles. Although there is
nothing worth mentioning in three major titles (Kisei, Meijin and Honinbo), and
he even never won Kisei title, but in Oza competition, he adequately saved his
face, at one period of time Kato Masao almost became the nickname of Oza.
Today, although they appear elder and cannot compare to that of the good old
times, Kobayashi Koichi and Kato Masao still hold important positions on Japan
Go arena. It is thus clear that to what extent Go king country has sank since
the time when they created the myth of consecutive titles.
Sakata Eio, once "running wild" on Japan Go arena, has 7 consecutive Honinbo
titles. In 1961, Go Seigen unfortunately got injured by a motorcycle, then Go
Seigen's era sadly ended earlier. And exactly from that year, the prelude
of Sakata Eio's Honinbo journey officially starts. From that time on, wherever
his razor arrives, everybody falls down. Japan Go arena went into genuine Sakata
era. As if it was arranged by the God, just at the zenith of Sakata's career,
after successfully challenging Meijin title in 1965, it was Rin Kaiho again who
held back Sakata's consecutive Honinbo titles in 1967 and since then Rin Kaiho
replaced his leading role. The title from Go Seigen was taken over
by Go Seigen's disciple in the end!
As to most Go fans, I believe, Kim In is a not a familiar name. But he was once
man of the hour in Korea baduk circles, and monopolized Korea Go arena for a
while. At that time, Cho Namchul became elder and Cho Hunhyun still did not come
back from Japan, he was invincible in newly started Wangwi title. Although Korea
baduk was still studied behind closed doors and unknown to the outside world,
and even if Kim In's strength was outstanding partly due to overall low levels at that
time, but he really helped to hand on Korean baduk spirit from Cho Namchul.
Besides his 7 consecutive Wangwi titles, Kim In also achieved 6 consecutive
Guksu titles. However, since Cho Hunhyun came back from Japan, this glory couldn't
belong to him anymore.
Fujisawa Shuko's 6 consecutive titles are really a miracle. At that time, Kisei
title just started with an unprecedented rich prize, so many top players cannot
hold back their madly beating hearts, but to everybody's surprise, in the end,
Fujisawa Shuko, at the age of more than half century, again played the role of
"fresh taster", and amazingly went on dominating this title for 6 consecutive years.
Perhaps he was too lucky in the first six titles, no matter it was a 100-point big
victory or 10-million-dollar half-point win, all his luck was overdrawn. In 7th
Kisei, after leading the series 3:0, Cho Chikun turned the table by winning 4
games in a row, unexpectedly ending his great journey of consecutive titles.
Otake Hideo created a record of 6 consecutive Gosei titles. Though he and Rin
Kaiho started a grand new "Otake-Rin" era, but they are not too high to be
reachable, especially Otake's junior fellow apprentices, at the apex of his career, began to
mature, he could be hit by their "hidden weapons" if not careful and fell short
of great understaking of consecutive titles. And after Kobayashi Koichi and Cho
Chikun flew into the sky of Japan Go circles, the chance of grabbing the hot shot
doesn't belong to Otake Hideo anymore. Even if Gosei is not a big title
comparing to the three major titles, at least Otake Hideo's 6 consecutive
titles are memorable in the era that once belonged to him.
The other player who achieved 6 consecutive titles is Shimamura Toshihiro, who
was nicknamed as "enduring player on the board" and passed away in 1991. His
consecutive titles were created in Okan title, which is a minor title in Japan,
so his achievements are not noticeable. What worth prasing is his Tengen title at the
age of 65, this is a high-age champion record just next to Fujisawa Shuko.
There are a few players who achieved 5 consective titles.
Rin Kaiho is Japan only "Honorary Tengen". While being fiercely challenged by
Kitani Minoru's disciples, this "Honorary Tengen" should have very high "carat".
Ishida Yoshio is a top-flight but prematurely waning player. Although when still
young he became the strongest rival of Rin Kaiho and won a good reputation as
"Electronic Computer", but later this "computer" exposed so many "bugs", this
"technical problem" kept him away from top-flight players ahead of time. Today,
the only fame left is 5 consecutive Honinbo titles (also awarded "24th
Honinbo").
Seo Bongsoo was not lucky due to Cho Hunhyun. "Great Challenger" was not easy to
undertake because it needs to suffer one loss after another. If there were no Cho
Hunhyun, perhaps all Cho's titles would be his!
Among very few Go tournaments in China, achieving 5 consecutive titles, Nie
Weiping and Chang Hao adequately showed their ability. The myth of Nie Weiping
now belongs to the history, and with the maturity of a young generation of Go
players, Chang Hao is also very hard to create miracles, who will be the next
dominator on China Go arena?
There are still two players worth mentioning here who have achieved 5
consecutive titles. One is Hashimoto Shoji, he accomplished it in a
non-challenger tournamnet, and this record is higher than that of Lee Changho's 4
consecutive Chunwon titles. The other player is Ito Tomoe, 5 consecutive women
Oteai is so far the highest record for women players.
By putting all these dominating players together, it is not difficult to find one
common factor: they have almost all created a Go era of themselves in their own
countries. Take Chinese Go circles for example, "three dragons" Nie Weiping, Ma
Xiaochun and Chang Hao are representives of Chinese three different eras of
Chinese Go. In Korea, from Cho Namchul to Kim In, then to Cho Hunhyun, Seo
Bongsoo, to Lee Changho, it clearly draws the outline of Korean baduk
development. The same holds true for Japan. However, such as Takemiya Masaki,
Yoda Norimoto and Yoo Changhyeok, they are world-level top players, but they
never create myth of consecutive titles, because they do not have an era belonging
to themselves.
Each age brings forth new genius on Go arena, and each will rule its own domain
for 3 to 5 years. When the tempo of life becomes faster and faster, has Go
already walked out of its "myth era"? Tomorrow, on Go stage, are these longing
myth going to be performed again?
