original title：趙治勲 私の履歴書（19）グランドスラム
Original article: The Nikkei
Author: Cho Chikun, Honorary Meijin
In March 1986, I lost the Kisei title, falling from my status as a titleholder for the first time in five years and four months. However, I didn't have time to dwell on this, as my new goal was to recover from the traffic accident.
Initially, I underwent rehabilitation in the hospital, but I was surrounded by other patients and injured individuals. I wanted to do my rehabilitation in a more positive environment.
I heard that walking in a swimming pool was beneficial for recovery, so I tried contacting several fitness centers. However, at that time, hardly any places were willing to accept customers like me who were there for rehabilitation. They likely thought it would disrupt their other members.
The only place that accepted me was the Tokyo New Otani Hotel in Kioicho, Tokyo. Previously, I didn't like luxury hotels, but I later realized that as long as you pay, you can receive appropriate services, so I changed my mind. I stayed there for about a year, and later I also visited the New Otani Hotel in Makuhari, which was closer to my home in Chiba.
Since the traffic accident had occurred at my apartment in Meguro, Tokyo, it left me with bad memories, so I quickly sold it and established a new residence in Nakai, Shinjuku. From there, my wife and I would take long trips and walks together, which was also part of my rehabilitation. As a result, I ended up spending more time with my wife.
During this recovery-focused period, I soon had the opportunity to regain a title. Four months after losing the Kisei, I won the right to challenge for the Gosei title by defeating Yuichi Sonoda, a Kansai Ki-in player known for his "Western Cosmic Style." Facing Hideo Otake, who had won the Gosei title six times in a row, I successfully reclaimed the Gosei title after seven seasons.
However, in August of the following year, I lost the Gosei title again and was left without a title. A month later, I was also blocked from challenging for the Oza title by Masao Kato. But during the best-of-five Oza match, I defeated Masao Kato in the Tengen Challenger Decision Match, securing the right to challenge Koichi Kobayashi for the Tengen title.
In this best-of-five series, I lost the first two games but then won the next three to take the title. I won the final game by just half a point, once again lifting myself out of a titleless state after four months. At that time, Koichi Kobayashi was the leading figure in the Go world, so defeating him showed that my form was returning.
After winning the Tengen title, I achieved the Complete Crown (全冠達成), becoming the first player to have won at least once in all seven major titles. Later, Cho U and Yuta Iyama also achieved the Complete Crown, but for a long time, I held this record alone. Incidentally, Yuta Iyama also accomplished the extraordinary feat of holding all seven titles simultaneously.
However, my performance in the Meijin and Honinbo Leagues was inconsistent. In 1987, I was relegated from the Honinbo League with a 2-5 record. The League is a symbol of top players, and I was determined to return quickly. I remember my hands trembling as I fought for a spot in the next league.
In the 1988-1989 Honinbo League, I made a comeback with a 5-2 record and defeated Hideo Otake in a playoff, becoming the challenger.
At that time, my opponent was Masaki Takemiya, who had won the Honinbo title four times in a row and was on the verge of earning the Honorary Honinbo title. The best-of-seven match began in Spain, and I won the first game. Ultimately, I won the title with four consecutive victories, each time securing a mid-game victory (win by resignation).
As a result, I held the Honinbo, Tengen, and Judan titles simultaneously, while Koichi Kobayashi held the Kisei, Meijin, and Gosei titles. Apart from Masao Kato's Oza title, the other titles were evenly split between the two of us, marking the so-called "Cho-Kobayashi Era."
How on earth Honinbo title match landed in Spain?