original title：趙治勲 私の履歴書（21）次世代の台頭
Original article: The Nikkei
Author: Cho Chikun, Honorary Meijin
After 1990, I was fortunate to fend off Koichi Kobayashi's challenges for the Honinbo title for three consecutive years, but this wasn't enough to prove that I had fully regained my form. In other Go tournaments, aside from the Judan match, I struggled even to reach the position of challenger. It wasn't until the spring of 1994, when I reclaimed the Kisei title from Koichi Kobayashi after a nine-year gap, that I truly began to feel like my game had returned.
During this period, the faces in the major tournaments began to change significantly. In the autumn of 1991, Hiroshi Yamashiro became the challenger for the Kisei title; in 1993, he challenged for the Honinbo title. In 1992, I won the NHK Cup, with my opponent in the final being Ō Rissei. In 1994, the Honinbo challenger was Satoshi Kataoka, and in 1995, the Kisei challenger was Satoru Kobayashi.
These four players were referred to as the "New Four Kings" and were seen as representatives of a new generation. However, in reality, Hiroshi Yamashiro, Ō Rissei, and Satoshi Kataoka were only two years younger than me, and Satoru Kobayashi was just three years younger, making us almost the same generation. It was simply because I had risen to prominence earlier that they seemed to have come onto the scene much later.
Among these opponents, the one who troubled me the most was Satoru Kobayashi, my fellow disciple. His calm and steady playing style was such that, even if I tried some tricks on the board, he seemed to say, "Go ahead," remaining completely unaffected. What was even more astonishing was that despite this, his overall balance remained intact, often leading me into an unfavorable position without me even realizing it.
In the best-of-seven series, I ultimately lost 2-4. Not only did I lose the title, but I also felt as though my playing style had been invalidated, which dealt a heavy blow to my confidence. However, in the following year's Kisei best-of-seven series, I challenged for the Kisei title once more, and after a full seven games, I successfully reclaimed the title. In the 1997 Kisei match, I faced Satoru Kobayashi again and won with a score of 4-1.
After becoming Kisei, Satoru Kobayashi changed his playing style, which worked to my advantage. His previously leisurely style became more "rigorous," reportedly influenced by me. However, the result was that he began to react to my strategies, allowing us to compete on the same level.
Nonetheless, the notion that Satoru Kobayashi's style change was a failure is mistaken. Just as professional golfers adjust their swings to overcome weaknesses, Go players continuously strive to improve. Perhaps if he hadn't changed his style, he might have defeated me, but he might not have been able to handle other players. I believe he doesn't regret his decision.
Among the other three, Ō Rissei was also a challenging opponent for me. He played quickly and wasn't fixated on previously tried strategies, which is somewhat reminiscent of today's artificial intelligence (AI). Hiroshi Yamashiro, who was affiliated with the Nagoya branch of the Nihon Ki-in, played with a steady hand, and Satoshi Kataoka was not only an excellent player but also a person of great character. Defeating them in the Honinbo matches might have been because we were close in age. If the age difference had been greater, I might have lost.
I never expected Hiroshi Yamashiro to later become the vice president of the Nihon Ki-in, nor that Satoru Kobayashi would become its president (at the time of Cho Chikun's writing). Had I known, I might have been more gentle with them.
In the autumn of 1996, as the holder of the Kisei and Honinbo titles, I challenged Masaki Takemiya for the Meijin title and won it with a score of 4-2, achieving my second Dai-Sankan (the Grand Slam of holding the top 3 titles).
My first Dai-Sankan 13 years earlier was largely due to momentum, but this time it was thanks to my skill, though there was also an element of luck. For me, this second achievement is something I take more pride in.
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