original title：趙治勲 私の履歴書（25）タイトル記録
Original article: The Nikkei
Author: Cho Chikun, Honorary Meijin
In 1999, I lost the Honinbo title, bringing my second Dai-Sankan (Triple Crown) to an end. In 2000, I also lost the Kisei and Meijin titles, returning once again to a state without any titles. The Meijin title was taken by Noriki Yoda, who is ten years younger than me. All my title match opponents were younger than me, which led some articles to claim this as a "generation change," but I still felt capable of continuing to compete.
Afterward, I achieved good results in rapid game tournaments. I won the NEC Cup in both 2000 and 2001, and then in 2001 and 2002, I won the TV Tokyo-sponsored rapid Championship two years in a row. In 2002, I also won the All Japan rapid Go Championship. This brought my total number of championships to 65, surpassing Sakata Eio’s record. While it’s hard to claim I “surpassed” Sakata Eio, given the difference in the number of tournaments between now and then, it was still a joyful achievement.
I also began to achieve success in single-day title matches. In the Oza tournament, I challenged Ō Rissei (Wang Licheng) for the title three consecutive times and finally succeeded in winning it in 2001.
In 2002, during the 50th anniversary of the Oza title, there was a variety of collaborative events between Go and Shogi, including a joint commemorative party. Additionally, there were five-game matches held in Shanghai, China, involving both Go and Shogi players.
For someone like me, who loves Shogi, this was a fantastic event. It was a great memory to interact with famous Shogi players like Koji Tanigawa, Yoshiharu Habu, and even the writer Junichi Watanabe, who held dan ranks in both Go and Shogi.
In the best-of-five series against the challenger O Meien (Wang Mingwan), I won the first game in Shanghai, but things didn’t go well after that. In the second game in Hiroshima, when victory seemed within reach, I lost by time due to a surprising oversight. I failed to realize O Meien had played his move, mistakenly thinking it was still his turn and waiting for his time countdown. As a result, I ended up losing on time. This mistake shifted the momentum of the series. Although it went to the decisive final game, I couldn’t defend the title.
While I don’t want to make excuses, at the time, I had played eight matches in a single month, including five games in the Oza title match. One of the games was in Shanghai, and three were two-day matches. For me, at 46 years old, this was physically exhausting.
My next escape from being without a title came in the 2005 Judan tournament. The following year, I faced a young 22-year-old challenger, Keigo Yamashita. He had just won the Kisei title and was in excellent form, but I defended the title with a 3-1 victory. Approaching the match calmly worked to my advantage.
Keigo Yamashita, along with Shinji Takao, Naoki Hane, and Cho U, was known as one of the "Heisei Four Heavenly Kings," and he was famous for his strong, aggressive playing style. His style was unique and admirable, but because it leaned toward combat, I found him an easier opponent to deal with.
In the 2007 Judan match, I again fended off Yamashita’s challenge. In 2008, I became the challenger in the Kisei title match, once again facing Yamashita. It was my first time back on the grand stage of a best-of-seven series in five and a half years.
I played well in that match, tying it 3-3 at one point, but I ultimately lost in the decisive final game. Perhaps the thought of a "third Dai-Sankan (Triple Crown)" briefly crossed my mind, which led to my defeat. Less than a month later, I lost the Judan title to Shinji Takao, and thus, my title-winning journey came to an end.
From my first major title match against Sakata Eio to my later games with Keigo Yamashita, the age gap between my opponents spanned 58 years. Being able to face players of all ages in title matches has been an incredibly valuable experience for me, and this is one of the great joys of Go.
Aside from tournaments for older players, there’s little chance for me to add any more championships, and my total number of titles has stopped at 76. Yuta Iyama, now 35 years old, has also reached 76 championships, and it’s only a matter of time before he surpasses me. However, Yuta Iyama is currently struggling with younger players like 27-year-old Kisei Ryo Ichiriki and 25-year-old Meijin Toramaru Shibano. Before I’m surpassed, I can still watch their performances with a sense of pride and admiration.
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