Cho U Kisei

Kisei

The Kisei is a Go competition. The title, meaning go sage in Japanese, was a traditional honorary appellation given to a handful of players down the centuries. The element ki can also apply to shogi, and there were also recognized kisei in the shogi world.-Background:Kisei is a Go competition...

, Oza

Oza

is a title in Go. The association that holds this title is the Japanese Nihon Ki-in.-Outline:Recently, the format for the tournament was changed to a best of five. The challenger is decided in a tournament of 16 players, other than the title player. The winner's purse is ¥14 million .-Past winners...

  is a professional Go

Go (board game)

Go , is an ancient board game for two players that originated in China more than 2,000 years ago...

 player

Go players

This page gives an overview of well-known players of the game of Go throughout the ages. The page has been divided into sections based on the era in which the Go players played and the country in which they played. As this was not necessarily their country of birth, a flag of that country precedes...

. He currently ranks 6th in the most titles won by a Japanese professional; his NEC Cup

NEC Cup

The NEC Cup is a Go competition, supported by NEC Corporation.-Biography:The NEC Cup is a Go competition used by the Japanese Nihon-Kiin. Unlike the big three titles in Japan, the NEC Cup is a single knockout tournament where players have less time to think. The field of challengers is 16...

 win in 2011 put him past his teacher Rin Kaiho

Rin Kaiho

Rin Kaiho is a professional Go player.-Biography:Rin Kaiho was born in Shanghai, China. He was a student of Go Seigen when Go brought him to Japan in 1952. He was a promising player who won his first title at the age of 23, the Meijin. He is also part of the 1200 win group...

 and Norimoto Yoda

Norimoto Yoda

is a professional Go player.-Biography:Yoda is a student of Takeo Ando. He has won 34 titles so far in his career, the sixth highest in Japan. He became a professional in 1980, and reached 9 dan in 1993...

. Cho is the only player in history to have held five of the top seven major titles simultaneously.

Biography

Cho U was born in Taipei

Taipei

Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...

, Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

. He began playing poker

Poker

Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...

 and bridge

Bridge

A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...

 as a young child. Taught by his father Chang Yuen-hsi, Cho began beating family members by the age of three. He credits Shen Chun-shan

Shen Chun-shan

Shen Chun-shan is a retired academic in Taiwan, most noted for his position as the former head of National Tsing Hua University...

 as one of his early Go teachers; he first played against Shen at age seven. Shen was impressed by the young Cho's skill that and introduced his family to Rin Kaiho

Rin Kaiho

Rin Kaiho is a professional Go player.-Biography:Rin Kaiho was born in Shanghai, China. He was a student of Go Seigen when Go brought him to Japan in 1952. He was a promising player who won his first title at the age of 23, the Meijin. He is also part of the 1200 win group...

.

He earned a spot in the 13th Fujitsu Cup

Fujitsu Cup

- Outline :The Fujitsu Cup is an international competition. Fujitsu and Yomiuri Shimbun host the oldest international Go competition. The players are picked as follows:* The top 3 players from the previous year's competition* 7 players from Japan...

 in 2000 through the qualifying tournament. In his first game, Cho defeated Dutch amateur 7 dan Rob van Zeijst. In the second round, Cho defeated former number one Chinese representative Ma Xiaochun

Ma Xiaochun

Ma Xiaochun is a Chinese professional Go player.- Biography :Ma was born in Zhejiang, China. He began playing Go at the age of nine and was awarded 7 dan rank in 1982. In 1983, Ma was promoted to 9 dan. He visited Japan in 1982 and later won the World Amateur Go Championship in 1983...

. Cho lost to Mok Jin-seok

Mok Jin-seok

- Biography :Mok turned pro in 1994 when he was 14. He reached 9 dan in 2005 after getting second place in the LG Cup against Lee Chang-ho.-Promotion record:-Career record:*2006: 44 wins, 21 losses*2007: 93 wins, 29 losses...

 in the quarter-finals. In May 2000, Cho won a place in the 25th Kisei

25th Kisei

Kisei is a Go competition used by the Japanese Nihon-Kiin. The 2001 Kisei was the first edition that used the group system. Preliminary tournaments were held to find the twelve players to split into two groups. The players with the most wins advance to the challenger final...

, the first edition to feature a league system. Cho was the youngest player in the league at 20 years. He finished the league with a record of three wins and three losses. Later in the year, Cho qualified for the 56th Honinbo

Honinbo Tournament

The Honinbo is a Go competition.-Outline:It is the oldest Go title in Japan. Sponsored by Mainichi Shimbun, the Honinbo pays out ¥32 million . The holder is challenged by whoever wins the round robin league. Players can get into the round robin league by going through many preliminary tournaments...

 league. He missed out on qualifying for the 26th Meijin

Meijin

Meijin , literally translated, means "Brilliant Man." It is the name of the second most prestigious Japanese Go Tournament. It also refers to a traditional Japanese title given to the strongest player of the day during the Edo period.- The tournament :...

 league when he lost to Hideki Komatsu

Hideki Komatsu

is a professional Go player.- Biography :Komatsu was born in Aichi, Japan and quickly rose among the ranks of Go in the 80's and early 90's. He currently resides in Tokyo, Japan.- Promotion record :- Titles & runners-up :-References:...

 in the last qualifying round. Cho finished the year with the second best record behind Keigo Yamashita

Keigo Yamashita

is a professional Go player. Yamashita adopted the name Honinbo Dowa after winning his first Honinbo title in 2010.-Biography:A student of Yasuro Kikuchi, Yamashita turned professional in 1993. He won the 19th Kisei 2 dan division in 1994. Yamashita reached the challenger finals of the Tengen in 1999...

 with 53 wins, 12 losses and one jigo. He also won the Kido award for the best winning percentage (81.1%). Cho was promoted to 7 dan on 16 April 2001.

Cho finished the 56th Honinbo league with a record of five wins and two losses. In an interview after his last match, Cho said "It feels strange to become the challenger after losing my game. I was really happy when I won five games in a row, but losing successive games leaves me with regrets. I'm very fortunate to be able to appear on the important stage of a best-of-seven title match." Cho won the first match, but title holder O Meien

O Meien

O Meien is a professional Go player.- Biography :Meien was born in Taipei, Taiwan. He is known for his quick fuseki and fighting ability. He became a pro in 1977, two years after moving to Japan. He advanced to 9 dan in 1992.- Titles and runners-up :-External Links:**...

 won the seventh and final game of the series. Cho collected ¥26,985,000 in prize money in 2001. In February 2002, Cho won one of Japan's seven non-seeded spots in the 1st World Oza

World Oza

-Outline:The World Oza, sponsored by ToyotaDenso of Japan, is the newest international tournament. 32 players are invited from the following countries/regions.*10 from Japan*7 from China*7 from South Korea*1 from Chinese Taipei*3 from Europe...

. His first title came the following month when he won the 49th NHK Cup. Cho broke the record for youngest winner of the title. After winning the title, Go journalist John Power commented, "Cho U is surely going to develop into one of the dominant players on the Japanese go scene. He is calm, has excellent concentration and reads very well -- in fact, he seems to relish reading out difficult fights. Perhaps his greatest weapon may be his outstanding positional judgement: he is already reputed to be one of the fastest and most accurate players at summing up a position."

Cho was a member of the Japanese team in the 4th Nongshim Cup. In October 2002, Cho qualified for his first Meijin league. At the close of the 2002 season, Cho set a record with 70 wins in a year. He was awarded the Shusai Prize for his record breaking year. After unsuccessfully challenging for the Honinbo title the previous year, Cho won his first major title on 11 July 2003 by defeating Kato Masao in six games for the 58th Honinbo. Cho set three records with his win: third youngest major title winner, second youngest Honinbo and youngest Japanese 9 dan. Cho met Masao Kato

Masao Kato

- Titles and runners-up :Ranks #4 in total amount of titles in Japan.-Books:*Kato's Attack and Kill ISBN 4-87187-027-2*The Chinese Opening ISBN 4-906574-33-5-External links:...

, the player he defeated for the Honinbo, twice more in 2003 when they faced off in the Agon Cup

Agon Cup

The Agon Cup is a Go competition.-Biography:The Agon Cup is a Go competition used by the Japanese Nihon Kiin. It was started in 1994 by Agon Shu. The name was originally the "Acom Cup" but it changed its sponsor in 1999 and became the Agon Cup...

 final and the Oza

Oza

is a title in Go. The association that holds this title is the Japanese Nihon Ki-in.-Outline:Recently, the format for the tournament was changed to a best of five. The challenger is decided in a tournament of 16 players, other than the title player. The winner's purse is ¥14 million .-Past winners...

 challenger final. Cho lost the Agon Cup final, but earned the right to face O Meien

O Meien

O Meien is a professional Go player.- Biography :Meien was born in Taipei, Taiwan. He is known for his quick fuseki and fighting ability. He became a pro in 1977, two years after moving to Japan. He advanced to 9 dan in 1992.- Titles and runners-up :-External Links:**...

 in the Oza final. Cho won the title in four games, making the Oza his second major title.

Cho would go on to win each major at least once: the Meijin

Meijin

Meijin , literally translated, means "Brilliant Man." It is the name of the second most prestigious Japanese Go Tournament. It also refers to a traditional Japanese title given to the strongest player of the day during the Edo period.- The tournament :...

 in 2004, the Gosei in 2006, the Tengen

Tengen (Go)

Tengen is the name of a Go competition in Japan.The name Tengen refers to the center point on a Go board.The event is held annually, and has run continuously since its inauguration in 1975....

 in 2008, the Judan

Judan (Go)

The Judan —which can be translated as "10 dan"—is a Go competition in Japan. It is one of the seven major professional titles.-Biography:...

 in 2009 and the Kisei

Kisei

The Kisei is a Go competition. The title, meaning go sage in Japanese, was a traditional honorary appellation given to a handful of players down the centuries. The element ki can also apply to shogi, and there were also recognized kisei in the shogi world.-Background:Kisei is a Go competition...

 in 2010. In 2004, Cho became the third player in history to earn over ¥100 million in a year, after Cho Chikun

Cho Chikun

Cho Chihun 25th Honinbo Honorary Meijin is a professional Go player. His total title tally of 71 titles is the most in the history of the Japanese Nihon Ki-in. Cho is the only player to hold the top three titles—Kisei, Meijin, and Honinbo—simultaneously which he did for 3 years in a row...

 and Koichi Kobayashi

Koichi Kobayashi

is a Go player.- Biography :Koichi Kobayashi was born in Asahikawa, Japan. He was one of the more famous disciples of the legendary Minoru Kitani; he studied along with Cho Chikun, Masao Kato, Yoshio Ishida, and Masaki Takemiya. He would go on and marry the daughter of his teacher, Reiko Kitani , a...

. After defeating Yu Bin

Yu Bin

Yu Bin is a Chinese professional Go player.- Biography :Yu Bin is one of China's best Go players. He became 9 dan in 1991 at the age of 24.- Titles & Runner Up's :...

 in the final of the 9th LG Cup

9th LG Cup

The 9th LG Cup featured:*12 players from South Korea - Cho Hanseung, Cho Hunhyun, Choi Cheol-han, Choi Won Yong, Kim Mansoo, Lee Chang-ho, Lee Sedol, Mok Jin-seok, Park Seunghyun, Song Tae Kon, Won Seong-jin, Yoo Changhyuk...

, Cho U won his first international title and the first Japanese international win since Cho Chikun's Samsung Cup

Samsung Cup

The Samsung Cup is a Go competition.-Outline:The Samsung Cup is an international competition. The Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance of Korea and Hanguk Kiwon host the competition. The format starts with a preliminary tournament in which even amateur players are allowed to play...

 title in 2003. Cho lead the top prize winners list in 2010 with ¥90,499,000 ($1,120,250.25 as of 28 June 2011). In May 2011, Cho donated ¥15,000,000 from his Kisei prize money to victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami

The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...

.

Promotion record

Career record

• 1999: 51–13
• 2000: 53–12–1
• 2001: 52–24
• 2002: 70–14
• 2004: 38–25
• 2006: 49–17
• 2007: 51–22
• 2008: 51–16
• 2009: 35–19
• 2010: 32–16
• 2011: 16–12 (as of 29 June 2011)

Titles and runners-up

Ranks #6 in total number of titles in Japan.

Domestic
Title	Wins	Runners-up
Kisei Kisei The Kisei is a Go competition. The title, meaning go sage in Japanese, was a traditional honorary appellation given to a handful of players down the centuries. The element ki can also apply to shogi, and there were also recognized kisei in the shogi world.-Background:Kisei is a Go competition...	2 (2010, 2011)
Meijin Meijin Meijin , literally translated, means "Brilliant Man." It is the name of the second most prestigious Japanese Go Tournament. It also refers to a traditional Japanese title given to the strongest player of the day during the Edo period.- The tournament :...	4 (2004, 2005, 2007, 2008)	2 (2006, 2009)
Honinbo Honinbo Tournament The Honinbo is a Go competition.-Outline:It is the oldest Go title in Japan. Sponsored by Mainichi Shimbun, the Honinbo pays out ¥32 million . The holder is challenged by whoever wins the round robin league. Players can get into the round robin league by going through many preliminary tournaments...	2 (2003, 2004)	2 (2001, 2005)
Tengen Tengen (Go) Tengen is the name of a Go competition in Japan.The name Tengen refers to the center point on a Go board.The event is held annually, and has run continuously since its inauguration in 1975....	1 (2008)	1 (2009)
Oza Oza is a title in Go. The association that holds this title is the Japanese Nihon Ki-in.-Outline:Recently, the format for the tournament was changed to a best of five. The challenger is decided in a tournament of 16 players, other than the title player. The winner's purse is ¥14 million .-Past winners...	6 (2003–2005, 2008–2010)	1 (2006)
Judan Judan (Go) The Judan —which can be translated as "10 dan"—is a Go competition in Japan. It is one of the seven major professional titles.-Biography:...	2 (2009, 2010)	2 (2004, 2011)
Gosei	4 (2006–2009)	1 (2010)
Agon Cup Agon Cup The Agon Cup is a Go competition.-Biography:The Agon Cup is a Go competition used by the Japanese Nihon Kiin. It was started in 1994 by Agon Shu. The name was originally the "Acom Cup" but it changed its sponsor in 1999 and became the Agon Cup...	3 (2006–2008)	3 (2002, 2003, 2009)
Ryusei Ryusei -Biography:The Ryusei is a Go competition used by the Japanese Nihon-Kiin. It was started in 1991 and is a fast go tournament. The tournament consists of four sections. The winner from each section, along with the player who won the most games in each section play in a single knockout tournament....	2 (2006, 2007)	4 (2001, 2005, 2008, 2009)
NHK Cup	3 (2002, 2005, 2008)
Shinjin-O Shinjin-O The Shinjin-O is a professional Go competition.An annual Japanese tournament, it has been held continuously since 1976.- Format :...	1 (2002)
NEC Cup NEC Cup The NEC Cup is a Go competition, supported by NEC Corporation.-Biography:The NEC Cup is a Go competition used by the Japanese Nihon-Kiin. Unlike the big three titles in Japan, the NEC Cup is a single knockout tournament where players have less time to think. The field of challengers is 16...	3 (2005, 2007, 2011)	1 (2009)
JAL Super Hayago Championship JAL Super Hayago Championship The JAL Super Hayago Championship is a Nihon-Kiin Go competition. This tournament was created after the Hayago Championship and Kakusei titles were merged. The winner's purse is 5,000,000 Yen .-Past winners:...		1 (2003)
Total	33	18
Continental
Asian TV Cup Asian TV Cup The Asian TV Cup is a Go competition.-Outline:The Asian TV Cup is the oldest continental tournament, dating back to 1989. The winners and runner up's of the biggest hayago competitions from Asia battle in the biggest hayago tournament of all.-Past winners:-See also:*...	1 (2005)
China-Japan Agon Cup China-Japan Agon Cup The China-Japan Agon Cup is a Go competition.-Outline:The China-Japan Agon Cup is a tournament where the current Agon Cup/Ahan Tongshan Cup title holders from China and Japan play each other.-Past winners:...		3 (2006–2008)
Total	1	3
International
LG Cup LG Cup (Go) LG Cup World Baduk Championship is a Go competition.- Outline :The LG Cup is sponsored by the LG Group of Korea. The LG Cup was created after the Kiwang title from Korea was abolished. There are 16 players who compete in a preliminary, and another 16 players are invited...	1 (2005)
World Oza World Oza -Outline:The World Oza, sponsored by ToyotaDenso of Japan, is the newest international tournament. 32 players are invited from the following countries/regions.*10 from Japan*7 from China*7 from South Korea*1 from Chinese Taipei*3 from Europe...		1 (2008)
Total	1	1
Career total
Total	35	22