Lee Chang-ho
Encyclopedia
Lee Chang-ho is a South Korea
n professional Go
player
of 9-dan
rank. He is regarded by many as one of the strongest modern Go players. He was a student of Cho Hunhyun
9-dan. He is the only player to have won all eight international competitions at least once.
. No other Go player comes close to his international title record. Lee has won all of the international Go tournaments at least twice, excluding the World Oza
and Ing Cup
, which are held every two and four years respectively. He is only the second player to record a "Grand Slam". The first was Cho Hunhyun
. In 2006, Lee won the Wangwi
title for the eleventh straight year. His teacher, Cho Hunhyun, holds the record for the most successive domestic titles with sixteen consecutive Paewang titles. Ma Xiaochun
has the second-most successive domestic titles with thirteen Mingren
titles.
; he never makes big moves or surprises with amazing play.
would eventually pass Chang-ho because Chang-ho's style is no longer guaranteed due to the new generation of players. He has had to resort to abandoning his old style and improvising play against these new players. When asked if Lee's era was over, his teacher Cho Hunhyun simply replied, "No". He continued, saying that Lee Sedol is just someone who has finally fit the description of a rival for Chang-ho. He also said that both will battle many times and in the coming years the smoke will settle and one of them will come out on top.
After losing the 10th Samsung Cup
to Luo Xihe
, Lee came back and took the newly made Sibdan Cup against Park Young-Hoon. This was payback to Park, who had beat Lee in the 1st Prices Information Cup
. Lee also won the 49th edition of Korea's oldest title, the Guksu. Unusually for him, Lee lost three times in 2006 representing Korea in international tournaments. First in the Nongshim Cup, then in the newly created Kangwon-Land Cup
, and finally in the Asian TV Cup
. This is a change for Lee, considering he has won 17 international tournaments over the past 14 years. In the final match of the 11th Samsung Cup
, Lee lost 0-2 to Chang Hao
of China. This was the second year in a row Lee lost the Samsung Cup.
In March 2007 the barely 19-year-old Yun Junsang beat title holder Lee Chang-ho 3-1 for the 50th Guksu title, but Lee got his revenge in July, beating Yun 3-2 to retain his Wangwi
title.
Although not having had a successful year internationally, he was the highest earner in South Korea for 2006.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n 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...
of 9-dan
Go ranks and ratings
Skill in the traditional board game Go is measured by a number of different national, regional and online ranking and rating systems. Traditionally, go rankings have been measured using a system of dan and kyu ranks...
rank. He is regarded by many as one of the strongest modern Go players. He was a student of Cho Hunhyun
Cho Hunhyun
Cho Hunhyun is a Korean 9-dan professional Go player. Considered one of the greatest players of all-time, Cho reached professional level in Korea in 1962. Since then, Cho has amassed 150 professional titles, more than any player in the world. He once held all nine Korea titles simultaneously in 1980...
9-dan. He is the only player to have won all eight international competitions at least once.
Biography
He turned professional in 1986 at the young age of 11. By the early 1990s, he started winning titles that his teacher, Cho, had won. By 1992 Lee had already won his first international title, which was the 3rd Tong Yang CupTong Yang Cup
The Tong Yang Cup was a Go competition. The Tong Yang Cup was sponsored by Tong Yang Investment Bank of South Korea. The tournament was run from 1990 to 1998, with players from South Korea, Taiwan, the United States, Japan, China and European countries.-Past winners:...
. No other Go player comes close to his international title record. Lee has won all of the international Go tournaments at least twice, excluding the 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...
and Ing Cup
Ing Cup
-Outline:The Ing Cup is sponsored by Ing, Yomiuri Shimbun, the Nihon-Kiin, and Kansai-Kiin, and held every 4 years. The competition has its own rules and an 8 point komi. The time allotment is 3.5 hours for each player, while players are available to buy an extra 35 minutes for an additional 2...
, which are held every two and four years respectively. He is only the second player to record a "Grand Slam". The first was Cho Hunhyun
Cho Hunhyun
Cho Hunhyun is a Korean 9-dan professional Go player. Considered one of the greatest players of all-time, Cho reached professional level in Korea in 1962. Since then, Cho has amassed 150 professional titles, more than any player in the world. He once held all nine Korea titles simultaneously in 1980...
. In 2006, Lee won the Wangwi
Wangwi
- Outline :The Wangwi was a Go competition used by the Hanguk Kiwon. It is sponsored by the Chung-ang Il-po. The komi for white is 6.5 points. The preliminary matches get 4 hours of thinking time, while the final match gets 5 hours. The winner's purse was 45,000,000 SKW . It ran from 1966-2008....
title for the eleventh straight year. His teacher, Cho Hunhyun, holds the record for the most successive domestic titles with sixteen consecutive Paewang titles. 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...
has the second-most successive domestic titles with thirteen Mingren
Mingren
Mingren , literally translated, means "Brilliant Man," i.e., meijin in Japanese, and myungin in Korean. It the name of a Go competition in China, which is the Chinese equivalent of the Nihon-Kiin's Meijin.-Outline:...
titles.
Style
"Stone Buddha" is one of Lee's many nicknames. It derives from the fact that he always keeps a straight face and never smiles or frowns during a match. The nickname reflects his playing style as well. His reading ability is among the best in the world. He does not attack much and never plays "wild Go". He usually wins by making the opponents think they are winning. This is because he never kills large groups or makes a move that decides the match. Lee's ability was underestimated by professionals at the beginning of his career. He is not like Honinbo ShusakuHoninbo Shusaku
Honinbo Shusaku was a professional Go player and is considered by many to be the greatest player of the golden age of Go in the mid-19th century.- Biography :He was nicknamed "Invincible" after he earned a perfect score for 19 straight wins in the annual castle...
; he never makes big moves or surprises with amazing play.
The Disciple Overcomes The Master
It was said by Lee's first teacher that he would always try to play brilliantly. That was until he became Cho Hunhyun's student. Cho did not think Lee's talent was of a high level, as he could not even re-create a game he played against Cho. Lee fell short of expectations in Cho's assessment. Although he did not have the conventional wisdom of a Go genius, his deep reading and study abilities were at a different level. Lee stopped his attempts at playing brilliant moves and started playing more "common" moves instead. Lee often toys with opponents by playing a normal move that would help him read moves ahead, rather than a brilliant move where he could not read ahead as well. It has been said that Lee's style of play in his early career was to only beat his teacher. He was not as effective against other top players as he was against his teacher. This is one of the reasons why he was underestimated so much by other players, such as Cho Chikun. His playing style would go on to be effective against anyone. Instead of adopting the style of his teacher's natural brilliance and quick thinking, he chose magnificent calculation and deep reading. Many are still unimpressed by Lee's style of Go, as it seems too simple.Current
Over the years, Lee's style of play has been broken down. Even Cho Chikun said that Lee SedolLee Sedol
Lee Sedol is a South Korean professional Go player of 9-dan rank.-Biography:Many regard Lee Sedol as one of the strongest players of all time. Lee was born in Korea in 1983 and studied at the Hanguk Kiwon. He ranks third in career titles with 37, behind Cho Hunhyun and Lee Chang-ho...
would eventually pass Chang-ho because Chang-ho's style is no longer guaranteed due to the new generation of players. He has had to resort to abandoning his old style and improvising play against these new players. When asked if Lee's era was over, his teacher Cho Hunhyun simply replied, "No". He continued, saying that Lee Sedol is just someone who has finally fit the description of a rival for Chang-ho. He also said that both will battle many times and in the coming years the smoke will settle and one of them will come out on top.
After losing the 10th 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...
to Luo Xihe
Luo Xihe
Luo Xihe is a Chinese professional Go player.- Biography :Luo Xihe started learning Go at the age of six. He turned pro in 1989, and was promoted to 9 dan in 2002.- Titles & runners-up :- External links :*...
, Lee came back and took the newly made Sibdan Cup against Park Young-Hoon. This was payback to Park, who had beat Lee in the 1st Prices Information Cup
Prices Information Cup
-Outline:Only players above 6 dan can participate. The time format is hayago. The winner's purse is 20,000,000 Won .-Past winners:-External links:* * *...
. Lee also won the 49th edition of Korea's oldest title, the Guksu. Unusually for him, Lee lost three times in 2006 representing Korea in international tournaments. First in the Nongshim Cup, then in the newly created Kangwon-Land Cup
Kangwon-Land Cup
-Outline:The countries that compete are China and Korea. The competition is in knockout style. Both countries select 6 players to play for them in this competition. They then choose in which order they wish for the players to play. First, the competition is started when two players play. Whoever...
, and finally in the 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:*...
. This is a change for Lee, considering he has won 17 international tournaments over the past 14 years. In the final match of the 11th 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...
, Lee lost 0-2 to Chang Hao
Chang Hao
Chang Hao is a professional Go player. He is a 9 dan Go player from China. He is China's best player of the 1990s and one of the best in the world. Growing up he was a prodigy in China. He has won many titles, two of them international titles. He is best friends with Lee Chang-ho, whom he most...
of China. This was the second year in a row Lee lost the Samsung Cup.
In March 2007 the barely 19-year-old Yun Junsang beat title holder Lee Chang-ho 3-1 for the 50th Guksu title, but Lee got his revenge in July, beating Yun 3-2 to retain his Wangwi
Wangwi
- Outline :The Wangwi was a Go competition used by the Hanguk Kiwon. It is sponsored by the Chung-ang Il-po. The komi for white is 6.5 points. The preliminary matches get 4 hours of thinking time, while the final match gets 5 hours. The winner's purse was 45,000,000 SKW . It ran from 1966-2008....
title.
Although not having had a successful year internationally, he was the highest earner in South Korea for 2006.
Titles and runners-up
Ranks #2 in total amount of titles in Korea and #1 in international titles.| Domestic | ||
|---|---|---|
| Title | Wins | Runners-up |
| Guksu Guksu The Guksu is a Go competition in South Korea.-Outline:The Guksu is a Go competition held by the Hanguk Kiwon, and sponsored by The Dong-a Ilbo. It is the longest running competition in South Korea... |
10 (1990, 1993–1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2010) | 7 (1989, 1991, 1992, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2006) |
| Myungin Myungin The Myungin is a Go competition in South Korea. The word of myungin in Korean language, literally meaning "Brilliant Man", is same as meijin in Japanese and as mingren in Chinese. The Myungin is the Hanguk Kiwon equivalent to the Nihon-Kiin's Meijin title... |
14 (1990–1996, 1998–2003, 2009) | 2 (1990, 1997) |
| Sibdan Cup | 2 (2005, 2007) | 1 (2009) |
| GS Caltex Cup GS Caltex Cup The GS Caltex Cup is a Go competition.-Outline:The GS Caltex Cup replaced the LG Refined Oil Cup. It is sponsored by the GS Caltex Corporation and Daily Economic News. It currently has the biggest prize in South Korea. The main tournament is a 16 player knockout. The final is a best-of-5. Komi is... |
5 (1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004) | 1 (2005) |
| Prices Information Cup Prices Information Cup -Outline:Only players above 6 dan can participate. The time format is hayago. The winner's purse is 20,000,000 Won .-Past winners:-External links:* * *... |
3 (2005, 2009, 2010) | |
| Chunwon Chunwon The Chunwon is a Go competition in Korea.The winner of the Chunwon goes on to play the winner of the Chinese equivalent , in the annual China–Korea Tengen competition. -Outline:... |
3 (1997–1999) | |
| KBS Cup KBS Cup -Outline:The KBS Cup is sponsored by KBS. From 1980 to 2003, the tournament was named the KBS Baduk Wang, but was recently renamed to the KBS Cup. The main tournament consists of 16 players who compete in a knockout tournament. There is a winner's and a loser's round to decide the challenger. The... |
11 (1988, 1991, 1994, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007–2009) | 5 (1995–1997, 1999, 2000) |
| Kisung Kisung The Kisung is a Go competition in South Korea.- Outline :The Kisung was a Go competition used by the Hanguk Kiwon. It was the Hanguk Kiwon equivalent to the Nihon-Kiin's Kisei competition and was sponsored by the Se-kye Il-po . The white komi was 6.5 points... |
11 (1993–2003) | 1 (2004) |
| Electron-Land Cup Electron-Land Cup The Electron-Land Cup is a Go competition.-Outline:The Electron-Land Cup is sponsored by Korean Economic News, Baduk TV, and Cyber Kiwon. The format is lightning knockout. The tournament consists of 24 players split into 3 groups of 8. The first group is the Blue Dragon , for players who are 25 or... |
3 (2005, 2006, 2008) | 1 (2007) |
| Wangwi Wangwi - Outline :The Wangwi was a Go competition used by the Hanguk Kiwon. It is sponsored by the Chung-ang Il-po. The komi for white is 6.5 points. The preliminary matches get 4 hours of thinking time, while the final match gets 5 hours. The winner's purse was 45,000,000 SKW . It ran from 1966-2008.... |
14 (1990, 1995–2007) | 2 (1991, 1993) |
| BC Card Cup BC Card Cup The BC Card Cup is a Go competition in South Korea.-Outline:The BC Card Cup is a tournament for 20 young players. It is a Go title in South Korea, the equivalent to the Shinjin-O title in Japan. The tournament first started in 1990, and is still in existence after 17 years. In order to get to the... |
5 (1991–1994, 1996) | 1 (1995) |
| Chaegowi Chaegowi The Chaegowi was a Go competition that ran from 1959 to 1997. The preliminary stages were 8-player knockout rounds, with the players who won the preliminary split into two sections. The winners of those sections played a best-of-three match to decide who would challenge the holder of the title.... |
8 (1989–1991, 1993–1997) | 2 (1988, 1992) |
| Daewang | 6 (1990–1992, 1995–1997) | 1 (1993) |
| Baccus Cup | 3 (1990–1992) | |
| Taewang Taewang Taewang, meaning "The Greatest of all Kings", was the title used by the rulers of Goguryeo, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, since the reign of Gwanggaeto the Great.... |
4 (1991–1993, 1997) | |
| Paewang | 4 (1993, 1994, 2001, 2002) | 3 (1988, 1995, 2003) |
| Kiwang | 2 (1993, 1994) | 1 (1995) |
| Gukgi | 4 (1993–1996) | |
| Paedal Cup | 4 (1993–1995, 1997) | 2 (1996, 1998) |
| Baedalwang Baedalwang The Baedalwang was a Go competition.-Outline:The Baedalwang was decided in a best-of-5 match where each player had 3 hours to think. The komi was 6.5. This tournament ran from 1993 to 2000.-Winners & runners-up:... |
1 (1996) | |
| Total | 114 | 33 |
| 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:*... |
3 (1995, 1996, 2002) | 4 (1990, 1999, 2000, 2006) |
| World Meijin World Meijin The World Meijin is an invitational Go competition consisting of one player each from China, Japan, and South Korea.-Outline:The tournament consists of three players. One of the three players is given a bye. The remaining two players play a match, with the winner progressing to the final... |
1 (2010) | |
| Korea-China Tengen | 4 (1997–2000) | |
| Teda Cup | 1 (2004) | |
| Total | 8 | 5 |
| International | ||
| Ing Cup Ing Cup -Outline:The Ing Cup is sponsored by Ing, Yomiuri Shimbun, the Nihon-Kiin, and Kansai-Kiin, and held every 4 years. The competition has its own rules and an 8 point komi. The time allotment is 3.5 hours for each player, while players are available to buy an extra 35 minutes for an additional 2... |
1 (2000) | 1 (2008) |
| 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... |
4 (1997, 1999, 2001, 2004) | 2 (2003, 2010) |
| 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... |
2 (2003, 2010) | 3 (1997–1999) |
| Chunlan Cup Chunlan Cup -Outline:The Chunlan Cup is an international Go tournament sponsored and hosted by The Chunlan Group of China. 24 players are chosen as follows:*3 top players of last tournament*8 from *5 from *4 from *2 from *1 from North America*1 from Europe... |
2 (2003, 2005) | 2 (1999, 2009) |
| 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... |
2 (1996, 1998) | 3 (2007–2009) |
| 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 (2002) | |
| Tong Yang Cup Tong Yang Cup The Tong Yang Cup was a Go competition. The Tong Yang Cup was sponsored by Tong Yang Investment Bank of South Korea. The tournament was run from 1990 to 1998, with players from South Korea, Taiwan, the United States, Japan, China and European countries.-Past winners:... |
4 (1992, 1993, 1996, 1998) | |
| Zhonghuan Cup Zhonghuan Cup The Zhonghuan Cup is a Go competition sponsored by Zhonghuan Corporation of Taiwan and JPMorgan Chase. Unlike other finals that have a best-of-three format, this has only one game. The winner's purse is 2,000,000 TD .-Winners & runners-up:... |
1 (2007) | |
| Total | 18 | 11 |
| Career total | ||
| Total | 140 | 49 |