Honinbo (competition)

Honinbo (competition)
Full name Honinbo
Started 1941
Honorary Winners Takagawa Kaku
Sakata Eio
Ishida Yoshio
Cho Chikun
Sponsors Mainichi Shimbun
Prize money 32 million Yen
$415,000 USD
(as of 2 October 2011)
Affiliation Nihon Ki-in

The Honinbo (本因坊) is a Go competition and the oldest Go title in Japan. Sponsored by Mainichi Shimbun, the Honinbo pays out ¥32 million ($415,000 as of October 2011).[1]

Rules

The holder of the title is challenged by whoever wins the round robin league. Players can get into the round robin league by going through many preliminary tournaments. Once there is a challenger to compete against the holder, the winner is decided through a best of seven match. The games are played over two days and each player is given eight hours of thinking time.[1] If a player qualifies for the Honinbo league, they are automatically promoted to 7 dan. If that same player wins the league, a promotion to 8 dan is given. If that same player goes on to winning the title, they are promoted to 9 dan, the highest rank.[2]

Past winners and runners-up

Year Winner Score Runner-up
1941 Riichi Sekiyama 3–3* Shin Kato
1943 Utaro Hashimoto 2–0 Riichi Sekiyama
1945 Kaoru Iwamoto 3–3
(2–0)**
Utaro Hashimoto
1947 Kaoru Iwamoto 3–2 Minoru Kitani
1950 Utaro Hashimoto 4–0 Kaoru Iwamoto
1951 Utaro Hashimoto 4–3 Eio Sakata
1952 Kaku Takagawa 4–1 Utaro Hashimoto
1953 Kaku Takagawa 4–2 Minoru Kitani
1954 Kaku Takagawa 4–2 Masao Sugiuchi
1955 Kaku Takagawa 4–0 Toshihiro Shimamura
1956 Kaku Takagawa 4–2 Toshihiro Shimamura
1957 Kaku Takagawa 4–2 Hosai Fujisawa
1958 Kaku Takagawa 4–2 Masao Suguichi
1959 Kaku Takagawa 4–2 Minoru Kiatni
1960 Kaku Takagawa 4–2 Hideyuki Fujisawa
1961 Eio Sakata 4–1 Kaku Takagawa
1962 Eio Sakata 4–1 Dogen Handa
1963 Eio Sakata 4–2 Kaku Takagawa
1964 Eio Sakata 4–0 Kaku Takagawa
1965 Eio Sakata 4–0 Toshiro Yamabe
1966 Eio Sakata 4–0 Hideyuki Fujisawa
1967 Eio Sakata 4–1 Rin Kaiho
1968 Rin Kaiho 4–3 Eio Sakata
1969 Rin Kaiho 4–2 Masao Kato
1970 Rin Kaiho 4–0 Eio Sakata
1971 Yoshio Ishida 4–2 Rin Kaiho
1972 Yoshio Ishida 4–3 Rin Kaiho
1973 Yoshio Ishida 4–0 Rin Kaiho
1974 Yoshio Ishida 4–3 Masaki Takemiya
1975 Yoshio Ishida 4–3 Eio Sakata
1976 Masaki Takemiya 4–1 Yoshio Ishida
1977 Masao Kato 4–1 Masaki Takemiya
1978 Masao Kato 4–3 Yoshio Ishida
1979 Masao Kato 4–1 Rin Kaiho
1980 Masaki Takemiya 4–1 Masao Kato
1981 Cho Chikun 4–2 Masaki Takemiya
1982 Cho Chikun 4–2 Koichi Kobayashi
1983 Rin Kaiho 4–3 Cho Chikun
1984 Rin Kaiho 4–1 Shuzo Awaji
1985 Masaki Takemiya 4–1 Rin Kaiho
1986 Masaki Takemiya 4–1 Hiroshi Yamashiro
1987 Masaki Takemiya 4–0 Hiroshi Yamashiro
1988 Masaki Takemiya 4–3 Hideo Otake
1989 Cho Chikun 4–0 Masaki Takemiya
1990 Cho Chikun 4–3 Koichi Kobayashi
1991 Cho Chikun 4–2 Koichi Kobayashi
1992 Cho Chikun 4–3 Koichi Kobayashi
1993 Cho Chikun 4–1 Hiroshi Yamashiro
1994 Cho Chikun 4–3 Satoshi Kataoka
1995 Cho Chikun 4–1 Masao Kato
1996 Cho Chikun 4–2 Ryu Shikun
1997 Cho Chikun 4–0 Masao Kato
1998 Cho Chikun 4–2 O Rissei
1999 Cho Sonjin 4–2 Cho Chikun
2000 O Meien 4–2 Cho Sonjin
2001 O Meien 4–3 Cho U
2002 Masao Kato 4–2 O Meien
2003 Cho U 4–2 Masao Kato
2004 Cho U 4–2 Norimoto Yoda
2005 Shinji Takao 4–1 Cho U
2006 Shinji Takao 4–2 Kimio Yamada
2007 Shinji Takao 4–1 Norimoto Yoda
2008 Naoki Hane 4–3 Shinji Takao
2009 Naoki Hane 4–2 Shinji Takao
2010 Keigo Yamashita 4–1 Naoki Hane
2011 Keigo Yamashita 4–3 Naoki Hane
2012 Yuta Iyama 4–3 Keigo Yamashita
2013 Yuta Iyama 4–3 Shinji Takao
2014 Yuta Iyama 4–1 Atsushi Ida

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Go Tournament: Honinbo". gogameworld.com. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
  2. "Abolition of the rating tournament". nihonkiin.or.jp. Retrieved 2 July 2011.

External Links