July 1995

The fifth game of the China-Japan Supergo series was played on July 13 in Shenzhen, China, and this time it was Ryu Shikun's turn to fall victim to China's Chang Hao. Having now defeated the Tengen, eighteen-year-old Chang will tangle next with Japan's top title-holder, Kobayashi Satoru (Kisei). That game will be played in Tokyo in September.

In the semifinal round of the Fujitsu Cup on July 1, Kobayashi Koichi won handily over Yoo Changhyuk, but Cho Chikun made an endgame mistake and lost to Ma Xiaochun by half a point. As a result the Cup, which has been dominated by Koreans for the past two years, will go this time to either Japan or China. Kobayashi and Ma have met annually in the Meijin-Mingren play-offs since 1988, but when they play for the Fujitsu Cup on August 5, more will be at stake: a world championship, and a first prize worth over $200,000.

After losing the first Gosei game to Rin Kaiho, Kobayashi Satoru took the next two games to move to within one victory of the Gosei title. Kobayashi won the third game the same way he won the Kisei match earlier this year, by staying calm and waiting for his opponent to crack under time pressure.

O Rissei and Takemiya Masaki won their Meijin League games in July and are tied for the lead at 6-1, but Cho Chikun lost to Awaji Shuzo and is now a long shot at 5-2. Awaji has always been Cho's nemesis in this league. Having beaten Cho seven times, he is the main reason for Cho's absence from the past nine Meijin title matches.

The next Honinbo league is shaping up into a testing ground for up-and-coming talent. Four of the participants will be in their mid- twenties: Yuki Satoshi and Yo, who finished second and fourth last time; Ryu Shikun (Tengen); and Nakano Hironari, recent winner of the NEC Rising Stars tournament. The old-timer half of the league will consist of Kato Masao, O Rissei, the aggressive Miyazawa Goro, and the winner of a game to be played between Rin Kaiho and Kataoka Satoshi.

Besides reaching the Honinbo league, Ryu Shikun received the Journalists' Club award this year. He was cited for possession of the Tengen title, sartorial spiffiness, willing cooperation in game commentaries, and a sizable donation he made to the Kobe earthquake relief fund.

The dan section of the Kisei tournament wound up on July 27, and here are the winners (with ages in parentheses):

     9-dan   Kato Masao (48)
     8-dan   Yuki Satoshi (23)         4-dan   Kurotaki Masanori (19)
     7-dan   So Kofuku (31)            3-dan   Mizokami Tomochika (18)
     6-dan   Yamada Kimio (24)         2-dan   Yamashita Keigo (16)
     5-dan   Endo Yoshifumi (23)       Shodan  Suzuki Yoshimichi (19)