Rin Kaiho
Encyclopedia
Rin Kaiho is a professional Go
player
.
, 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. Rin's rise to fame came in 1965 when he challenged Sakata Eio Meijin
for his Meijin title. Rin, at the time, was still only 23 and critics thought he would stand no chance against the then powerful Sakata. Even Sakata himself said that no Go player under the age of thirty should be Meijin. However, Rin put up a great fight and won the Meijin title. Rin would continue winning the Meijin on different occasions, along with the Honinbo
, during the late 1960s and early 1970s. His number of titles currently is 36, ranking him 4th of all time on the total number of titles list. Rin has been on a dry spell of titles lately, with the last time he even challenged for one being in 2001, for the Meijin. Rin became the first professional in Nihon Ki-in history to reach 1,300 career wins. He won the game against Nobuaki Anzai
on October 19, 2006 in a preliminary match for the 32nd Kisei. Rin currently resides in Tokyo
, Japan, but maintains Taiwanese
citizenship.
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...
.
Biography
Rin Kaiho was born in ShanghaiShanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. He was a student of Go Seigen
Go Seigen
Wu Qingyuan , generally known in the West by his Japanese name Go Seigen, is considered by many players to be the greatest player of the game of Go in the 20th century and of all time.-Biography:...
when Go brought him to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 1952. He was a promising player who won his first title at the age of 23, 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 :...
. He is also part of the 1200 win group. Rin's rise to fame came in 1965 when he challenged Sakata Eio 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 :...
for his Meijin title. Rin, at the time, was still only 23 and critics thought he would stand no chance against the then powerful Sakata. Even Sakata himself said that no Go player under the age of thirty should be Meijin. However, Rin put up a great fight and won the Meijin title. Rin would continue winning the Meijin on different occasions, along with the Honinbo
Honinbo
Honinbō was the name of one of the four major schools of Go in Japan. Easily the strongest school of Go for most of its existence, it was established in 1612 and survived until 1940....
, during the late 1960s and early 1970s. His number of titles currently is 36, ranking him 4th of all time on the total number of titles list. Rin has been on a dry spell of titles lately, with the last time he even challenged for one being in 2001, for the Meijin. Rin became the first professional in Nihon Ki-in history to reach 1,300 career wins. He won the game against Nobuaki Anzai
Nobuaki Anzai
is a professional Go player.- Promotion record :-External links:*...
on October 19, 2006 in a preliminary match for the 32nd Kisei. Rin currently resides in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan, but maintains Taiwanese
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
citizenship.
Promotion record
Titles & runners-up
Ranks #6 in total number of titles in Japan.| Title | Years Held |
|---|---|
| Current | 18 |
 MeijinMeijin 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 :... |
1977 |
| Honinbo Honinbo Honinbō was the name of one of the four major schools of Go in Japan. Easily the strongest school of Go for most of its existence, it was established in 1612 and survived until 1940.... |
1968–1970, 1983, 1984 |
| 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:... |
1975 |
| 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.... |
1989–1993 |
| 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... |
1973 |
| Gosei |
1994 |
| 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... |
1989 |
| NHK Cup |
1970, 1974, 1978 |
| Defunct | 15 |
| Old Meijin Old Meijin - Outline :The Old Meijin was the same tournament as the current Meijin. The reason it is called the Old Mejin is because before 1976, the Meijin tournament was hosted by Yomiuri Shimbun. In 1976, Yomiuri Shimbun stopped hosting the Meijin, and started the Kisei. The Meijin tournament then was... |
1965–1967, 1969, 1971–1973 |
| Kakusei Kakusei (Go) The Kakusei was a Go competition in Japan.-Past winners:... |
1979, 1992, 1998 |
| Hayago Championship Hayago Championship The Hayago Championship was a Go competition.-Outline:The Hayago Championship was a hayago tournament, where each player had to make moves within 10 seconds. The tournament was sponsored by TV Tokyo.-Past winners:... |
1984, 1987 |
| Asashi Pro Best Ten |
1966, 1974 |
| Continental | 2 |
 China-Japan TengenChina-Japan Tengen The China-Japan Tengen is a professional gocompetition.-Outline:The China–Japan Tengen is a tournament where the current Tengen/Tianyuan title holders from China and Japan play each other in 3 matches.-Past winners:... |
1990, 1991 |
| International | 1 |
    Fujitsu CupFujitsu 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... |
1990 |
| Title | Years (1st Runner up) |
|---|---|
| Current | 27 |
| 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... |
1980, 1982, 1984 |
| 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 :... |
1978, 1987, 1991, 1994, 2001 |
| Honinbo Honinbo Honinbō was the name of one of the four major schools of Go in Japan. Easily the strongest school of Go for most of its existence, it was established in 1612 and survived until 1940.... |
1967, 1972, 1974, 1979, 1985 |
| 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:... |
1976, 1978, 1989 |
| 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.... |
1994, 1996 |
| 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... |
1966, 1974, 1986 |
| Gosei |
1993, 1995 |
| 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... |
1986, 1995 |
| NHK Cup |
1987 |
| 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.... |
1994 |
| Defunct | 7 |
| Old Meijin Old Meijin - Outline :The Old Meijin was the same tournament as the current Meijin. The reason it is called the Old Mejin is because before 1976, the Meijin tournament was hosted by Yomiuri Shimbun. In 1976, Yomiuri Shimbun stopped hosting the Meijin, and started the Kisei. The Meijin tournament then was... |
1968, 1979, 1974 |
| Hayago Championship Hayago Championship The Hayago Championship was a Go competition.-Outline:The Hayago Championship was a hayago tournament, where each player had to make moves within 10 seconds. The tournament was sponsored by TV Tokyo.-Past winners:... |
1990, 1995 |
| Nihon Ki-In Championship Nihon Ki-In Championship The Nihon Ki-In Championship was a Go competition.-Outline:The tournament ran from 1954 to 1975. It was later merged with the Kansai Ki-In Championship to form the Tengen.-Past winners:... |
1967 |
| Asashi Pro Best Ten |
1969 |
| Continental | 3 |
| China-Japan Tengen China-Japan Tengen The China-Japan Tengen is a professional gocompetition.-Outline:The China–Japan Tengen is a tournament where the current Tengen/Tianyuan title holders from China and Japan play each other in 3 matches.-Past winners:... |
1992–1994 |
| International | 3 |
| 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... |
1988, 1989 |
| 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:... |
1992 |
Trivia
- Rin is Honorary Tengen.
- He needs to win the Kisei tournament and he will have won all 7 major Japanese titles.
- In 1968 he became the second player to hold the Meijin and Honinbo titles at the same time.
- Starting in 1964, Rin had entered the Meijin League and remained in the league (including being the Meijin title holder) for 39 consecutive years, which is a historical record for all Go tournaments in Japan.
- In 2007 Lee Changho mentioned to the media that Rin is his most respected professional Go player for his respectable personality.
- His students are Cho UCho UCho U Kisei, Oza is a professional Go player. He currently ranks 6th in the most titles won by a Japanese professional; his NEC Cup win in 2011 put him past his teacher Rin Kaiho and Norimoto Yoda. Cho is the only player in history to have held five of the top seven major titles...
, Rin Kanketsu, and Rin Shien.