Cho Hun-hyun facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cho Hunhyun |
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| Full name | Cho Hunhyun |
| Nickname | The God of War |
| Hangul | 조훈현 |
| Hanja | 曺薰鉉 |
| Revised Romanization | Jo Hun-hyeon |
| McCune–Reischauer | Cho Hun-hyŏn |
| Born | 10 March 1953 Mokpo, South Jeolla, South Korea |
| Residence | Seoul, South Korea |
| Teacher | Kensaku Segoe, Hideyuki Fujisawa |
| Turned pro | 1962 (Korea) 1966 (Japan) |
| Rank | 9 dan |
| Affiliation | Hanguk Kiwon |
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Cho Hun-hyun
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조훈현
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| Secretary-General of the Future Korea Party | |
| In office 6 February 2020 – 21 March 2020 |
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| President | Han Sun-kyo |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Yeom Dong-yeol |
| Member of the National Assembly | |
| In office 30 May 2016 – 29 May 2020 |
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| Constituency | Proportional representation |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Future Korea |
Cho Hunhyun (Korean: 조훈현; born 10 March 1953) is a famous Go player and a politician from South Korea. Many people think he is one of the best Go players ever. He became a professional Go player in Korea in 1962. Since then, he has won an amazing 150 professional titles, which is more than anyone else in the world! He even held all the major Go tournament titles in Korea three times (in 1980, 1982, and 1986). Cho also won 11 international titles, placing him third globally, behind Lee Chang-ho and Lee Sedol. By 1995, he had won 1,000 games in his career.
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Becoming a Go Master
Cho started learning the game of Go when he was just four years old. He passed the test to become a professional player in 1962. In 1963, Cho was invited to Japan to continue his studies. He was taught by Kensaku Segoe, a very important Go teacher. Segoe also taught Go Seigen, another legendary Go player.
When Cho arrived in Japan, he was considered a 2 dan professional in Korea. However, he was ranked as a 4 kyu in Japan, which is a lower level.
Training in Japan
Three years later, Cho passed the professional exam in Japan. This made him the first player to have professional certificates from two different Go organizations. During this time, he met Hideyuki Fujisawa, who became his mentor. They remained good friends until Fujisawa passed away in 2009.
Cho played in some Japanese tournaments. He finished second in the 3rd Shin-Ei tournament. In 1972, Cho returned to Korea for his mandatory military service.
First Wins and Rivalries
Cho won his first title in 1973, defeating Kim In in the 14th Chaegowi tournament. That same year, he lost his first title to his rival, Seo Bongsoo, in the 6th Myungin tournament. Cho and Seo have played against each other in 65 tournament finals. Cho has won 53 of these matches. Their most recent title match was in 2010.
Cho continued to win many titles. He won the Paewang title in 1977 and defended it 16 times in a row until 1992. In 1980, he held nine titles at the same time! These included the Guksu, Myungin, Wangwi, and Paewang titles. He repeated this amazing feat in 1982 and 1986, winning ten and eleven titles, respectively.
Even with all these wins, some people didn't think Cho Hunhyun was the best Korean player. They often favored Cho Chikun, another Korean-born professional Go player who played in Japan. In 1980, Cho Chikun visited South Korea. The two players had a friendly match of two games. Cho Hunhyun lost both games. However, from 1991 until 2003, Cho Hunhyun did not lose a match to Cho Chikun.
Becoming Korea's First 9 Dan
In 1982, Cho Hunhyun was promoted to 9 dan. This made him the very first Korean player to reach the highest professional rank in Go.
Winning the Ing Cup
Cho was the only Korean player invited to the 1st Ing Cup. This big international tournament included players from Japan and China. Cho played against O Meien in the first round and won. He then defeated Koichi Kobayashi in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, he beat Rin Kaiho.
Cho reached the final to play against Nie Weiping in a best-of-five match. Cho won the first game, but Nie won the next two. The match came down to a fifth and final game, which Cho won. This was a huge victory for him!
Rivalry with Lee Chang-ho
In 1984, Cho Hunhyun started teaching a young player named Lee Chang-ho. Two years later, Lee became a professional player and began to challenge Cho. By 1989, Lee defeated Cho for the first time in a title final. This happened in the 29th Chaegowi tournament. In 1992, Cho lost the Paewang title to Lee after holding it for 16 years. Their rivalry continued until 2003. As of 2011, Lee Chang-ho had won 47 title finals against Cho, while Cho had won 19.
Cho Hunhyun's Political Career
Cho Hunhyun decided to enter politics. He joined the Saenuri Party in March 2016. He was elected to the National Assembly in the 2016 election. He served as a member of the National Assembly from May 2016 to May 2020.
On 5 February 2020, Cho was appointed as the Secretary-General of the new Future Korea Party.
Go Ranks and Promotions
Cho Hunhyun's journey through the Go ranks:
| Rank | Year | Notes |
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| 1 dan | 1962 / 1966 | |
| 2 dan | ||
| 3 dan | ||
| 4 dan | ||
| 5 dan | 1972 | |
| 6 dan | ||
| 7 dan | ||
| 8 dan | ||
| 9 dan | 1982 |
Major Go Titles and Achievements
Cho Hunhyun holds the record for the most total titles in Korea. He is also third in the world for international titles.
| Domestic Titles (in Korea) | ||
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| Title | Wins | Runners-up |
| Guksu | 16 | 8 |
| Myungin | 12 | 7 |
| Chunwon | 2 | |
| KBS Cup | 11 | 2 |
| Daejoo Cup | 1 | 1 |
| Wangwi | 13 | 7 |
| Kisung | 2 | 7 |
| BC Card Cup | 2 | 4 |
| Baedalwang | 1 | |
| Chaegowi | 15 | 8 |
| Gukgi | 12 | 3 |
| Paewang | 20 | 2 |
| Taewang | 8 | 2 |
| Baccus Cup | 6 | |
| Daewang | 7 | 3 |
| Paedel Cup | 1 | 5 |
| KT Cup | 1 | |
| Kiwang | 12 | 3 |
| SBS TV Cup | 1 | |
| Shin-Ei | 1 | |
| Total Domestic Titles | 139 | 67 |
| International Titles | ||
| Ing Cup | 1 | |
| LG Cup | 1 | |
| Samsung Cup | 2 | |
| Chunlan Cup | 1 | |
| Fujitsu Cup | 3 | 1 |
| Asian TV Cup | 2 | 3 |
| Tong Yang Cup | 2 | |
| Total International Titles | 11 | 6 |
| Career Total | ||
| Overall Total Titles | 150 | 73 |
Books by Cho Hunhyun
Cho Hunhyun has also shared his wisdom in books:
- 2015, The Power of Master's Thinking
- 2018, Go with the Flow
Go with the Flow is an autobiography that was first published in Korean in 2015 and then in English in 2018. It shares eight stories and thoughts about Go and life. Cho Hunhyun became a professional Go player at age nine. He has won 1,935 matches and 160 championship titles over 56 years, setting a new world record in Go history. In his book, he shares what he has learned about training your mind and heart.
