Eio Sakata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eio Sakata |
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| Full name | Eio Sakata |
| Kanji | 坂田栄男 |
| Kana | サカタエイオ |
| Born | February 15, 1920 Tokyo, Japan |
| Died | October 22, 2010 (aged 90) Tokyo, Japan |
| Residence |  Tokyo, Japan |
| Teacher | Tatsuko Masubuchi |
| Turned pro | 1935 |
| Retired | 2000 |
| Rank | 9 dan |
| Affiliation | Nihon Ki-in |
Eio Sakata (坂田 栄男, Sakata Eio, February 15, 1920 – October 22, 2010) was a super famous Japanese professional Go player. He reached the highest rank in Go, which is 9-dan.
Contents
Who Was Eio Sakata?
Eio Sakata became a professional Go player in 1935. This means he played Go for a living! He was known for his amazing skills and sharp playing style.
His First Big Matches
His first big championship match was for the Hon'inbō title in 1951. He played against Utaro Hashimoto. This match was super important because Hashimoto played for a different Go organization, the Kansai Ki-in. Sakata really wanted to win the title back for his own group, the Nihon Ki-in.
Sakata started strong, winning three out of four games. But Hashimoto made an amazing comeback, winning the next four games and keeping his title.
A Winning Streak Begins
After that, Sakata started winning many smaller titles. It was the beginning of an incredible winning streak! He won almost every major Go title in Japan, except the Hon'inbō.
In 1961, Sakata got another chance at the Hon'inbō title. His opponent, Kaku Takagawa, had been the champion for nine years in a row! Sakata won the Hon'inbō and kept it for seven years straight! Because of this, he earned the special title of "Honorary Honinbo Eiju."
Holding Two Big Titles
While he was the Hon'inbō champion, Sakata also won the Meijin title in 1963. This was a huge deal! He was the first player ever to hold both the Hon'inbō and Meijin titles at the same time. These were the two biggest Go titles in Japan back then.
Sakata's best year was 1964. He won 30 games and only lost two! He held seven major titles that year, showing how dominant he was.
Challenges and New Champions
In 1965, a young player named Rin Kaiho, who was only 23 years old, challenged Sakata for the Meijin title. Everyone thought Sakata would win easily, but Rin surprised everyone and won the title! Sakata tried to win it back for the next two years but couldn't.
Later, Rin Kaiho also took the Hon'inbō title from Sakata. Even though he lost these top titles, Sakata continued to win many other important championships, like the Judan and Oza.
Go Books by Sakata
Sakata also wrote many books about Go in Japanese. Some of his books were translated into English, helping players around the world learn from him. These include Modern Joseki and Fuseki and The Middle Game of Go.
Eio Sakata passed away on October 22, 2010, at the age of 90. He is remembered as one of the greatest Go players of all time.
Major Titles Won
Sakata won a huge number of titles in his career, ranking second in Japan for the total number of major titles.
| Domestic Titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Title | Wins | Runners-up |
| Meijin | 2 (1963-1964) | 4 (1965–1967, 1979) |
| Honinbō | 7 (1961–1967) | 4 (1951, 1968, 1970, 1975) |
| Oza | 7 (1961, 1963-1964, 1966, 1970–1972) |
3 (1956, 1968, 1973) |
| Judan | 5 (1966–1968, 1972-1973) | 3 (1969, 1974, 1977) |
| NEC Cup | 1 (1983) | 1 (1984) |
| NHK Cup | 11 (1957–1959, 1961-1962, 1964-1965, 1972, 1976-1977, 1982) |
2 (1956, 1970) |
| Nihon Ki-in Championship | 12 (1955–1961, 1964-1965, 1973–1975) |
2 (1962, 1966) |
| Asahi Pro Best Ten | 3 (1964, 1967, 1969) | 1 (1968) |
| Asahi Top Position | 3 (1955, 1959, 1961) | 2 (1957, 1960) |
| Hayago Meijin | 1 (1956) | |
| Hayago Championship | 1 (1981) | 1 (1975) |
| Igo Senshuken | 1 (1958) | |
| Oteai | 6 (1937-1938, 1941, 1951, 1953-1954) | |
| Nihon Saikyo | 2 (1959, 1961) | |
| Japan Asian Airlines Cup | 2 (1979-1980) | |
| Igo Japan Series | 1 (1976) | |
| Nihon Ki-in Daiichii | 4 (1961, 1963-1965) | |
| Competition among the top three | 1 (1952) | |
| Competition among the top four | 1 (1962) | |
| Nihon Ki-in Highest Dan | 1 (1951) | |
| Total | 72 | 23 |
See also
In Spanish: Eio Sakata para niños
