Koichi Kobayashi

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Koichi Kobayashi
Full name	Koichi Kobayashi
Kanji	小林光一
Date of birth	September 10, 1952 (1952-09-10) (age 55)
Place of birth	Asahikawa City, Japan
Residence	Tokyo, Japan
Teacher	Kitani Minoru
Turned pro	1967
Rank	9 dan
Affiliation	Nihon Ki-in

Koichi Kobayashi (小林光一, Kobayashi Kōichi^?, born September 10, 1952) is a Go player.

Contents 1 Biography 2 Promotion record 3 Titles & runners-up 4 Trivia

[edit] Biography

Koichi Kobayashi was born in Asahikawa, Japan. He was one of the more famous disciples of the legendary Minoru Kitani; he studied along with Cho Chikun, Masao Kato, Yoshio Ishida, and Masaki Takemiya. He would go on and marry the daughter of his teacher, Reiko Kitani (1939–1996), a 6-dan who has won the All-Japan Women's Championship several times [1]. Together they had a daughter, Izumi Kobayashi, who is now one of the leading female Go players in Japan. Kobayashi is one of the few Go players who have won more than 1,200 professional games. Kobayashi's rivalry with Cho Chikun has continued for some time and they frequently play against each other.

[edit] Promotion record

Rank	Year	Notes
1 dan	1967
2 dan
3 dan
4 dan
5 dan
6 dan
7 dan
8 dan
9 dan	1979

[edit] Titles & runners-up

Ranks #3 in total amount of titles in Japan.

Title	Years Held
Current	45
Kisei	1986 - 1993
Meijin	1985, 1988 - 1994
Judan	1984 - 1986, 1999, 2000
Tengen	1976, 1986, 1998, 1999
Gosei	1988-1993, 1999, 2001, 2002
Agon Cup	1999
Shinjin-O	1976, 1977
NEC Cup	1995, 1999, 2004
NHK Cup	1986, 2004
Ryusei	1997, 2002, 2003
Defunct	9
Kakusei	1994, 1997, 2001
Hayago Championship	1972, 1981, 1986, 1997
Shin-Ei	1972, 1975
Prime Minister Cup	1972, 1974*
Continental	2
China-Japan Tengen	2000
China-Japan Agon Cup	2000
International	1
Fujitsu Cup	1997
Total	57

Title	Years Lost
Current	26
Kisei	1994, 1999
Meijin	1986, 1995, 1997
Honinbo	1982, 1990, 1991, 1992
Judan	1987, 1992, 1994, 2001
Tengen	1981, 1987, 1990, 1995, 2000
Oza	1985, 1992
Gosei	1994, 2000, 2003
NEC Cup	1984, 1991
Agon Cup	2004
NHK Cup	1997
Defunct	9
Kakusei	1987, 2002
Shin-Ei	1974, 1979
Hayago Championship	1982, 1983, 1985, 2000, 2001
Continental	1
China-Japan Tengen	1999
International	1
Fujitsu Cup	1995
Total	38

*Prime Minister Cup is not counted in the title total.

[edit] Trivia

• Kobayashi is Honorary Kisei, Honorary Meijin, and Honorary Gosei.
• Kobayashi has won all major titles in Japan except Honinbo. He challenged for Honinbo four times, but was beaten all four times by his biggest rival, Cho Chikun.