Life In 19x19

gowan wrote:I see. Of course there was a political side of the game. Cho Hoonhyun went to Japan to study but came back and stayed. Chihoon left for Japan and stayed there.

trout wrote:

gowan wrote:I see. Of course there was a political side of the game. Cho Hoonhyun went to Japan to study but came back and stayed. Chihoon left for Japan and stayed there.

There is no POLITICAL shenanigan...

Cho Hoonhyun came back to Korea to serve compulsory Army Duty and never went back. Cho Chihoon was exempted from Army service when he won Meijin so he didn't have to come back.

Cho Hoonhyun vs Cho Chihoon
1980.12.31. Cho Chihoon Meijin title celebration game 1; Cho Chihoon won bt 3.5.
1981.01.02. Cho Chihoon Meijin title celebration game 2; Cho Chihoon won by 5.5.
1991.02.10. 9th Korea vs Japan TV lightening game;Cho Hoonhyun won by resign.
1992.08.20. 4th TV baduk Asia 1st round;Cho Hoonhyun won by resign.
1996.06.27. 1st LG cup 2nd round; Cho Hoonhyun won by 1.5.
1997.06.29. 2nd LG cup round of 16;Cho Hoonhyun won by resign.
2000.04.10. 13th Fujitsu 2nd round; Cho Hoonhyun won by resign.
2000.06.15. 5th LG cup 2nd round;Cho Hoonhyun won by resign.
2001.06.14. 6th LG cup round of 16;Cho Hoonhyun won by resign.
2002.05.02. 7th LG cup 2nd round;Cho Hoonhyun won by resign.
2003.10.16. 8th Samsung cup round of 8;Cho Hoonhyun won by resign.

ez4u wrote: Didn't Cho Chikun finally win again in the 8th Samsung? I'm not sure how he went on to win the title otherwise.

Kirby wrote: I don't think a professional (particularly at the level of Cho Chikun) would stage a result, much less intentionally lose.

Uberdude wrote:
I didn't suggest he did that, but that he would not be so upset at losing (compare to the story about When he lost a Japanese title match game on time because he didn't hear the timekeeper announce it was his move: he was distraught and even shed tears) and so might not strive to make sure he places his stone in the last second as much as he would in a competitive game.

aa@joongang.co.kr wrote: Loss is also a destiny. Baduk is difficult, which makes life more interesting.

Cho Chikun, the living legend in Korean and Japanese baduk. He unmasked himself on the 26th. He wasn’t serious and determined like he used to be in the past. He futilely lost by time in the anniversary game with Cho Hunhyun, but he didn’t seem to feel ashamed of himself, as a perfectionist might. He seemed rather calm saying, “I’ve gotten worse at baduk; my personality has gotten better”. When the emcee commented on his humor, Cho Chikun joked, saying, “I should go into the entertainment world.” It was almost heartwarming to watch him reviewing the game, smiling with Cho Hunhyun 9d, Yoo Chang Hyuk, and Lee Sedol.

The cold blooded competitor, who played baduk while sitting in a wheelchair after having a car accident that required 25 weeks to recover, had a warm and friendly Korean spirit within himself.

I met up with him, and we even went to karaoke together. He talked about life and baduk.

Me: I didn’t expect that the result would be decided by time.
Cho Chikun: “It’s OK. That’s also destiny.”

M: How do you feel when you visit Korea?
C: “I feel really glad to meet people I like. I am happy that my Korean fans root for me. I am glad to have an opportunity to speak in front of Korean fans.”

M: What kind of a place is Korea to you?
C: “Since I left Korea at 6, I have been living in Japan. But I still think about Korea. I think that I’ve come to love Korea more because I live in Japan.”

M: You speak Korean better than I expected.
C: “I have so much in my heart that I would like to say in Korean. But I can’t express as much as I’d like, because I can’t speak Korean well. I feel embarrassed.

M: Do you study Korean?
C: “I used to watch Korean dramas and movies. However, they don’t show Korean dramas on TV anymore since the relationship between Korea and Japan got worse. It’s sad.”

M: Does it affect your daily life?
C: “A few years ago, the drama, “Winter Sonata” was a big hit. Back then, Japanese people appreciated it when I said that I was Korean. However, I feel that people hate Koreans nowadays. Someone threw a stone at my place when they saw the Korean nameplate in front of my house.

M: What is baduk to you?
C: “Without baduk, my life could be somewhat happier. But life is boring if you are happy all the time. Life is interesting because it is unhappy and difficult. My life is interesting with baduk, which is difficult and hard. So I play baduk.”

M: Do you still study baduk?
C: “Except on Thursdays when I have games, I study go 8 hours every day from 3 in the afternoon until midnight, taking a break only to have dinner. Back when I was stronger, I didn’t spend even two hours studying baduk. Now I study a lot more than that, but I’m not getting stronger again.

M: Why do you keep studying baduk, then?
C: “I get paid from Nihon Kiin whether I win or lose. I feel ashamed to get paid after playing a horrible game. So I study every day. The fact that I study every day is important to me.

M: Is it still true that you put your life on the line while you play baduk?
C: “It is.”

M: What is attractive about baduk?
C: “In baduk, you have so much you don’t know no matter how hard you study and how much you study. It is like a person since the more you know about it, the more you don’t know about it at the same time.”

M: Are there any Korean baduk players that you have high expectations for?
C: “Kim Jiseok. I always check his kifu as soon as it’s available online. The contents of his games are so good. I feel so proud as a Korean.”

M: Who is the most memorable Korean player?
C: “Lee Changho used to be so good, but these days, he makes mistakes on simple moves. That’s truly sad.”

M: You and Cho Hunhyun have been rivals for a long time.
C: “More than a rival, he’s a senior that I respect. I studied how to win against him before this game. But I lost. What I feel jealous about him is that he has such a good relationship with his wife. I even said that I didn’t want to get married after seeing him act so sweetly around his wife.”

M: What do you like other than baduk?
C: “I play golf. I enjoy drinking and singing with people as well.”

M: How much alcohol can you drink?
C: “I drink until I pass out.” (After the game, Cho Chikun accepted all of the drinks people offered, without ever refusing.) “If I pass out, I drink more after sleeping a bit.”

M: Do you have any favorite Korean singers?
C: “Lee Mija, Lee Sunhee, and Sung Sikyoung. They all have great voices. I met Lee Mija once in Japan while she was on tour. I haven’t met the other two yet. I really want to meet them.”

M: What worries you these days?
C: “My wife is very sick. She has cancer. She is staying home, saying she didn’t want to spend her last days at the hospital. We have loved for almost 40 years. It is so painful and sad.”

M: What are your future plans?
C: “I don’t have any. I'd like to live in Korea, even for a short amount of time, before dying.”