In 1997, Masao Kato returned to the ten-dan position 3-2 and returned to the ten-dan position, and at the age of fifty, he proudly declared: I am still a super-first-class chess player! At that time, the Six Super Yu Wei was still there, and the Japanese "Mesozoic" chess players led by Kobayashi Jue, Wang Licheng, and Ieda Kiki finally broke the shackles and began to compete with the Six Super in the title competition of the Seven Chess Battles.
In 1998, Kato lost to Naoto Hikozaka 2–3 in the Ten Dan Defence Battle, losing his crown. This year he also lost to Lin Haifeng in the TsuruGi Final, and the Quick Chess Player Final lost to Satoshi Kataoka, and the only champion was the Dragon Star Battle Final victory over Cho Ji-hoon.
In 1999, Mr. Kato lost to Wang Licheng in the Tsuru Jihad final, but the number of championships increased to 44.
In 2000 and 2001, Kato lost consecutively to Cho Ji-hoon in the nec cup finals, only to defeat Zhang Xu in the 2001 Dragon Star Wars final. Like other super chess players, Mr. Kato, who has entered the twilight of his career, seems to have to rely on fast chess tournaments to slowly accumulate championships.
But Mr. Kato was not willing to become a spectator on the big stage, and in 2002, he once again staged a classic chess play. In this year's Honinbo battle cycle circle, Kato was mighty, defeating Cho Ji-hoon, Cho Zen-jin, Zhang Xu, Otake Hero, Naoki Hane, and Noriko Yamada, only to lose one round to Miyazawa Goro, ranking first with a record of 6 wins and 1 loss, unexpectedly winning the right to challenge, and once again attacking the three major titles.
The reigning Ben Yinfang at that time was Wang Mingwan, a Taiwanese chess player in Japan. In 1999, Zhao Shanjin was a big hit, defeating Zhao Zhixun, who was a ten-year bully in Benyinfang, 4-2, ending an era. The following year, Wang Minghuan leapt out on horseback, knocking down Zhao Shanjin 4-2 and becoming the new Ben infang. In 2001, Wang Mingwan fought hard in seven sets, repelling the young challenger Zhang Xu 4-3 and achieving a second consecutive championship.
Wang Minghuan is excellent in chess, has the reputation of "strange wrist", and is called "two kings" together with Wang Licheng, who is also from Taiwan. He defeated Lee Chang-ho and Nie Weiping in the Fujitsu Cup, reached the final four of the Ying Cup, and won the title of Ben infang, which also established his top position in the Japanese chess world at that time. As recently as 2002, Wang minghuan also reached the final four of the Fujitsu Cup, and finally defeated Lee Chang-ho in the third and fourth place finals to win the third place.
Born in 1961, Wang Mingwan is in his prime, and Mr. Kato is 55 years old, and before the seven victories and defeats, more people are inclined to the momentum of Wang Minghuan to defend the title. Sure enough, in the first two sets, Wang Minghuan won consecutively, especially in the second set, the black victory was 13 and a half, and Mr. Kato was almost forced to the cliff.
But is the big heart of a super-first-class chess player so easy to be crushed? From the third inning, Mr. Kato launched a fierce counterattack, winning three consecutive sets, but took the lead in mastering the match point. Will the sixth set be the final battle? Can the 55-year-old Ben in-House champion be born?
Japan's 57th Honinfang Challenge was the sixth round of seven wins and losses
Black: Wang Mingwan Ben Yinfang (9th paragraph)
White: Masao Kato Challenger (Nine Dan)
A total of 244 lots
White 1 1/2 win (black sticker 5 1/2)
Date of the match: 10 and 11 July 2002
Location: Choshi City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan
In the sixth inning, it was Wang Mingwan's turn to take the black first, when it was still the era of black paste 5 and a half eyes. The year before, Wang Minghuan won two consecutive sets in a 2-3 desperate situation and reversed Zhang Xu.
First spectrum 1-50
Black 5 hangs a corner, and then black 7 cloth into a high Chinese stream, which was once Mr. Kato's favorite layout, Wang Minghuan at the key moment of victory and defeat with his human way to treat his body, showing his eclectic free Go spirit.
White 8 and 10 immediately attacked, and Mr. Kato actively played chess.
Black 11 counter-clip, of course, Black 15 is a well-received means of attack.
White 16 Qu Town is chess-shaped, Black 17 continues to fly in the mid-abdomen, and Wang Minghuan plays chess atmospherically.
White 18 tendons, to white 24 tips, both sides are solid in shape.
Black 25 asks for a cheap hand first, white 26 is an outcast idea, and Mr. Kato is unwilling to follow suit.
White 28 jumped out, Black 31, 33 sacrificed the hand tendon, although the horn was lost, but black 37 became the first hand.
After the black 41 formed a conversion, the black chess was satisfied.
White 42, 44 good time, leaving a living horn.
White 46 and 48 accounted for the big field, black 49 town head attack, Wang Minghuan situation is more active.
The White 50 Span is a good counterattack based on the advantage of the signs.
Second Spectrum 1-50 (i.e. 51-100)
White 4 pointed out, black 5 flying, continue to emphasize the attack.
When the white 10 jumped out, the black 11 town was better, and Wang Minghuan's attack wave after wave, the trend invaded the upper white array, and the down was very beautiful.
White 12 flew out to fight back, and Kato realized the passivity of the situation.
Black 17 jumps, upright, and the middle abdomen is controlled by black chess.
White 18 corner land grab is a winning attitude.
The choice of black 19 and 23 is correct, and Wang Minghuan's play so far is close to perfection.
The white 26 flew out to survive, and the black 27 was a good point to put on.
White 28, 30 helpless.
Black 31 and 33 suddenly changed their tone, and at this time, they should continue to hold on to the white chess above, such as 33 walking 34-bit pull.
White 34 points, the upper white chess is settled.
Black 35 or below must also stabilize itself.
White chess goes thick with the trend, and 48 and 50 are very comfortable.
Third Spectrum 1-50 (i.e. 101-150)
White 4 surrounded the left side of the big air, the whole battle black chess big loss, Kato reversed the unfavorable situation.
Black 7 is fixed below, black 13 makes up for the lower right corner, and the overall situation presents a fine chess pattern, but the burden of black chess stickers is quite heavy.
At that time, Mr. Kato's official son was pure fire, and he was skilled in stereotyping everywhere.
White 26 thick.
Wang Minghuan also showed the strength of the second half of the set, black 27 below the good order, black 35, the middle abdomen circumference out of the eye number.
White 36, 38 pull sticky maximum, white 42 broken delicate, black 43 can only eat like this, otherwise white chess is a bit of a means.
White 44 grows in, which is a situation where white chess is slightly better.
Fourth Spectrum 1-50 (i.e. 151-200)
Black 5 flutter delicate.
White 10 good hands, white 16 below have gains.
Black 23 is an official tendon.
The white 34 seems to be small and big, and the closure of both sides is very exciting.
The Black 41 may not be as big as the White 42.
Fifth Spectrum 1-44 (i.e. 201-244)
White 4 calm, about 4 eyes in the back hand.
Black 7 below tenaciously closed short.
White 18 is the largest, and black chess has no chance of winning.
After the two sides finished the number of meshes, the black chessboard surface was only 4 more meshes.
Wang Mingwan, who played well in the first half of the set, was overtaken by Kato after a slight slack in the middle of the set. After winning the round, Mr. Kato completed a two-game four-game reversal 4-2, successfully challenged and returned to Ben's place, which was his 46th title. At the same time, at the age of 55, he became the oldest Ben in the history of Ben in,Ltd., writing a new legend.
Mr. Kato was in a prosperous fashion from 1977 to 1979. 23 years later, Kato, who had entered the twilight of his career as a chess player, regained honin-in-house, which made all fans excited and excited. This is also the last grand triple crown won by the six super leagues, and it is the last grand triple crown title of the six super leagues after entering the 21st century. The sunset afterglow belongs to Masao Kato, to the eternal "Honinbo Kensho".
At about the same time as the capture of Honinbo, Mr. Kato was elected vice chairman of the Japanese Chess Academy and began to struggle for the revitalization of Japanese Go on the other side's larger chess board.
Masao Kato held 244 hands and 1 and a half hands to win wang Minghuan
The year after the recapture of Honinbo, Mr. Kato accepted the challenge of the young Zhang Xu
Wang Minghuan won in the second set of seven wins and losses