Meijin title games

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This page gives the title games for the Meijin (名人) title sponsored by the Asahi newspaper, starting from 1976. For results from the league, see the subpages linked to. For the Old Meijin title sponsored by the Yomiuri newspaper in 1962-1975, see the index page.

# Meijin title results

In 1976 sponsoring was taken over by the Asahi newspaper, and a new numbering started.

Nr | Year | Winner | Opponent | Score | Games
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
1 | 1976 | Otake Hideo | Ishida Yoshio | 4-1 | 1 2 3 4 5
2 | 1977 | Rin Kaiho | Otake Hideo | 4-0 | 1 2 3 4
3 | 1978 | Otake Hideo | Rin Kaiho | 4-2 | 1 2 3 4 5 6
4 | 1979 | Otake Hideo | Sakata Eio | 4-1 | 1 2 3 4 5
5 | 1980 | Cho Chikun | Otake Hideo | 4-1, 1 void | 1 2 3 (4) 5 6
6 | 1981 | Cho Chikun | Kato Masao | 4-0 | 1 2 3 4
7 | 1982 | Cho Chikun | Otake Hideo | 4-1 | 1 2 3 4 5
8 | 1983 | Cho Chikun | Otake Hideo | 4-1 | 1 2 3 4 5
9 | 1984 | Cho Chikun | Otake Hideo | 4-3 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
10 | 1985 | Kobayashi Koichi | Cho Chikun | 4-3 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
11 | 1986 | Kato Masao | Kobayashi Koichi | 4-0 | 1 2 3 4
12 | 1987 | Kato Masao | Rin Kaiho | 4-0 | 1 2 3 4
13 | 1988 | Kobayashi Koichi | Kato Masao | 4-1 | 1 2 3 4 5
14 | 1989 | Kobayashi Koichi | Awaji Shuzo | 4-1 | 1 2 3 4 5
15 | 1990 | Kobayashi Koichi | Otake Hideo | 4-2 | 1 2 3 4 5 6
16 | 1991 | Kobayashi Koichi | Rin Kaiho | 4-1 | 1 2 3 4 5
17 | 1992 | Kobayashi Koichi | Otake Hideo | 4-3 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
18 | 1993 | Kobayashi Koichi | Otake Hideo | 4-1 | 1 2 3 4 5
19 | 1994 | Kobayashi Koichi | Rin Kaiho | 4-0 | 1 2 3 4
20 | 1995 | Takemiya Masaki | Kobayashi Koichi | 4-1 | 1 2 3 4 5
21 | 1996 | Cho Chikun | Takemiya Masaki | 4-2 | 1 2 3 4 5 6
22 | 1997 | Cho Chikun | Kobayashi Koichi | 4-2 | 1 2 3 4 5 6
23 | 1998 | Cho Chikun | O Rissei | 4-2, 1 void | 1 2 3 (4) 5 6 7
24 | 1999 | Cho Chikun | Yoda Norimoto | 4-1 | 1 2 3 4 5
25 | 2000 | Yoda Norimoto | Cho Chikun | 4-0 | 1 2 3 4
26 | 2001 | Yoda Norimoto | Rin Kaiho | 4-2 | 1 2 3 4 5 6
27 | 2002 | Yoda Norimoto | Cho Chikun | 4-1 | 1 2 3 4 5
28 | 2003 | Yoda Norimoto | Yamashita Keigo | 4-1 | 1 2 3 4 5
29 | 2004 | Cho U | Yoda Norimoto | 4-2 | 1 2 3 4 5 6
30 | 2005 | Cho U | Kobayashi Satoru | 4-3 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
31 | 2006 | Takao Shinji | Cho U | 4-2 | 1 2 3 4 5 6
32 | 2007 | Cho U | Takao Shinji | 4-3 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
33 | 2008 | Cho U | Iyama Yuta | 4-3 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
34 | 2009 | Iyama Yuta | Cho U | 4-1 | 1 2 3 4 5
35 | 2010 | Iyama Yuta | Takao Shinji | 4-0 | 1 2 3 4
36 | 2011 | Yamashita Keigo | Iyama Yuta | 4-2 | 1 2 3 4 5 6
37 | 2012 | Yamashita Keigo | Hane Naoki | 4-3 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
38 | 2013 | Iyama Yuta | Yamashita Keigo | 4-1 | 1 2 3 4 5
39 | 2014 | Iyama Yuta | Kono Rin | 4-2 | 1 2 3 4 5 6
40 | 2015 | Iyama Yuta | Takao Shinji | 4-0 | 1 2 3 4

The 4th game of the 5th Meijin finals was void due to a mistake by the black player and the referee. Black (Cho Chikun) was in byo-yomi and asked the referee whether he could retake the ko. The referee answered affirmatively, and Cho made this illegal move.

The 4th game of the 23rd Meijin finals was void due to a triple ko.

## Honorary title

Players who won the Meijin title five or more consecutive times get the Honorary Meijin title. So far these are Cho Chikun and Kobayashi Koichi.