Masao Kato
{{short description|Japanese Go player}}
{{for|the Japanese weightlifter|Masao Kato (weightlifter)}}
{{Infobox go player
|image =
|kanji = 加藤正夫
|nickname = The Killer
|birth_date = 15 March 1947
|death_date = {{death date and age|2004|12|30|1947|3|15|df=yes}}
|birth_place = Asakura, Fukuoka, Japan
|teacher = Minoru Kitani
|pupil = Yukari Yoshihara
|rank = 9 dan
}}
Masao Kato Honorary Oza (加藤 正夫, Katō Masao, March 15, 1947 – December 30, 2004), also known as Kato Kensei (加藤剱正 Katō Kensei), was a Japanese professional go player. A late bloomer,{{cite web | url=http://gobase.org/information/players/?pp=Kato+Masao | title=Kato Masao | publisher=gobase.org | accessdate=17 June 2011}} Kato won 46 titles, including the Oza eight times in a row.{{cite web | url=http://www.gogameworld.com/gophp/playerinfo.php?name=Kato%20Masao | title=Kato Masao 9p | publisher=gogameworld.com | accessdate=17 June 2011}} He also became the second player to reach 1,200 career wins, behind Rin Kaiho.{{cite web | url=http://www.usgo.org/EJournal/archive/20041230.htm | title=SPECIAL EDITION: KATO MASAO 9P DEAD AT 57 | publisher=usgo.org | date=30 December 2004 | accessdate=17 June 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318055238/http://www.usgo.org/EJournal/archive/20041230.htm | archive-date=18 March 2012 | url-status=dead }}
Kato is the author of The Chinese Opening: The Sure-Win Strategy (published in English by Kiseido Publishing Company) and Kato's Attack and Kill (published by Ishi Press).
Biography
=Early life and "Killer Kato" (1959–2003)=
Kato joined Kitani Minoru's go dojo in 1959, quickly becoming friends with Ishida Yoshio. The two became sparring partners and kept a close relationship up until Kato's death. In 1964, Kato passed the pro exam at age seventeen. Along with Takemiya Masaki and Ishida, the trio became known as the three crows of the Kitani dojo. Kato began qualifying for tournaments early on in his professional career. He made the Honinbo league in 1968 as a 4 dan, a feat unheard of at the time. Kato was unable to progress past the group stages and was relegated. However, he challenged title holder Rin Kaiho the following year, losing four games to two.{{cite web | url=http://www.gogod.co.uk/NewInGo/Kato2.htm | title=Kato Masao at the Kitani Dojo | author=Ishida Yoshio | publisher=gogod.co.uk | accessdate=17 June 2011}}
He was known as the "Killer" for his attacking style. During a Honinbo league match in 1970, Kato forced 22nd Honinbo Takagawa Kaku to resign after 93 moves.{{cite web | url=http://gobase.org/replay/?gam=/games/japan/titles/honinbo/25/game-l05.sgf | title=SGF of Kato Masao v. Takagawa Kaku | publisher=gobase.org | accessdate=17 June 2011 }}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} For the early part of his career, Kato was known as the eternal runner-up. He finished runner-up eight times before winning his first titles, the Gosei and Judan, in 1976. Kato went on to win 46 total titles, fourth most in Japan behind Cho Chikun, Sakata Eio and Kobayashi Koichi. At one point, Kato held four of the top 7 titles: Meijin, Oza, Judan and Gosei.
=Later life and death=
Kato was elected president of the Nihon Ki-in and International Go Federation in early 2004. Under his lead, he eliminated the Oteai, instead introducing new rules to help deal with rank inflation that had occurred over the years. He also increased komi from 5.5 points to 6.5 points and shortened thinking time. Later in the year, Kato fell ill and was hospitalized. He underwent a successful operation on 10 December, but his condition worsened a few weeks later. Kato died on 30 December 2004.{{cite web | url=http://www.nihonkiin.or.jp/topics2005/kato_obit.htm | title=In memoriam: Kato Masao (1947-2004) | publisher=nihonkiin.org.jp | accessdate=17 June 2011 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319150807/http://www.nihonkiin.or.jp/topics2005/kato_obit.htm | archivedate=19 March 2012 }}
Promotion record
{{Promotion record
| 1 dan
| 1964
|
| 2 dan
| 1964
|
| 3 dan
| 1965
|
| 4 dan
| 1966
|
| 5 dan
| 1967
|
| 6 dan
| 1969
|
| 7 dan
| 1971
|
| 8 dan
| 1973
|
| 9 dan
| 1978
|
}}
Titles and runners-up
Ranks #5 in total number of titles in Japan.
| class="wikitable" | ||
| colspan=3|Domestic | ||
|---|---|---|
| Title || Wins || Runners-up | ||
| Kisei | 4 (1978, 1988, 1991, 1993) | |
| Meijin | 2 (1986, 1987) | 2 (1981, 1988) |
| Honinbo | 4 (1977–1979, 2002) | 5 (1969, 1980, 1995, 1997, 2003) |
| Tengen | 4 (1978–1981) | 2 (1982, 1991) |
| Oza | 11 (1979, 1980, 1982–1989, 1993) | 3 (1981, 1990, 1994) |
| Judan | 7 (1976–1979, 1983, 1987, 1997) | 4 (1980, 1984, 1988, 1998) |
| Gosei | 3 (1976, 1977, 1987) | 4 (1978, 1981, 1984, 1988) |
| Agon Cup | 3 (1995, 1996, 2003) | 1 (1997) |
| Ryusei | 2 (1998, 2001) | |
| NHK Cup | 1 (1988) | 3 (1974, 1993, 1994) |
| NEC Cup | 3 (1990, 1991, 1996) | 3 (1992, 1999, 2000) |
| Nihon Ki-in Championship | 1 (1974) | |
| Kakusei | 4 (1980, 1986, 1995, 1996) | 4 (1993, 1997–1999) |
| Hayago Championship | 2 (1988, 1994) | 5 (1980, 1984, 1989, 1998, 1999) |
| Asahi Pro Best Ten | 2 (1970, 1975) | |
| Shin-Ei | 1 (1975) | |
| Prime Minister Cup | 1 (1973) | |
| Dai-ichi | 1 (1971) | |
| align="center"
| Total | 46 | 46 |
| colspan=3|Continental | ||
| China-Japan Agon Cup | 1 (2003) | |
| align="center"
| Total | 0 | 1 |
Bibliography
- Kato's Attack and Kill {{ISBN|978-4-87187-027-6}}
- The Chinese Opening {{ISBN|4-906574-33-5}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://gobase.org/information/players/?pp=Kato%20Masao Kato Masao at gobase.org] - lists some of his victories and over a thousand-game records in SGF format.
{{s-start}}
{{succession box | before = Matsuo Toshimitsu | title = President of the International Go Federation | years = 2004–2005 | after = Norio Kudo}}
{{s-end}}
{{Gosei}}
{{Honinbo}}
{{Oza}}
{{Tengen}}
{{Judan}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kato, Masao}}
Category:People from Asakura, Fukuoka