RECORD BREAKER MA WINS MINGREN YET AGAIN
Ma Xiaochun 9-dan has broken his own and Cho Chikun's record for the longest annual
winning streak in a major title, extending his run of victories in the Mingren to
11.
On 9 November he forced Chang Hao 9-dan to resign for the third game of the series and so
captured the 12th Mingren title.
Games 1 and 2 were won in Shanghai on 14 and 16 September.
Here are the three games of the 12th Mingren Final in downloadable sgf format.
*****
Older News From 6 October 1999:
MINGREN CHALLENGER DECIDED, WITH A LITTLE LUCK
On 15 August Chang Hao, newly promoted to 9-dan, went one
better and became the challenger for the 12th Mingren (Meijin) title in Beijing. He won the
6-man league, though with a little luck in the tie-break as he and his main rivals all ended
up 3-2. He now goes on to challenge perennial holder Ma Xiaochun.
HOW DOES THE MINGREN TOURNAMENT WORK?
The Mingren tournament is sponsored by Renmin Ribao-she (People's Daily), Zhongguo Weiqi Xiehui (Chinese Go Association) and Guangdong Jinman Jituan (Canton Jinman Group). The winner takes the Jinman Cup and 25,000 yuan.
Except in the first term where there was a straight tournament, a league (numbers have varied currently six players - four change each year) is used to find a challenger to the holder. Komi is 2.75.
Entry to the bottom rungs of the league is from a series of knockout tournaments involving 48 high-dan and selected young players.
The final, a best-of-five, now takes place in the autumn. Games may be played in different cities, but are completed in one day.
Mingren, although originally a Chinese word denoting a Master of some esoteric science such as medicine, in its go context was, like the Korean Myeongin, copied from the Japanese Meijin. The event is sometimes called the Chinese Meijin.
Click here for a list of MINGREN WINNERS AND CHALLENGERS.
