# Honinbo (competition)

The Honinbo (本因坊) is a Go competition and the oldest Go title in Japan. Sponsored by Mainichi Shimbun, the Honinbo pays out ¥28 million to the winner (since the 74th Honinbo in 2019).

## Rules

The holder of the title is challenged by whoever wins the round robin league. Players can get into the round robin league by going through many preliminary tournaments. Once there is a challenger to compete against the holder, the winner is decided through a best of seven match. The games are played over two days and each player is given eight hours of thinking time. If a player qualifies for the Honinbo league, they are automatically promoted to 7 dan. If that same player wins the league, a promotion to 8 dan is given. If that same player goes on to win the title, they are promoted to 9 dan, the highest rank.

## Past winners

| Year | Winner | Score | Runner-up |
| 1941 | Riichi Sekiyama | 3–3* | Shin Kato |
| 1943 | Utaro Hashimoto | 2–0 | Riichi Sekiyama |
| 1945 | Kaoru Iwamoto | 3–3 (2–0)** | Utaro Hashimoto |
| 1947 | Kaoru Iwamoto | 3–2 | Minoru Kitani |
| 1950 | Utaro Hashimoto | 4–0 | Kaoru Iwamoto |
| 1951 | Utaro Hashimoto | 4–3 | Eio Sakata |
| 1952 | Kaku Takagawa | 4–1 | Utaro Hashimoto |
| 1953 | Kaku Takagawa | 4–2 | Minoru Kitani |
| 1954 | Kaku Takagawa | 4–2 | Masao Sugiuchi |
| 1955 | Kaku Takagawa | 4–0 | Toshihiro Shimamura |
| 1956 | Kaku Takagawa | 4–2 | Toshihiro Shimamura |
| 1957 | Kaku Takagawa | 4–2 | Hosai Fujisawa |
| 1958 | Kaku Takagawa | 4–2 | Masao Sugiuchi |
| 1959 | Kaku Takagawa | 4–2 | Minoru Kitani |
| 1960 | Kaku Takagawa | 4–2 | Hideyuki Fujisawa |
| 1961 | Eio Sakata | 4–1 | Kaku Takagawa |
| 1962 | Eio Sakata | 4–1 | Dogen Handa |
| 1963 | Eio Sakata | 4–2 | Kaku Takagawa |
| 1964 | Eio Sakata | 4–0 | Kaku Takagawa |
| 1965 | Eio Sakata | 4–0 | Toshiro Yamabe |
| 1966 | Eio Sakata | 4–0 | Hideyuki Fujisawa |
| 1967 | Eio Sakata | 4–1 | Rin Kaiho |
| 1968 | Rin Kaiho | 4–3 | Eio Sakata |
| 1969 | Rin Kaiho | 4–2 | Masao Kato |
| 1970 | Rin Kaiho | 4–0 | Eio Sakata |
| 1971 | Yoshio Ishida | 4–2 | Rin Kaiho |
| 1972 | Yoshio Ishida | 4–3 | Rin Kaiho |
| 1973 | Yoshio Ishida | 4–0 | Rin Kaiho |
| 1974 | Yoshio Ishida | 4–3 | Masaki Takemiya |
| 1975 | Yoshio Ishida | 4–3 | Eio Sakata |
| 1976 | Masaki Takemiya | 4–1 | Yoshio Ishida |
| 1977 | Masao Kato | 4–1 | Masaki Takemiya |
| 1978 | Masao Kato | 4–3 | Yoshio Ishida |
| 1979 | Masao Kato | 4–1 | Rin Kaiho |
| 1980 | Masaki Takemiya | 4–1 | Masao Kato |
| 1981 | Cho Chikun | 4–2 | Masaki Takemiya |
| 1982 | Cho Chikun | 4–2 | Koichi Kobayashi |
| 1983 | Rin Kaiho | 4–3 | Cho Chikun |
| 1984 | Rin Kaiho | 4–1 | Shuzo Awaji |
| 1985 | Masaki Takemiya | 4–1 | Rin Kaiho |
| 1986 | Masaki Takemiya | 4–1 | Hiroshi Yamashiro |
| 1987 | Masaki Takemiya | 4–0 | Hiroshi Yamashiro |
| 1988 | Masaki Takemiya | 4–3 | Hideo Otake |
| 1989 | Cho Chikun | 4–0 | Masaki Takemiya |
| 1990 | Cho Chikun | 4–3 | Koichi Kobayashi |
| 1991 | Cho Chikun | 4–2 | Koichi Kobayashi |
| 1992 | Cho Chikun | 4–3 | Koichi Kobayashi |
| 1993 | Cho Chikun | 4–1 | Hiroshi Yamashiro |
| 1994 | Cho Chikun | 4–3 | Satoshi Kataoka |
| 1995 | Cho Chikun | 4–1 | Masao Kato |
| 1996 | Cho Chikun | 4–2 | Ryu Shikun |
| 1997 | Cho Chikun | 4–0 | Masao Kato |
| 1998 | Cho Chikun | 4–2 | O Rissei |
| 1999 | Cho Sonjin | 4–2 | Cho Chikun |
| 2000 | O Meien | 4–2 | Cho Sonjin |
| 2001 | O Meien | 4–3 | Cho U |
| 2002 | Masao Kato | 4–2 | O Meien |
| 2003 | Cho U | 4–2 | Masao Kato |
| 2004 | Cho U | 4–2 | Norimoto Yoda |
| 2005 | Shinji Takao | 4–1 | Cho U |
| 2006 | Shinji Takao | 4–2 | Kimio Yamada |
| 2007 | Shinji Takao | 4–1 | Norimoto Yoda |
| 2008 | Naoki Hane | 4–3 | Shinji Takao |
| 2009 | Naoki Hane | 4–2 | Shinji Takao |
| 2010 | Keigo Yamashita | 4–1 | Naoki Hane |
| 2011 | Keigo Yamashita | 4–3 | Naoki Hane |
| 2012 | Yuta Iyama | 4–3 | Keigo Yamashita |
| 2013 | Yuta Iyama | 4–3 | Shinji Takao |
| 2014 | Yuta Iyama | 4–1 | Atsushi Ida |
| 2015 | Yuta Iyama | 4–1 | Keigo Yamashita |
| 2016 | Yuta Iyama | 4–1 | Shinji Takao |
| 2017 | Yuta Iyama | 4–0 | Katsuya Motoki |
| 2018 | Yuta Iyama | 4–1 | Keigo Yamashita |
| 2019 | Yuta Iyama | 4–2 | Rin Kono |
| 2020 | Yuta Iyama | 4–1 | Toramaru Shibano |
| 2021 | Yuta Iyama | 4–3 | Toramaru Shibano |
| 2022 | Yuta Iyama | 4–0 | Ryo Ichiriki |
| 2023 | Ryo Ichiriki | 4–3 | Yuta Iyama |
| 2024 | Ryo Ichiriki | 3–0 | Yo Seiki |