Ma Xiaochun

Ma Xiaochun (Simplified: 马晓春; Traditional: 馬暁春; Hanyu Pinyin: Mǎ Xiǎochūn, b. August 26, 1964 in Zhejiang, China) is a Chinese professional 9-dan, author, and head coach of the Chinese National Team?. He is best known for his title victories throughout the 1990s, dominance of the Chinese Mingren title, first Chinese player to win an international title, and light, flexible play style.

Ma began playing Go at the age of nine, and half a year later placed third at a local youth tournament. In 1982 (when he was 18), he was awarded an amateur 7-dan rank. In early 1983, he won the 5th World Amateur Go Championship and was promoted to professional 7-dan status. By the end of the year he had been promoted to 9-dan status through a series of rank promotion tournaments. He became a full-time professional in 1985. During 1985-88 he won several titles, including the Tianyuan, National Go Individual and New Sports Cup.^[1][2]

Beginning in 1989 he won the 2nd Mingren title and held it for thirteen consecutive years until 2002. Throughout the rest of the 1990s he earned over 25 other titles, having his best year in 1995. During this year he became the first Chinese player to win an international title -- the Tong Yang Securities Cup. From 1996-99 began an international rivalry with Yi Changho, battling each other several times for the Tong Yang Securities Cup, Fujitsu Cup, Samsung Cup and LG Cup. He also maintained a healthy rivalry with fellow countryman Nie Weiping. In 2005, Ma Xiaochun was officially nominated (and appointed) as 'head coach' of the Chinese National Team. ^[3]

Style

Ma has been noted for his light, airy, elegant, dodging style, and opening play. In his early years, his style would clash strongly with that of Liu Xiaoguang in several important tournament matches.^[4] Liu played a fierce, combative style opposite of Ma's own. Further down the road, Ma's airy style of play would continue to give attacking players a difficult time.

Rank Promotion

• 1982: 7d, in March from wins in the 1st Chinese Promotion Tournament
• 1983: 9d, in November from wins in the Chinese Promotion Tournament

Titles

• 1983, won the World Amateur Go Championship
• Winner of 5th and 7th China-Japan Meijin? match
• Winner of 7th, 8th and 9th Tengen Tianyuan Match
• Won 2nd Bawang Cup
• 1982, 1984, 1986-1987 and 1991, 15th, 17th, 19th-20th and 24th National Go Individual
• 1984-1985, won 6th-7th New Sports Cup
• 1987 and 1994-1996, won 1st, 8th, 9th and 10th Tianyuan
• 1989-2001, won Mingren (Meijin) title for 13 consecutive times, 2nd to 14th Mingren
• 1990 and 1992, won 4th and 6th Top Ten Strongest Players Tournament
• 1988-1989, 1991, 1994-1995 and 2001-2002, won 1st-2nd, 4th, 7th-8th and 14th-15th CCTV Cup
• 1993-1995, won 4th-6th Qiwang
• 1993-1994, won 1st and 2nd Da Guoshou
• 1995, won 8th Fujitsu Cup and 6th Tongyang Securities Cup, winner of 95 Longshan Contest and 95 Rongguan Cup
• 1996, won 2nd Friendship Cup
• Co-Winner of the 2nd National Mixed Pair Championship
• 1997-1998, won Delong Yiye Cup
• 1999, won 1st Ahan Tongshan Cup

Other Successes

• 1996, 9th Fujitsu Cup second place and 7th Tongyang Securities Cup second place
• 2nd World Go Open second place
• 3rd World Qiwang second place
• 1998, 3rd Samsung Cup second place and 10th Asian TV Cup second place
• 1999, 3rd LG Cup second place and 12th Fujitsu Cup second place
• 2000, 2nd Chun Lan Cup second place

Books

• The Thirty-six Stratagems Applied to Go

English Commentaries

External Resources

• Player page on GoBase
• Player page on Go Game World
• Ma Xiaochun at Wikipedia.
• A story at GoBase regarding Ma Xiaochun.
• Chinese language website of Ma Xiaochun.
• Ma Xiaochun is profiled in the first chapter of The World of Chinese Go, throughout the book Beauty and the Beast, and in Master Play: The Playing Style of Seven Top Pros.

Notes

^[1] The World of Chinese Go pp. 1.
^[2] GoGoD kifu database.
^[3] http://www.go4go.net/v2/modules/news/article.php?storyid=85
^[4] Beauty and the Beast pps. 48-52, 92-100.