was a professional Go

Go (board game)

Go , is an ancient board game for two players that originated in China more than 2,000 years ago...

 player

Go players

This page gives an overview of well-known players of the game of Go throughout the ages. The page has been divided into sections based on the era in which the Go players played and the country in which they played. As this was not necessarily their country of birth, a flag of that country precedes...

.

Biography

Ohira was born in Gifu

Gifu, Gifu

is a city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. During the Sengoku period, various warlords, including Oda Nobunaga, used...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. Taken under the wing of the prolific Kitani Minoru in 1941, Ohira quickly rose above in rank. By 1947, he had obtained professional 1 dan, being promoted to 2 dan in the same year. By 1955 he was 6 dan, and by 1963 he reached the peak of 9 dan. His first big break came in 1966 when he won the Nihon Ki-in Championship

Nihon Ki-In Championship

The Nihon Ki-In Championship was a Go competition.-Outline:The tournament ran from 1954 to 1975. It was later merged with the Kansai Ki-In Championship to form the Tengen.-Past winners:...

, and defended it for 3 years. Along with Takagawa Kaku, Sakata Eio, and Ishida Yoshio, Ohira was the only player to win this title. In 1977, he won his first major title by winning the Hayago Championship

Hayago Championship

The Hayago Championship was a Go competition.-Outline:The Hayago Championship was a hayago tournament, where each player had to make moves within 10 seconds. The tournament was sponsored by TV Tokyo.-Past winners:...

. Tens years later her set a new record of successive wins, with 17. During his time, he was an active player in the Meijin

Meijin

Meijin , literally translated, means "Brilliant Man." It is the name of the second most prestigious Japanese Go Tournament. It also refers to a traditional Japanese title given to the strongest player of the day during the Edo period.- The tournament :...

 and Honinbo

Honinbo

Honinbō was the name of one of the four major schools of Go in Japan. Easily the strongest school of Go for most of its existence, it was established in 1612 and survived until 1940....

 leagues. He lived in Yokohama

Yokohama

is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...

, Japan before he died.

Titles & runners-up

Title	Years Held
Hayago Championship Hayago Championship The Hayago Championship was a Go competition.-Outline:The Hayago Championship was a hayago tournament, where each player had to make moves within 10 seconds. The tournament was sponsored by TV Tokyo.-Past winners:...	1977
Nihon Ki-in Championship Nihon Ki-In Championship The Nihon Ki-In Championship was a Go competition.-Outline:The tournament ran from 1954 to 1975. It was later merged with the Kansai Ki-In Championship to form the Tengen.-Past winners:...	1966–1969

Title	Years Lost
Tengen Tengen (Go) Tengen is the name of a Go competition in Japan.The name Tengen refers to the center point on a Go board.The event is held annually, and has run continuously since its inauguration in 1975....	1975
NHK Cup NHK Cup The NHK Cup is a Go competition.-Biography:The NHK Cup is a Go competition used by the Japanese Nihon Ki-in. The tournament is televised on the NHK network. Before 1963, the competition was broadcasted on the radio. The winner's purse is 5,000,000 Yen .-Past winners:...	1978
Hayago Championship Hayago Championship The Hayago Championship was a Go competition.-Outline:The Hayago Championship was a hayago tournament, where each player had to make moves within 10 seconds. The tournament was sponsored by TV Tokyo.-Past winners:...	1969
IBM Cup IBM Cup The IBM Cup was a Go competition.-Outline:The IBM Cup was a tournament used by the Nihon Ki-in. Unlike other inner NHK tournaments, the IBM Cup allowed 1 player from Europe and the USA, with 2 players from both China and South Korea. The format was a 64 man knockout....	1990