1. Biography
Alexandre Dinerchtein's journey into the world of Go began in his childhood, leading him to professional training in South Korea and a distinguished career as one of Russia's pioneering Go professionals.
1.1. Early Life and Go Beginnings
Dinerchtein was born and raised in Kazan, Russia, on April 19, 1980. He began playing Go in 1986 at the age of six, learning the game from his father. During his early years, he also played chess, but by the age of ten, he decided to focus entirely on Go, dedicating himself to the game under the guidance of his new teacher, Valery Shikshin. Growing up in Kazan, Dinerchtein was surrounded by strong Russian Go players, including Ivan Detkov and Valeryi Solovyev, which further fostered his development in the game.
1.2. Move to Korea and Professional Training
In 1996, a decade after he first started learning Go, Dinerchtein received an invitation from Cheon Poong-jo of the Hanguk Kiwon to study Go in Seoul, South Korea. He moved to Korea in 1997 and immersed himself in one of the country's largest Go schools. During his time there, he trained alongside several young Korean players who later rose to prominence in the Go world, such as Pak Yeong-hun, Park Chi-eun, Lee Chang-ung, and Ko Geuntae. Notably, Dinerchtein achieved a victory against Pak Yeong-hun in 1998, a significant accomplishment given Pak's rising status.
1.3. Becoming Professional
In 2002, Alexandre Dinerchtein made history by becoming one of the first Russian Go players to be promoted to professional status by the Hanguk Kiwon, alongside Svetlana Shikshina. Their promotion was granted by special recommendation, a rare achievement for non-Asian players. This milestone marked the beginning of Dinerchtein's professional career, which has also included a promotion to 3-dan in 2008 by special recommendation.
2. Major Achievements
Alexandre Dinerchtein has amassed an impressive record of achievements throughout his professional Go career, particularly dominating the European Go scene and participating in top-tier international competitions.
2.1. European Championship
Dinerchtein is a seven-time winner of the European Go Championship, demonstrating his consistent dominance in European professional Go. He secured these titles in:
- 1999
- 2000
- 2002
- 2003
- 2004
- 2005
- 2009
2.2. Other European Titles
Beyond the European Go Championship, Dinerchtein has also claimed victories in several other prestigious European Go events:
- European Ing Cup**: 2001, 2002
- European Go Oza**: 2002, 2006, 2008
- European Masters**: 2005, 2007
In 2000, prior to achieving professional status, Dinerchtein was the runner-up in the National Amateur Strongest Player Championship, showcasing his strong amateur foundation.
2.3. World Tournament Participation
Dinerchtein has represented Europe in numerous major international Go tournaments, competing against some of the world's strongest players. His notable appearances and achievements include:
- He is recognized as one of the very few non-Asian players to consistently demonstrate professional playing strength in international competitions.
- He notably defeated O Rissei, a 9-dan professional and one of Japan's strongest players.
- In the 2008 1st World Mind Sports Games, he was part of the Russian men's team and achieved a personal and team record of 4 wins and 3 losses in the group stage.
The following table details his participation and results in various world professional Go tournaments:
| Year | Tournament | Result | Opponent(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Toyota & Denso Cup | Lost 1st round | Yu Bin |
| 2002 | LG Cup | Lost 1st round | Michael Redmond |
| 2004 | Toyota & Denso Cup | Lost 1st round | Hideyuki Sakai |
| 2004 | LG Cup | Won 1st round, Lost 2nd round | Won against Wang Licheng, lost against Cho Han-seung |
| 2004 | Ing Cup | Lost 1st round | Chou Chun-hsun |
| 2006 | Toyota & Denso Cup | Lost 1st round | Lee Chang-ho |
| 2006 | LG Cup | Lost 1st round | Zhou Heyang |
| 2006 | Fujitsu Cup | Lost 1st round | Cho Chikun |
| 2008 | Toyota & Denso Cup | Won 1st round, Lost 2nd round | Won against Li Jie, lost against Zhang Xu |
| 2008 | Fujitsu Cup | Lost 1st round | Kong Jie |
3. Contributions and Activities
Beyond his competitive career, Alexandre Dinerchtein has dedicated significant effort to promoting and teaching Go, particularly to Western players, and has been involved in key Go publications and online initiatives.
3.1. Go Education Activities
Dinerchtein has become a prominent figure in Go education, particularly for players outside Asia. He actively teaches Go to Western players and offers private Go lessons online via his [http://www.breakfast.go4go.net/ homepage]. His main Go teaching project is the [http://insei-league.com/ Insei League] on KGS, an online platform designed to provide intensive training similar to the traditional "insei" system in Asia.
3.2. Goama Magazine and Publications
Since 2006, Dinerchtein has served as the editor-in-chief of the Goama magazine, a significant publication for the international Go community. In addition to his editorial role, he has also been involved in the development of various Go-related resources, including an online Go playing strength test and a "Style of Go" test. Furthermore, he created a social network designed specifically for Go players, aiming to connect and foster the global Go community.