Luo Xihe

2.1. Childhood and Go Education

Luo Xihe was born on November 23, 1977, in Hengyang, Hunan Province, China. He started learning Go at the age of six. His exceptional talent was recognized early, leading him to become an apprentice to Luo Jianwen, a coach for the national team, in Beijing. By the age of 10, he joined the National Youth Go Team. He also lived as an apprentice in the home of renowned Go master Nie Weiping. His talent was evident even in his youth; in 1984, during Fujisawa Hideyuki's visit to China, Luo Xihe played a teaching game against him with a handicap of seven stones. During the late 1980s to early 1990s, the Chinese Weiqi Association conducted IQ tests on many of its young professionals, and Luo Xihe reportedly scored higher than all his compatriots, including notable players like Chang Hao, Zhou Heyang, Shao Weigang, and Wang Lei.

2.2. Professional Debut and Early Career

Luo Xihe officially became a professional Go player in 1989 at the age of 12. He steadily climbed the ranks, eventually being promoted to 9 dan in 2002. In his early professional career, he quickly made an impression by entering the league stages of major domestic tournaments such as the Mingren and Shiangqi tournaments in 1994 at just 16 years old. That same year, he became a challenger for the Mingren title, though he was defeated by Ma Xiaochun 2-3. He also won the Xinxiu Cup in 1994. Despite his early talent, he did not secure any significant titles during his initial years. He again challenged for the Mingren title in 1998 but was defeated by Ma Xiaochun once more, this time 1-3. In 1997, he placed 5th in the National Go Individual Championship before ultimately winning it in 2000.

4.1. Rise to Prominence and Key Victories

Although his gift for Go was recognized early, Luo Xihe faced challenges in converting his talent into major domestic and international titles for several years. A turning point in his reputation came during the 7th Samsung Cup in 2002. He reached the quarterfinals of the tournament, where he faced the eventual champion, Cho Hunhyun. Their match became famous, later known as the "comeback game" for Cho, which some dubbed "Capturing and releasing Cho"-a reference to the historical tale of Cao Cao's capture and release during the Huarong Trail. Despite not advancing, this game highlighted Luo's potential against top-tier opponents. Following this, he struggled to consistently reach the later stages of major tournaments, often having to contend with qualifying competitions.

4.2. Other Notable Tournament Participations

Beyond his Samsung Fire Cup victory, Luo Xihe has had many other significant participations in major international and domestic tournaments throughout his career, often achieving strong results or playing memorable games.

In international competitions, he reached the quarterfinals of the LG Cup World Go Championship in 2002 and the Samsung Fire Cup in 2002. He secured third place in the Chunlan Cup World Go Championship in 2003. He also represented China in the Nongshim Cup multiple times. In the 2000 edition, he won one game before losing. In 2002, he achieved a notable three-game winning streak (defeating Choi Cheol-han, Yamashita Keigo, and Choi Gyu-byeong) before being stopped by Nakano Hiroya. He also participated in the 2003 and 2005 Nongshim Cups, winning one game in 2005 (against Cho Chikun) but ultimately losing to Lee Chang-ho in both instances. He competed in the Jinro Cup SBS World Go Championship in 1996 and the Gangwon Land Cup Korea-China Go Competition in 2006.

Domestically, Luo Xihe made multiple appearances in the finals of major tournaments. He was a challenger in the Mingren title match in 1994 and 1997. He was a runner-up in the Xinren Wang in 1998 and the CCTV Cup in 2000. He also reached the semifinals of the 6th CCTV Cup and the 10th Tianyuan. He won the National Go Individual Championship in 2000, the NEC Cup in 2001, and the CCTV Cup in 2006. Luo also won the Xinxiu Juhua Cup in 1994, the Frost Flower Cup National Go Invitational Tournament in 1995, and the Shengxue Rong Cup Go King Tournament in 1998. More recently, he won the Daxianglin Cup Chinese Go Super Championship in 2007 and the Six Great Teashan Cup in 2007. In team events, he was part of the Beijing team that finished third in the men's team event at the 2009 National Intellectual Sports Games, where he also placed third in the men's individual rapid chess event. In 2010, he won the Ricoh Cup Go Mixed Doubles tournament paired with Zhang Xuan. Luo Xihe has also been a consistent participant in the Chinese Weiqi Jia League, competing for various teams over the years, maintaining a strong win-loss record, particularly in the early to mid-2000s.

5.1. International Titles

• Samsung Fire Cup (2006)

5.2. Domestic Titles

• Xinxiu Juhua Cup (1994)
• Frost Flower Cup National Go Invitational Tournament (1995)
• Shengxue Rong Cup Go King Tournament (1998)
• National Go Individual Championship (2000)
• NEC Cup (2001)
• CCTV Cup (2006)
• Daxianglin Cup Chinese Go Super Championship (2007)
• Six Great Teashan Cup (2007)
• Ricoh Cup Go Mixed Doubles (2010, with Zhang Xuan)

5.3. Runner-up Records and Other Achievements

Luo Xihe has been a runner-up in several significant tournaments:

• Mingren (1994, 1997)
• Xinren Wang (1998)
• CCTV Cup (2000)
• Ahan Tongshan Cup (2006)
• Juhui Cup Go Player Invitational Tournament (2010)

Other notable achievements include:

• World Youth Go Championship Youth Group Runner-up (1993)
• National Youth Go Championship B Group 2nd place (1990)
• Shiangqi League participation (1994)
• Qisheng 6 Dan Tournament Winner (1999)
• Quarterfinalist in 7th Samsung Cup (2002)
• Semifinalist in 6th CCTV Cup
• Semifinalist in 10th Tianyuan
• Top 16 in 5th Chunlan Cup (2004)
• Top 16 in 9th Samsung Cup (2004)
• Top 32 in 3rd Toyota Denso Cup (2006)
• Top 16 in 11th Samsung Cup (2006)
• In the Chinese Weiqi Jia League, he has represented teams such as Chongqing Jianshe Motorcycle (1999), Zhongxin Dasanyuan (2000-2002), Beijing Daxing Xingchuang (2003), Beijing Xinxing Real Estate (2004-2009), Liaoning Juhuadao (2010), and Dalian Shangfangheng (2011-2012).
• Ranked 4th in China in 1999 and 9th in 2006.

7.1. Historical Significance

Luo Xihe's victory at the 10th Samsung Fire Cup in 2006 is widely regarded as a watershed moment in the history of Chinese Go. It was the first time a Chinese player had won this major international tournament, and perhaps even more significantly, he became the first player to defeat Lee Chang-ho in the final of a world championship, a feat previously considered impossible by many. This achievement was not merely a personal triumph but a source of immense national pride, symbolizing a shift in the global Go landscape. It solidified China's rising power in the sport and inspired a new generation of players. As one of the "Seven Little Dragons", a group of highly talented Chinese players born in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Luo Xihe played a crucial role in establishing China's dominance in international Go tournaments alongside peers like Chang Hao and Gu Li.

7.2. Portrayal in Popular Culture

Luo Xihe's recognition extends beyond the professional Go community into popular culture. He gained a notable mention in the popular South Korean drama Reply 1988. In the drama, the character Choi Taek, a genius Go player, is depicted as having played against Luo Xihe, setting the fictional events during a period (1988) prior to Luo's actual professional debut, illustrating his perceived stature as a formidable opponent even in a fictionalized context.