Along with these accolades, he was also the South Korean National Amateur Champion two times in a row.
The Hanguk Kiwon awarded him four dan for spreading go around the world in 1984, after he moved to the United States in 1975.
Cha has a nickname, "eternal Mr. Quarter-Finalist", because in many professional tournaments he would usually lose in the quarterfinals.
In 1989, he beat Yamashiro Hiroshi and Ohira Shuzo to advance to the quarterfinals of the Fujitsu Cup, only to lose.
The next year, he made it to the quarterfinals of the Fujitsu Cup again after beating Cho Chikun.