Go Seigen
Encyclopedia
Wu Qingyuan generally known in the West by his Japanese
name Go Seigen, is considered by many players to be the greatest player
of the game of Go
in the 20th century and of all time.
, Fujian Province, southeast China
, Go Seigen did not start learning the game of Go until he was nine, a relatively late age for a professional (Honinbo Dosaku
first learned Go at seven and Honinbo Shusaku
before he was six). His father, who had taken Go lessons from Honinbo Shuho
while studying in Japan, was responsible for introducing him to the game. Go Seigen quickly excelled and soon became known as a Go prodigy
. By the time he was 12, less than three years after first learning the game, he was already of professional strength, as evidenced by his games against the visiting Japanese player Iwamoto Kaoru, 6p
in 1926. The next year, he was able to reach a draw in a two-game match against another Japanese professional, Inoue Kohei, 5p. In 1928, still only 14 years old, he twice defeated Hashimoto Utaro, 4p. Go Seigen's reputation spread to Japan, then the leading Go powerhouse, and a movement was started there to bring him to Japan. He subsequently immigrated to Japan in 1928, at the invitation of Baron Kihachiro Okura and Inukai Tsuyoshi
(later prime minister of Japan), and embarked on a professional career. He was tutored by Segoe Kensaku, the same teacher as Hashimoto Utaro and Cho Hunhyun
.
Go Seigen began his rise to the top of professional Go world early. By the time he was 18 he was already a top-flight player belonging to a very small elite. In 1933, along with his great friend Kitani Minoru, Go Seigen developed and popularized the Shinfuseki
that broke away from the traditional opening patterns. It is for this very important contribution that Go Seigen and Kitani Minoru are recognized as the fathers of modern Go.
Starting in 1939, Go Seigen began a spectacular series of Jubango
matches against other top players of the day. It was through these matches that Go Seigen convincingly demonstrated an overwhelming dominance over his contemporaries. Go Seigen had only one formal disciple - Rin Kaiho
, Honorary Tengen
. Go Seigen's star began to fade in the early 1960s due to health reasons and he had to virtually retire from playing professional Go by 1964. However, Go Seigen remained active in the Go community through teaching, writing, and promoting Go around the world.
(contest between two players consisting of ten games), even forcing them down to handicaps. Some of the defeated were Kitani Minoru, Karigane Junichi
, Hashimoto Utaro, Iwamoto Kaoru, Fujisawa Hosai, Sakata Eio, and Takagawa Kaku. Go lost just one jubango
, and that was against Fujisawa Hosai. However, the match was played with Fujisawa taking the josen
handicap throughout, and Fujisawa only managed to win with a score of 6 to 4. Some ten years later, Go Seigen took revenge on Fujisawa by beating him in two consecutive jubango with lopsided scores of 7-2 and 5-1 respectively. One must note that these jubango matches were all played without komi
, and indeed the same applied to the vast majority of games Go Seigen played during his career. Go Seigen won the Oteai
six times, and won a special Nihon Ki-in
championship tournament in 1933.
A table of Go's jubango record is below.
. He is well known, along with Kitani Minoru, as one of the two leading exponents and innovators of the shinfuseki
, a period of revolutionary experimentation in the opening of the game that broke away from traditional moves. Go attributed some of his ideas to Honinbo Shuei
, for whom he had much respect. As a result of their substantial contributions to Go theory, Go Seigen and Kitani Minoru are regarded as the founders of modern Go. He was inventor of the notable and revolutionary uchimagari (inward bending) avalanche joseki
variation. It was first played during a match against Takagawa Kaku in 1957.
who had a strong individual style. In these matches, Go Seigen demonstrated an equal dominance over his rivals. He had an excellent record against Takagawa, whose main achievement was winning the Honinbo title for nine consecutive years. In the period between 1951 and 1960, Go won 22 of their games, and Takagawa won 13. By 1960, Sakata had emerged as Go Seigen's most serious rival, but the results of their games between 1950 and 1960 told the same kind of story. Go had 14 wins to Sakata's 9 and one jigo, or draw.
It's very important to note that in the games they played then, there was no Komi (in modern era, Black's initial advantage of moving first is offset by komi of 6.5-7.5 points). Because Go Seigen held white most of the time, his record is even more impressive than it appears.
Since retirement, Go Seigen has remained active in the Go community by teaching, writing, and promoting the game around the world. He has authored a number of books on Go, some of which include A Way of Play for the 21st Century, Modern Joseki Application Dictionary, and Fuseki and Middle-game Attack and Defence. Go Seigen still holds study sessions with other professional players such as O Rissei
, Michael Redmond, Rui Naiwei
, and others.
In 1987, Go Seigen was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun
, 3rd Class, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon for his lifetime contributions to the game of Go.
In 1999 Mr. Teramoto, Go Seigen's manager, told Go writer Pieter Mioch "He [Go Seigen] is one of three Go players who will still be notable several hundred years from now. The other two are Dosaku
(1677 – 1702) and Shusaku
(1829 – 1862)."
Chinese film director Tian Zhuangzhuang
filmed a 2006 biopic on Go Seigen entitled The Go Master
.
In 1933, Go Seigen won a special Nihon Ki-in
tournament to have the opportunity to play a game against Honinbo Shusai
Meijin
. At that juncture, Honinbo Shusai embodied the highest Go authority and tradition in Japan. In addition to inheriting the hereditary title of Honinbo
, he was also the holder of the prestigious position of Meijin
. The game between Go Seigen and Shusai was thus highly anticipated. The newspapers thought it would be a good business idea to publicize the game as a confrontation between Japan and China. As a consequence, Go Seigen became the unfortunate victim of rising Japanese nationalism. Before and during the game, he was often harassed and threatened by nationalists, and the windows of his house were smashed in.
The game itself began on October 16, 1933 with Go Seigen taking black and lasted for a period of almost three months. During the opening of the game, Go Seigen caused quite a sensation by playing his first three moves at 3-3 (San San), 4-4 (Hoshi) and center (Tengen
) points. Such a fuseki had never before been witnessed in a professional game, and the newspapers covering the game recorded top sales all throughout the match. This marked one of the seminal events that pushed the "Shin Fuseki" movement into the mainstream.
The match ended with Honinbo Shusai winning by two points. However, his victory was surrounded by controversies. At the time of the match, the tradition dictated that the player holding white had the right to adjourn the game at anytime, and there was no sealing of moves before adjournment. This meant that Shusai, being the nominally stronger player and thus holding white, could adjourn the match whenever it was his turn to move and continue deliberating at home before the match resumed. Shusai shamelessly abused this privilege by adjourning the game more than a dozen times, all at his turn to play. For instance, on the eighth day of the match, Shusai played first, and Go Seigen replied within two minutes, Shusai then thought for three and a half hours, only to adjourn the game. It was no secret that Shusai, during adjournments, discussed and studied the game with his students to come up with the best moves. Go Seigen was therefore put into an especially adverse position for having to take on the entire Honinbo establishment.
Shusai had been trailing all throughout the match when, on the 13th day of the game, he made a brilliant move that in a single stroke brought him back into the game and guaranteed his victory. However, it was widely rumored that it was not Shusai but one of his students - Maeda Nobuaki - who authored this ingenious move. Even Maeda himself hinted that this move was indeed his idea. Years later, when presented with the opportunities to debunk this rumor, he neither confirmed nor denied it. The game became known as the game of the century.
Five years later in 1938, Go Seigen's great friend Kitani Minoru also played a notable game against Honinbo Shusai (see The Master of Go
by Yasunari Kawabata
). Due in no small part to having witnessed the treatment Go Seigen received from Shusai in their previous match, Kitani Minoru demanded that the moves be sealed before each adjournment. Initially, Shusai's camp opposed this, but Kitani vehemently insisted, and Shusai eventually gave in. Kitani won that game by a comfortable margin of five points.
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
name Go Seigen, is considered by many players to be the greatest 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...
of the game of Go
Go (board game)
Go , is an ancient board game for two players that originated in China more than 2,000 years ago...
in the 20th century and of all time.
Biography
Born June 12, 1914 in FuzhouFuzhou
Fuzhou is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute the Mindong linguistic and cultural area....
, Fujian Province, southeast China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Go Seigen did not start learning the game of Go until he was nine, a relatively late age for a professional (Honinbo Dosaku
Honinbo Dosaku
Hon'inbō Dōsaku was a professional go player.- Biography :Dōsaku was one of the greatest go players in history. He was born in the Iwami province of Japan and studied Go in the Hon'inbō school, becoming Meijin at a very young age....
first learned Go at seven and Honinbo Shusaku
Honinbo Shusaku
Honinbo Shusaku was a professional Go player and is considered by many to be the greatest player of the golden age of Go in the mid-19th century.- Biography :He was nicknamed "Invincible" after he earned a perfect score for 19 straight wins in the annual castle...
before he was six). His father, who had taken Go lessons from Honinbo Shuho
Honinbo Shuho
, known also as Murase Shūho , was the first Japanese professional go player to have a reputation in the Western world.-Biography:A disciple in the Honinbo house, he founded the Hoensha institution and taught the game of Go to a German visitor by the name of Oskar Korschelt. Korschelt later was the...
while studying in Japan, was responsible for introducing him to the game. Go Seigen quickly excelled and soon became known as a Go prodigy
Child prodigy
A child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
. By the time he was 12, less than three years after first learning the game, he was already of professional strength, as evidenced by his games against the visiting Japanese player Iwamoto Kaoru, 6p
Go ranks and ratings
Skill in the traditional board game Go is measured by a number of different national, regional and online ranking and rating systems. Traditionally, go rankings have been measured using a system of dan and kyu ranks...
in 1926. The next year, he was able to reach a draw in a two-game match against another Japanese professional, Inoue Kohei, 5p. In 1928, still only 14 years old, he twice defeated Hashimoto Utaro, 4p. Go Seigen's reputation spread to Japan, then the leading Go powerhouse, and a movement was started there to bring him to Japan. He subsequently immigrated to Japan in 1928, at the invitation of Baron Kihachiro Okura and Inukai Tsuyoshi
Inukai Tsuyoshi
was a Japanese politician and the 29th Prime Minister of Japan from 13 December 1931 to 15 May 1932.-Early life:Inukai was born to a former samurai family of the Niwase Domain, in Niwase village, Bizen Province , and was a graduate of Keio Gijuku in Tokyo. In his early career, he worked as a...
(later prime minister of Japan), and embarked on a professional career. He was tutored by Segoe Kensaku, the same teacher as Hashimoto Utaro and Cho Hunhyun
Cho Hunhyun
Cho Hunhyun is a Korean 9-dan professional Go player. Considered one of the greatest players of all-time, Cho reached professional level in Korea in 1962. Since then, Cho has amassed 150 professional titles, more than any player in the world. He once held all nine Korea titles simultaneously in 1980...
.
Go Seigen began his rise to the top of professional Go world early. By the time he was 18 he was already a top-flight player belonging to a very small elite. In 1933, along with his great friend Kitani Minoru, Go Seigen developed and popularized the Shinfuseki
Shinfuseki
or new opening strategy was the change of attitude to go opening theory that set in strongly in Japan in 1933. It corresponds, a little later, to hypermodern play in chess, with the inversion that shinfuseki thought the center of the board had been unjustly underemphasised.In the 1930s, a group of...
that broke away from the traditional opening patterns. It is for this very important contribution that Go Seigen and Kitani Minoru are recognized as the fathers of modern Go.
Starting in 1939, Go Seigen began a spectacular series of Jubango
Jubango
Jubango is a Japanese term for a Go match consisting of ten games which might be ended earlier if agreed by the players. A decisive victory would result in the opponent being beaten down to a lower rank. A player would be beaten down if he fell behind his opponent by four wins in the net score...
matches against other top players of the day. It was through these matches that Go Seigen convincingly demonstrated an overwhelming dominance over his contemporaries. Go Seigen had only one formal disciple - Rin Kaiho
Rin Kaiho
Rin Kaiho is a professional Go player.-Biography:Rin Kaiho was born in Shanghai, China. He was a student of Go Seigen when Go brought him to Japan in 1952. He was a promising player who won his first title at the age of 23, the Meijin. He is also part of the 1200 win group...
, Honorary 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....
. Go Seigen's star began to fade in the early 1960s due to health reasons and he had to virtually retire from playing professional Go by 1964. However, Go Seigen remained active in the Go community through teaching, writing, and promoting Go around the world.
Professional record
Go Seigen is commonly considered to be among the best to have ever played the game and the best player of the 20th century. He dominated professional Go for more than a quarter of a century. He maintained a brilliant match record and successively defeated all the leading players of the day in a series of notable jubangoJubango
Jubango is a Japanese term for a Go match consisting of ten games which might be ended earlier if agreed by the players. A decisive victory would result in the opponent being beaten down to a lower rank. A player would be beaten down if he fell behind his opponent by four wins in the net score...
(contest between two players consisting of ten games), even forcing them down to handicaps. Some of the defeated were Kitani Minoru, Karigane Junichi
Karigane Junichi
was a Japanese professional Go player, posthumously made an honourary 9 dan by the Nihon Ki-in.-Biography:Karigane was responsible for founding several organizations that would continue to be influential throughout the early 1900s. In 1922, he formed the Hiseikai, a group tournament, which also...
, Hashimoto Utaro, Iwamoto Kaoru, Fujisawa Hosai, Sakata Eio, and Takagawa Kaku. Go lost just one jubango
Jubango
Jubango is a Japanese term for a Go match consisting of ten games which might be ended earlier if agreed by the players. A decisive victory would result in the opponent being beaten down to a lower rank. A player would be beaten down if he fell behind his opponent by four wins in the net score...
, and that was against Fujisawa Hosai. However, the match was played with Fujisawa taking the josen
Josen
Professional go handicaps were a system developed in Japan, in the Edo period, for handicapping professional players of the game of go against each other. With the abolition of the Oteai system, which from the 1920s had used some handicap games to determine the go ranking of professional players,...
handicap throughout, and Fujisawa only managed to win with a score of 6 to 4. Some ten years later, Go Seigen took revenge on Fujisawa by beating him in two consecutive jubango with lopsided scores of 7-2 and 5-1 respectively. One must note that these jubango matches were all played without komi
Komidashi
in the game of Go are points added to the score of the player with the white stones as compensation for playing second. Black's first move advantage is generally considered to equal somewhere between 5 and 7 points by the end of the game. Standard komi is 6.5 points under the Japanese and Korean...
, and indeed the same applied to the vast majority of games Go Seigen played during his career. Go Seigen won the Oteai
Oteai
The was a tournament used in Japan, by the Nihon Ki-in and Kansai Ki-in, to determine the ranking of its go professionals on the dan scale. It was instituted in the 1920s soon after the Ki-in was set up in 1924. Initially it was run in Spring and Autumn sessions in Tokyo, with the pros brought...
six times, and won a special Nihon Ki-in
Nihon Ki-in
The Nihon Ki-in , also known as the Japan Go Association, is the main organizational body for Go in Japan, overseeing Japan's professional system and issuing diplomas for amateur dan rankings. It is based in Tokyo. The other major Go association in Japan is Kansai Ki-in.Nihon Ki-in was established...
championship tournament in 1933.
A table of Go's jubango record is below.
| Opponent | Record | Dates Played |
|---|---|---|
| Kitani Minoru 5p | 3 - 3 (started even, abandoned after Kitani was promoted to 6p; handicap not changed) | 1933 - 34 |
| Kitani Minoru 7p | 6 - 4 (started even, Kitani was beaten down to sen-ai-sen handicap after 6 games (5-1)) | 1939 - 40 |
| Karigane Junichi Karigane Junichi was a Japanese professional Go player, posthumously made an honourary 9 dan by the Nihon Ki-in.-Biography:Karigane was responsible for founding several organizations that would continue to be influential throughout the early 1900s. In 1922, he formed the Hiseikai, a group tournament, which also... 8p |
4 - 1 (started even, abandoned to avoid possible embarrassment for Karigane, since one more loss would mean Karigane having to play with sen-ai-sen handicap) | 1941 - 42 |
| Fujisawa Kuranosuke 6p, later renamed Fujisawa Hosai | 4 - 6 (started with Fujisawa playing with josen Josen Professional go handicaps were a system developed in Japan, in the Edo period, for handicapping professional players of the game of go against each other. With the abolition of the Oteai system, which from the 1920s had used some handicap games to determine the go ranking of professional players,... handicap; handicap not changed) |
1942 - 44 |
| Hashimoto Utaro 8p | 6 - 3 - 1 (started even, Hashimoto was beaten down to sen-ai-sen handicap after 8 games (6-2)) | 1946 - 48 |
| Iwamoto Kaoru 8p | 7 - 2 - 1 (started even, Iwamoto was beaten down to sen-ai-sen handicap after 6 games (5-1)) | 1948 - 49 |
| Against a team of ten players | 8 - 1 - 1 (this was a 10-game match, but not a jubango Jubango Jubango is a Japanese term for a Go match consisting of ten games which might be ended earlier if agreed by the players. A decisive victory would result in the opponent being beaten down to a lower rank. A player would be beaten down if he fell behind his opponent by four wins in the net score... ) |
1949 - 50 |
| Hashimoto Utaro 8p | 5 - 3 - 2 (started with Hashimoto playing with sen-ai-sen handicap, handicap not changed) | 1950 - 51 |
| Fujisawa Hosai 9p | 7 - 2 - 1 (started even, Fujisawa was beaten down to sen-ai-sen handicap after 9 games (6-2-1)) | 1951 - 52 |
| Fujisawa Hosai 9p | 5 - 1 (abandoned after Fujisawa was beaten down from sen-ai-sen handicap to josen handicap) | 1952 - 53 |
| Sakata Eio 8p | 6 - 2 (abandoned after Sakata was beaten down from sen-ai-sen handicap to josen handicap) | 1953 - 54 |
| Takagawa Kaku 8p | 6 - 4 (started even, Takagawa was beaten down to sen-ai-sen handicap after 8 games (6-2)) | 1955 - 56 |
Style
Go Seigen was notable for his fast-paced playing style. He settled his groups quickly and got to the big points first. This "fleet footedness" was evident very early in his career. It was not unusual for him to consume 1/4 to 1/3 less time than his opponent during a match. His reading was fast and immaculate, and his intuition and positional judgement were unrivalled. It was also noted that he rarely lost a ko fight that he initiated. He mastered and was an adherent of the Shusaku Opening before switching to the fast-paced style of play later in his career.Theorist
In addition to being a peerless match player, Go Seigen has also made great contributions to Go theory, especially in the area of fusekiFuseki
Fuseki is the whole board opening in the game of Go.-Less systematic:Since each move is typically isolated and unforced , patterns for play on the whole board have seen much less systematic study than for Joseki, which are often contact moves which require specific and immediate responses...
. He is well known, along with Kitani Minoru, as one of the two leading exponents and innovators of the shinfuseki
Shinfuseki
or new opening strategy was the change of attitude to go opening theory that set in strongly in Japan in 1933. It corresponds, a little later, to hypermodern play in chess, with the inversion that shinfuseki thought the center of the board had been unjustly underemphasised.In the 1930s, a group of...
, a period of revolutionary experimentation in the opening of the game that broke away from traditional moves. Go attributed some of his ideas to Honinbo Shuei
Honinbo Shuei
Honinbo Shuei was a Japanese professional Go player.- Biography :Honinbo Shuei, a younger son of the very strong Honinbo Shuwa, served as the 17th and again 19th head of the Honinbo house...
, for whom he had much respect. As a result of their substantial contributions to Go theory, Go Seigen and Kitani Minoru are regarded as the founders of modern Go. He was inventor of the notable and revolutionary uchimagari (inward bending) avalanche joseki
Avalanche joseki
The avalanche joseki is one of the most celebrated joseki in the opening stage game of Go, and the one that has been most deeply studied in modern times. Hundreds of unique variations have appeared in high-level games...
variation. It was first played during a match against Takagawa Kaku in 1957.
Matches against the Honinbos
During the 1950s, apart from playing the jubango, Go Seigen participated in many three-game special matches against the Honinbo title holders and other notable players. His opponents in these matches included many illustrious names, such as Hashimoto Utaro, Sakata Eio, Takagawa Shukaku, and the ex-Honinbo Iwamoto Kaoru. Go Seigen was also matched against Kubouchi Shuchi, a player from the Kansai Ki-inKansai Ki-in
The Kansai Ki-in , i.e., Kansai Go Association, is an organizational body for the game of Go in Japan, which was founded by Hashimoto Utaro in 1950...
who had a strong individual style. In these matches, Go Seigen demonstrated an equal dominance over his rivals. He had an excellent record against Takagawa, whose main achievement was winning the Honinbo title for nine consecutive years. In the period between 1951 and 1960, Go won 22 of their games, and Takagawa won 13. By 1960, Sakata had emerged as Go Seigen's most serious rival, but the results of their games between 1950 and 1960 told the same kind of story. Go had 14 wins to Sakata's 9 and one jigo, or draw.
It's very important to note that in the games they played then, there was no Komi (in modern era, Black's initial advantage of moving first is offset by komi of 6.5-7.5 points). Because Go Seigen held white most of the time, his record is even more impressive than it appears.
End of career and retirement
In the summer of 1961, Go Seigen was struck by a motorcycle and was hospitalized for two months and again for a longer period a year later. He suffered nerve damage, and his stamina and concentration greatly deteriorated as a result. The accident marked the beginning of the end for Go Seigen's career, as he was unable to play effectively in grueling long matches due to nausea and dizziness. He gradually played less and less and went into virtual retirement in 1964, although he did not "officially" retire until 1983.Since retirement, Go Seigen has remained active in the Go community by teaching, writing, and promoting the game around the world. He has authored a number of books on Go, some of which include A Way of Play for the 21st Century, Modern Joseki Application Dictionary, and Fuseki and Middle-game Attack and Defence. Go Seigen still holds study sessions with other professional players such as O Rissei
O Rissei
Ō Rissei is a professional Go player in Japan.- Biography :Rissei was born in Taiwan and moved to Japan when he was 13 years old; he would become professional the following year. His instructor is Kano Yoshinori.- Titles and runners-up :Ranks #10-t in total amount of titles in Japan.-External...
, Michael Redmond, Rui Naiwei
Rui Naiwei
Rui Naiwei is a Chinese professional Go player, now active in South Korea...
, and others.
In 1987, Go Seigen was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun
Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
, 3rd Class, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon for his lifetime contributions to the game of Go.
In 1999 Mr. Teramoto, Go Seigen's manager, told Go writer Pieter Mioch "He [Go Seigen] is one of three Go players who will still be notable several hundred years from now. The other two are Dosaku
Honinbo Dosaku
Hon'inbō Dōsaku was a professional go player.- Biography :Dōsaku was one of the greatest go players in history. He was born in the Iwami province of Japan and studied Go in the Hon'inbō school, becoming Meijin at a very young age....
(1677 – 1702) and Shusaku
Honinbo Shusaku
Honinbo Shusaku was a professional Go player and is considered by many to be the greatest player of the golden age of Go in the mid-19th century.- Biography :He was nicknamed "Invincible" after he earned a perfect score for 19 straight wins in the annual castle...
(1829 – 1862)."
Chinese film director Tian Zhuangzhuang
Tian Zhuangzhuang
Tian Zhuangzhuang is a Chinese film director and producer.Tian was born to an influential actor and actress in China. Following a short stint in the military, Tian began his artistic career first as an amateur photographer and then as an assistant cinematographer at the Beijing Agricultural Film...
filmed a 2006 biopic on Go Seigen entitled The Go Master
The Go Master
The Go Master is a 2006 biopic by director Tian Zhuangzhuang of the renowned twentieth century Go master Wu Qingyuan, better known by his adopted Japanese name of Go Seigen...
.
Notable game against Honinbo Shusai
Nihon Ki-in
The Nihon Ki-in , also known as the Japan Go Association, is the main organizational body for Go in Japan, overseeing Japan's professional system and issuing diplomas for amateur dan rankings. It is based in Tokyo. The other major Go association in Japan is Kansai Ki-in.Nihon Ki-in was established...
tournament to have the opportunity to play a game against Honinbo Shusai
Honinbo Shusai
is the professional name of Hoju Tamura, also known as , who was a Japanese professional Go player.- Biography :He was born in Shiba, Tokyo, son of Tamura Yasunaga, a retainer of the shogun. He learned go at age 10 and joined the Hoensha in 1883, then under the leadership of Murase Shuho. He was...
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 :...
. At that juncture, Honinbo Shusai embodied the highest Go authority and tradition in Japan. In addition to inheriting the hereditary title of 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....
, he was also the holder of the prestigious position of 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 :...
. The game between Go Seigen and Shusai was thus highly anticipated. The newspapers thought it would be a good business idea to publicize the game as a confrontation between Japan and China. As a consequence, Go Seigen became the unfortunate victim of rising Japanese nationalism. Before and during the game, he was often harassed and threatened by nationalists, and the windows of his house were smashed in.
The game itself began on October 16, 1933 with Go Seigen taking black and lasted for a period of almost three months. During the opening of the game, Go Seigen caused quite a sensation by playing his first three moves at 3-3 (San San), 4-4 (Hoshi) and center (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....
) points. Such a fuseki had never before been witnessed in a professional game, and the newspapers covering the game recorded top sales all throughout the match. This marked one of the seminal events that pushed the "Shin Fuseki" movement into the mainstream.
The match ended with Honinbo Shusai winning by two points. However, his victory was surrounded by controversies. At the time of the match, the tradition dictated that the player holding white had the right to adjourn the game at anytime, and there was no sealing of moves before adjournment. This meant that Shusai, being the nominally stronger player and thus holding white, could adjourn the match whenever it was his turn to move and continue deliberating at home before the match resumed. Shusai shamelessly abused this privilege by adjourning the game more than a dozen times, all at his turn to play. For instance, on the eighth day of the match, Shusai played first, and Go Seigen replied within two minutes, Shusai then thought for three and a half hours, only to adjourn the game. It was no secret that Shusai, during adjournments, discussed and studied the game with his students to come up with the best moves. Go Seigen was therefore put into an especially adverse position for having to take on the entire Honinbo establishment.
Shusai had been trailing all throughout the match when, on the 13th day of the game, he made a brilliant move that in a single stroke brought him back into the game and guaranteed his victory. However, it was widely rumored that it was not Shusai but one of his students - Maeda Nobuaki - who authored this ingenious move. Even Maeda himself hinted that this move was indeed his idea. Years later, when presented with the opportunities to debunk this rumor, he neither confirmed nor denied it. The game became known as the game of the century.
Five years later in 1938, Go Seigen's great friend Kitani Minoru also played a notable game against Honinbo Shusai (see The Master of Go
The Master of Go
The Master of Go is a novel by the Nobel Prize-winning Japanese author Yasunari Kawabata, first published in serial form in 1951. Titled Meijin in its original Japanese, Kawabata considered it his finest work, although it is in contrast with his other works.-Plot introduction:It is a...
by Yasunari Kawabata
Yasunari Kawabata
was a Japanese short story writer and novelist whose spare, lyrical, subtly-shaded prose works won him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1968, the first Japanese author to receive the award...
). Due in no small part to having witnessed the treatment Go Seigen received from Shusai in their previous match, Kitani Minoru demanded that the moves be sealed before each adjournment. Initially, Shusai's camp opposed this, but Kitani vehemently insisted, and Shusai eventually gave in. Kitani won that game by a comfortable margin of five points.
Rank Promotion Record
Titles, runners-up & awards
| Title | Years Held |
|---|---|
 Saikyo |
1959, 1961 (joint with Sakata Eio) |
| Title | Years Lost |
|---|---|
| Old Meijin Old Meijin - Outline :The Old Meijin was the same tournament as the current Meijin. The reason it is called the Old Mejin is because before 1976, the Meijin tournament was hosted by Yomiuri Shimbun. In 1976, Yomiuri Shimbun stopped hosting the Meijin, and started the Kisei. The Meijin tournament then was... |
1962 |
| 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:... |
1976 |
| Award | Years Won |
|---|---|
| Honorary Member of the Nihon Ki-in |
1983? |
| Okura Prize |
1967 |