Honinbo
Encyclopedia
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.
Upon the closure of the school, the title Hon'inbō came to be used for the winner of the Honinbo Tournament
, which is now an annual professional go event in Japan. It is run under the titleholder system
, meaning that at any given time there is a player who can use the title Hon'inbō. It is customary for Japanese players to take a special personal name as Hon'inbō, a unique feature of this title; for example Takagawa Kaku
held the title for nine years, and during this time was referred to as Honinbō Shukaku. Players of other nationalities by custom do not adopt a special name, but do use the Hon'inbō title.
Another prominent member was Honinbo Shusaku
(秀策, 1829-1862), who was heir to be head of the school, but died of cholera
first.
All three of the "go saints" (or Kisei
) came from this school—Dosaku, Shusaku and Jowa (although Jowa is frequently reviled because of his machinations while trying to become Meijin
). Most of the holders of the Meijin
title (awarded to a player recognised by all as strongest) were also from this house.
The Nihon Ki-in
decided to name players who had won the Honinbo tournament 5 times or more in a row (making them Honorary Honinbo) would be given the Honinbo prefix after Cho Chikun
won the title 10 times in a row. This meant that Takagawa Kaku (9 in a row), Sakata Eio (7), Ishida Yoshio (5), and Cho Chikun
(10) may be addressed as 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th Honinbo respectively whether or not they are holding the Honinbo title.
Four go houses
In the history of go in Japan, the Four go houses were the four academies of Go instituted, supported, and controlled by the state, at the beginning of the Tokugawa shogunate. At roughly the same time shogi was organised into three houses. Here 'house' implies institution run on the recognised...
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 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...
. Easily the strongest school of Go
Go (board game)
Go , is an ancient board game for two players that originated in China more than 2,000 years ago...
for most of its existence, it was established in 1612 and survived until 1940.
Upon the closure of the school, the title Hon'inbō came to be used for the winner of the Honinbo Tournament
Honinbo Tournament
The Honinbo is a Go competition.-Outline:It is the oldest Go title in Japan. Sponsored by Mainichi Shimbun, the Honinbo pays out ¥32 million . The holder is challenged by whoever wins the round robin league. Players can get into the round robin league by going through many preliminary tournaments...
, which is now an annual professional go event in Japan. It is run under the titleholder system
Titleholder system
The titleholder system is the most common type of structure used in professional tournaments in the game of go. In practice these events almost always are based in East Asian countries with a professional system: China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan...
, meaning that at any given time there is a player who can use the title Hon'inbō. It is customary for Japanese players to take a special personal name as Hon'inbō, a unique feature of this title; for example Takagawa Kaku
Kaku Takagawa
, also known as , was one of the most successful professional Go players of the twentieth century.- Biography :Kaku Takagawa won the Honinbō title nine times in a row, from 1952 to 1960, and was subsequently awarded the permanent title of Honorary Honinbo. He then chose Shukaku as his Honinbō name....
held the title for nine years, and during this time was referred to as Honinbō Shukaku. Players of other nationalities by custom do not adopt a special name, but do use the Hon'inbō title.
Heads of the Hon'inbō School
- 1st Hon'inbō, SansaHoninbo SansaHoninbō Sansa was the assumed name of Kanō Yosaburō , one of the strongest Japanese Go players of the Edo period , and founder of the house of Honinbō, first among the four great schools of Go in Japan...
(算砂, 1612-1623) - 2nd Hon'inbō, San'etsuHoninbo SanetsuHon'inbō Sanetsu was a professional Go player, and second head of the Honinbo house.- Biography :Sanetsu was the second Honinbo. A minor at the time of Honinbo Sansa's death, he inherited a difficult situation since he could not receive the official allowance for the house...
(算悦, 1630-1658) - 3rd Hon'inbō, DoetsuHoninbo DoetsuHon'inbō Dōetsu was a Japanese professional go player, who became the third head of the Honinbo house. His surname was Niwa, and he used a Buddhist name Nissho.-Biography:...
(道悦, 1658-1677) - 4th Hon'inbō, DosakuHoninbo DosakuHon'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....
(道策, 1677-1702)- 跡目 Hon'inbō, DotekiHoninbo DotekiHoninbo Doteki , also known as Ogawa Doteki, was a professional Japanese Go player.- Biography :By the time Doteki was 13, he was regarded as one of the best players, and became heir to Honinbo Dosaku, his teacher. Still only 13, he had already reached 6 dan. He played in his first Castle Games in...
(道的) - 跡目 Hon'inbō, Sakugen (策元)
- 跡目 Hon'inbō, Doteki
- 5th Hon'inbō, DochiHoninbo DochiHon'inbō Dōchi was a professional Go player.- Biography :Dōchi learned to play Go at the age of 7. A short two years thereafter, he had become a disciple of Hon'inbō Dōsaku, the strongest player of his time. He became very strong under Dosaku, eventually reaching 6 dan. After Dosaku died in 1702,...
(道知, 1702-1727) - 6th Hon'inbō, ChihakuHoninbo ChihakuHon'inbō Chihaku was a Japanese professional go player, and sixth head of the Honinbo house.He was a nephew of Hon'inbō Dōchi...
(知伯, 1727-1733) - 7th Hon'inbō, ShuhakuHoninbo ShuhakuHon'inbō Shūhaku was a Japanese professional go player, and seventh head of Honinbo house. His succession to his sort-lived predecessor, in 1733, was irregular, since he had not been officially adopted as heir...
(秀伯, 1733-1741) - 8th Hon'inbō, HakugenHoninbo HakugenHon'inbō Hakugen was a Japanese professional go player, and eighth head of the Honinbo house. He reached 6 dan level.-External links:*...
(伯元, 1741-1754) - 9th Hon'inbō, SatsugenHoninbo SatsugenHon'inbō Satsugen was a professional Go player.- Biography :Satsugen became Meijin by defeating Inoue Shunseki in 1767....
(察元, 1754-1788) - 10th Hon'inbō, RetsugenHoninbo RetsugenHoninbo Retsugen was a Japanese professional go player, and tenth head of the Honinbo house.-Biography:The period of the second half of the eighteenth century, as far as the game of go in Japan is concerned, is lacking in distinguishing features. It is short on both technical innovation and...
(烈元, 1788-1808) - 11th Hon'inbō, GenjoHoninbo GenjoHoninbō Genjō was a professional Go player.- Biography :Genjō was the eleventh Honinbō. His rival and great friend was Yasui Chitoku, who had advanced to 8 dan at the same time as Genjō...
(元丈, 1809-1827) - 12th Hon'inbō, JowaHoninbo JowaHoninbo Jowa served as 12th Honinbo from 1827 and Meijin Godokoro from 1831 until 1839, when he was forced into retirement....
(丈和, 1827-1839) - 13th Hon'inbō, JosakuHoninbo JosakuHoninbo Josaku was a Japanese professional go player and the thirteenth head of the Honinbo school. He was not in the same top-rank class over the board as either his predecessor Jowa or his successor Shuwa....
(丈策, 1839-1847) - 14th Hon'inbō, ShuwaHoninbo ShuwaHoninbo Shuwa was a Japanese professional Go player, and also the fourteenth head of the Honinbo house .His most significant games were probably the three challenge games of 1840 and 1842 against Inoue Genan Inseki...
(秀和, 1847-1873)- 跡目 Hon'inbō, ShusakuHoninbo ShusakuHoninbo 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...
(秀策)
- 跡目 Hon'inbō, Shusaku
- 15th Hon'inbō, ShuetsuHoninbo ShuetsuHoninbo Shuetsu was a Japanese professional Go player, and fifteenth head of the Honinbo house.-Biography:He came young to the headship on the death of his father Honinbo Shuwa. He was the eldest son, but Murase Shuho had claims to be the natural successor...
(秀悦, 1873-1879) - 16th Hon'inbō, ShugenHoninbo ShugenHoninbo Shugen was a Japanese professional go player. He was twice head of the Honinbo house, being both the sixteenth and the twentieth head.-Biography:...
(秀元, 1879-1884) - 17th Hon'inbō, ShueiHoninbo ShueiHoninbo 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...
(秀栄, 1884-1886) - 18th Hon'inbō, Shuho (秀甫, 1886)
- 19th Hon'inbō, ShueiHoninbo ShueiHoninbo 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...
(秀栄, 1887-1907) - 20th Hon'inbō, ShugenHoninbo ShugenHoninbo Shugen was a Japanese professional go player. He was twice head of the Honinbo house, being both the sixteenth and the twentieth head.-Biography:...
(秀元, 1907-1908) - 21st Hon'inbō, ShusaiHoninbo Shusaiis 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...
(秀哉, 1908-1940)
Another prominent member was 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...
(秀策, 1829-1862), who was heir to be head of the school, but died of cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
first.
All three of the "go saints" (or Kisei
Kisei
The Kisei is a Go competition. The title, meaning go sage in Japanese, was a traditional honorary appellation given to a handful of players down the centuries. The element ki can also apply to shogi, and there were also recognized kisei in the shogi world.-Background:Kisei is a Go competition...
) came from this school—Dosaku, Shusaku and Jowa (although Jowa is frequently reviled because of his machinations while trying to become 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 :...
). Most of the holders of 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 :...
title (awarded to a player recognised by all as strongest) were also from this house.
The 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...
decided to name players who had won the Honinbo tournament 5 times or more in a row (making them Honorary Honinbo) would be given the Honinbo prefix after Cho Chikun
Cho Chikun
Cho Chihun 25th Honinbo Honorary Meijin is a professional Go player. His total title tally of 71 titles is the most in the history of the Japanese Nihon Ki-in. Cho is the only player to hold the top three titles—Kisei, Meijin, and Honinbo—simultaneously which he did for 3 years in a row...
won the title 10 times in a row. This meant that Takagawa Kaku (9 in a row), Sakata Eio (7), Ishida Yoshio (5), and Cho Chikun
Cho Chikun
Cho Chihun 25th Honinbo Honorary Meijin is a professional Go player. His total title tally of 71 titles is the most in the history of the Japanese Nihon Ki-in. Cho is the only player to hold the top three titles—Kisei, Meijin, and Honinbo—simultaneously which he did for 3 years in a row...
(10) may be addressed as 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th Honinbo respectively whether or not they are holding the Honinbo title.
Honorary Honinbos
- 22nd Honinbo Takagawa Kaku
- 23rd Honinbo Sakata Eio
- 24th Honinbo Ishida Yoshio
- 25th Honinbo Cho ChikunCho ChikunCho Chihun 25th Honinbo Honorary Meijin is a professional Go player. His total title tally of 71 titles is the most in the history of the Japanese Nihon Ki-in. Cho is the only player to hold the top three titles—Kisei, Meijin, and Honinbo—simultaneously which he did for 3 years in a row...
See also
- International Go FederationInternational Go FederationThe International Go Federation is an international organization that connects the various national Go federations around the world. It is usually referred to as IGF.-Role of the IGF:...
- List of professional Go tournaments
- Four go housesFour go housesIn the history of go in Japan, the Four go houses were the four academies of Go instituted, supported, and controlled by the state, at the beginning of the Tokugawa shogunate. At roughly the same time shogi was organised into three houses. Here 'house' implies institution run on the recognised...
- Honorary Honinbo
- IemotoIemotoIemoto is a Japanese term used to refer to the founder or current head master of a certain school of traditional Japanese art...