Go Seigen

Lore & Background

Born on June 12, 1914, in Minhou County, Fujian Province, southeast China, Go Seigen did not start learning Go until he was nine. His father, who had taken go lessons from Honinbo Shuho while studying in Japan, introduced him to the game. By age 12, less than three years after first learning, 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 reached a draw in a two-game match against another Japanese professional, Inoue Kohei, 5p.

In 1928, still only 14, he twice defeated Hashimoto Utaro, 4p. He emigrated to Japan in 1928 at the invitation of Baron Kihachiro Okura and Inukai Tsuyoshi, and was tutored by Segoe Kensaku. In 1933, along with his great friend Kitani Minoru, Go Seigen developed and popularized the Shinfuseki. Starting in 1939, he began a spectacular series of Jubango matches against other top players.

He had only two formal disciples—Rin Kaiho and Rui Naiwei. In the 1940s, he became involved in the Jiu shinshūkyō, but after the Jikoson incident in 1947, he and his wife distanced themselves from the cult, formally leaving in November 1948. In the summer of 1961, he was struck by a motorcycle and suffered nerve damage, leading to virtual retirement in 1964 (official retirement in 1983). He died of natural causes on November 30, 2014, in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, at age 100, and was buried in Fuzhou, China.

Reader's Guide

Go Seigen is commonly considered among the best to have ever played go, frequently deemed the best player of the 20th century. He dominated professional go for more than a quarter of a century, maintaining a brilliant match record and successively defeating all leading players in jubango matches, forcing them down to handicaps. He lost just one jubango, against Fujisawa Hosai (played with Fujisawa taking josen handicap; Fujisawa won 6–4). Later, Go Seigen took revenge by beating Fujisawa in two consecutive jubango with scores of 7–2 and 5–1.

These matches were all played without komi. He won the Oteai six times and won a special Nihon Ki-in championship tournament in 1933. He was notable for fast-paced development, fighting style, positional judgment, and accurate reading.

He rarely lost a ko fight he initiated. Along with Kitani Minoru, he is recognized as a leading exponent and innovator of shinfuseki. He invented the uchimagari (inward bending) avalanche joseki variation, first played in 1957 against Takagawa Kaku.

During the 1950s, he participated in many three-game special matches against Honinbo title holders and other notable players, demonstrating equal dominance. Against Takagawa between 1951 and 1960, Go won 22 games to Takagawa's 13. Against Sakata Eio between 1950 and 1960, Go had 14 wins to Sakata's 9 and one jigo. Because Go held white most of the time and there was no komi, his record is even more impressive.