NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/rec/games/go/2631

Text File | 1992-12-25 | 8.5 KB | 179 lines

Newsgroups: rec.games.go
Path: sparky!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!news.acns.nwu.edu!casbah.acns.nwu.edu!jzy
From: [e-mail] (Jim Yu)
Subject: Go Seigen: Game 2 (Part 1)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Keywords: story
Sender: [e-mail] (Usenet on news.acns)
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Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston Illinois.
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1992 09:02:17 GMT
Lines: 166

Hello, everyone!

Merry Chirstmas!

Here is the 2nd games of the Go Seigen Series.  It's a game between Go
Seigen and Fujisawa Hosai (who's given name was originally Kuranosuke)
played over 35 years ago.  Go Seigen later made detailed commentary on the
game, and his comments were collected and editted by Katsumoto Tesshoo.
The comments shown in the mgt file that I am going to post today were
translated from the Chinese version of Go Seigen's commentary.  In other
words, a translation from Japanese to Chinese to English.

It was again a great joy to work through the game.  It was a game from a
collection of Go Seigen's famous games, but I am sure it should be in the
collection of Fujisawa's famous games as well.  In fact, in this game,
Fujisawa was the one who played better.


GAME 2 STORY (Fujisawa Hosai)

I tend to use these stories to talk about Go Seigen's opponents.  I wrote a
little bit on Go Seigen himself in Game 0.  Of course, while writing his
opponents, it's very likely that Go Seigen will be mentioned again and again.

Fujisawa Kuranosuke, for example, was a long-time rivial of Go Seigen.  If
we talk about the games between the two, none was more famous than their
2nd 10-game series, played in 1952.  At the time, they were the only 9 dans
in Japan (thus in the entire world) -- Fujisawa was the first player to be
promoted to 9 dan under the Oteai system, in 1949, and Go Seigen was
awarded the rank of 9 dan in 1950 (he was not belong to Nihon Kiin, thus he
couldn't get promoted under Oteai system -- Oteai: O, actually a long vowel
in Japanese, means "big"; te, "hand", is often referred as "play" or "move"
in Go; ai means "meet." So Oteai means a "Grant Tournament", and it's held
twice a year in Nihon Kiin).

Today, the number of 9 dans in the world is approaching 100, if not yet
reached.  But before World War II, the only 9 dan in the world would be the
Meijin.  So after the death of the last Meijin, Shusai, there was no 9 dan
for a long time (about 10 years), until Nihon Kiin decided to promote her
own 9 dans.

Anyway, by 1950, there were suddenly two 9 dans. (Incidentially, the 2nd 9
dan promoted under the Oteai system was Sakata Eio in 1955.)  Naturally,
everyone wanted to know who was better, and the two players were not shy to
set up such a battle either.  Finally in the end of 1951, the 2nd
Go-Fujisawa 10-game series were under way, sponsored by Yomiuri Shimbon (a
major Japanese newspaper).  Recall that in their 1st 10-game series in
1944, Fujisawa beat Go Seigen 6-4 (Fujisawa held black throughout the
series, since at the time, Go Seigen, still in Nihon Kiin, was an 8 dan,
while Fujisawa a 6 dan).

Each player was given 13 hours in every game.  The very first game probably
earned a seat in Go history.  What happened was that both players misread
at a corner fight!  At the end, when Go Seigen played one more move at that
corner, Fujisawa resigned.  How could they *both* misread?  Probably both
knew how important the game was, and after 3 days of tense fight, their
feelings were not so sharp.  But the 4 dan who was recording the game did
not miss it!  After the game, he pointed it out to the two 9 dan's that
Black (Fujisawa) could have won the fight at that corner, and maybe the
game too.  I think it would be interesting to see a 4 dan teaching two 9
dans, or rather, a relaxed player teaching two nervous players. :-)
Unfortunately I don't remember that 4 dan's name; believe me, he would be
an excellent kibitzer on IGS. :-)

Despite such an unlucky loss, Fujisawa was unbeaten the next three games,
with 2 wins and 1 tie, thus leading the series 2-1-1.  People started to
think, Hmmm, after all, Fujisawa was stronger!  Then it came the turning
point of the series, the fifth game.  In this game, Fujisawa had a good
lead but he couldn't hold it.  When Go Seigen finally turned this game
around, he turned the whole series around.  He did not just win this fifth
game; he won all the remaining 5 games as well.

After the 10th game, both players were interviewed by NHK (Japanese
Boradcasting Association).  I think the conversations were interesting --

Go Seigen said, "Since the beginning I've thought that luck decides win or
loss; if one is lucky, then he wins; if he's unlucky, then he may lose."

(I has to be one of the unluckiest players on IGS. :-)

Many years later, when he recalled this game, he said, "One cannot win a
game just because he wants to.  The outside world is always disturbing.  If
my mind is shaken by this disturbance, I would lose.  Luckily at that time,
eitehr before the series or during the series, I had a peaceful mind."

Then NHK's microphone turned to Fujisawa.  "Miserable loss!" He said with a
bitter smile.  However, immediately, Fujisawa challenged Go Seigen again
for yet another 10-game series.  In fact, before their 2nd series (the one
just finished), they had agreed that no matter what the outcome of the
series would be, the loser could challenge again, and the winner could not
refuse.

A year later, Fujisawa lost again in their third 10-game series.  This time
by a score of 5-1 and the series did not continue.  This was a significant
loss by Fujisawa.  To prepare the series, he neglected his Nihon Kiin
obligations, such as Honinbo tournament.  As a result, he was heavily
criticized.  If he was to go on to lose to Go Seigen, one can imagaine, the
responsibility Fujisawa would have to bear might be too heavy.  And he
realized so; right after the loss of the six game (the final game) of the
series, he resigned from Nihon Kiin.  I would like to quote a piece from
the newly published "The Go Player's Almanac" by Ishi Press, 1992.  On page
64, John Power writes,

``Fujisawa resigned from the Nihon Ki-in and changed his given name to
Hosai, a name with Buddhist overtones more fitting for a retiree than an
active player.  His humiliation in the jubango [10-game series] made him a
tragic figure and obscured the fact that he was a great player.  In match
play, one misstep, one wrong turn can adversely affect the whole series,
and, as we have seen, Fujisawa had his share of bad luck.  Nontheless, the
two postwar matches with him are remembered as one of the highlights of Go
[Seigen's] career.''

Suddenly, I realized, Go Seigen's comments that "luck decides outcome" were
not merely some modest words after his victory.

Finally, an interesting fact about Fujisawa.  We know there are two famous
Fujisawa's, Kuranosuke (Hosai) and Shuko.  I heard that they were uncle and
nephew, and when I was younger, I had always thought that Hosai was the
uncle.  After all, he's older.  Not until recently that I found, first, he
is not that much older, but 6 years; secondly, he is the *nephew*.

By the way, Fujisawa Hosai retired this very year, 1992, while his younger
uncle, Shuko, set the new record of being the oldest player to win a major
tournament (Shuko already set the record last year).


DEDICATION

This game is dedicated to the authors of xigc and xgospel.  As it should be
well known by now, xigc and xgospel are two IGS clients used by XWindow
users -- Hey, it's Xmas!  And all the ChristWindow, er, XWindow IGS'ers
must be thanking heartly the authors of these two wonderful clients. :-)

The two authors:

    xigc        Stephen Scoffin     (scoffin on IGS)
    xgospel        Ton Hospel          (AshaiRey on IGS)

This game is dedicated to them.


FORECAST

Christmas Day, sunny.  In the day time, it's really bright because of the
snow on the ground (a White Christmas).  In the evening, however, it
becomes really dark, and people go to street to play "trick or treat"...

    "What?! It's Christmas, not Halloween!"
    "Don't you see Christmas and Halloween are the same?"
    "No, I don't.  One is on Dec 25, while the other Oct 31..."
    "Yeah, yeah, isn't 25 in DECimal the same as 31 in OCTal?"

The next game, the 3rd in the series, will be a game between Go Seigen and
Sakata Eio.  Try to finish it before Jan 23 -- Why?  You will know. :-)

Once again, Merry Christmas
and Happy New Year!!!

Yours truly,
Jim Yu

--
Go isn't everything.  Go is the only thing.           -- zhuge

"zhuge, why does your .plan change every minute -- when i finger you?"
"you must have used a different finger each time."