1001 GoGoD Games for your Coffee Break #42 (4 March 2013)

[John Fairbairn]

There are many great players who do not quite reach the top and so they rarely enjoy accolades such as a collection of best games. Rectifying that slightly, here is the 1841 game regarded as the lifetime masterpiece of Ito Showa, whose day job was as a jozu (7-dan) but who doubled up as the Honinbo family steward, and thus also as one of the main teachers of the likes of Shusaku and Shuei.

(;SZ[19]FF[3]
PB[Honinbo Shuwa]
PW[Ito Matsujiro]
KM[0]
RE[Jigo]
US[GoGoD95]
;B[cp];W[pq];B[qd];W[ed];B[oc];W[eq];B[qo];W[qk];B[qi];W[ok];B[mq];W[op]
;B[jq];W[qp];B[cd];W[cc];B[ic];W[dd];B[ce];W[db];B[ch];W[kc];B[ie];W[ke]
;B[ig];W[kg];B[oi];W[og];B[qg];W[df];B[cg];W[iq];B[ip];W[hq];B[jp];W[dn]
;B[co];W[fo];B[cm];W[cr];B[dm];W[fh];B[ii];W[ki];B[no];W[dj];B[eh];W[fi]
;B[eg];W[fg];B[ef];W[ge];B[gc];W[hh];B[fe];W[fd];B[gd];W[he];B[hd];W[hg]
;B[ih];W[gk];B[ik];W[bi];B[de];W[pn];B[ek];W[ej];B[bd];W[ff];B[ee];W[fb]
;B[bb];W[bc];B[ac];W[cb];B[gb];W[ec];B[fa];W[ea];B[ga];W[fc];B[fk];W[gj]
;B[bk];W[ck];B[bl];W[bj];B[bh];W[em];B[kj];W[li];B[kk];W[ph];B[pi];W[oe]
;B[nd];W[ne];B[pd];W[qh];B[rh];W[ri];B[rj];W[rg];B[si];W[qf];B[rk];W[re]
;B[br];W[hm];B[rd];W[bq];B[ep];W[dr];B[eo];W[en];B[fp];W[go];B[bp];W[bs]
;B[fq];W[fr];B[hp];W[gp];B[gq];W[gr];B[jr];W[ir];B[is];W[hr];B[bn];W[nb]
;B[ob];W[qm];B[rl];W[rm];B[dl];W[gl];B[hi];W[gi];B[ld];W[kd];B[jf];W[le]
;B[ql];W[pl];B[mk];W[nq];B[nr];W[or];B[np];W[oq];B[om];W[on];B[nn];W[mr]
;B[lr];W[ns];B[nl];W[pm];B[hn];W[gn];B[im];W[il];B[jl];W[in];B[jm];W[lq]
;B[mp];W[kr];B[lp];W[ho];B[mh];W[mi];B[ni];W[ng];B[kf];W[lf];B[nh];W[nj]
;B[mj];W[lg];B[sg];W[rf];B[kq];W[nc];B[od];W[sd];B[rc];W[jb];B[sm];W[sn]
;B[sl];W[sc];B[sb];W[se];B[qb];W[rn];B[dq];W[er];B[mc];W[mb];B[lb];W[lc]
;B[md];W[la];B[ib];W[cq];B[di];W[ap];B[ao];W[aq];B[cn];W[dp];B[do];W[el]
;B[dk];W[jn];B[kn];W[ol];B[nm];W[lj];B[lk];W[hf];B[if];W[jd];B[id];W[ji]
;B[jj];W[hj];B[ij];W[hs];B[js];W[ia];B[ha];W[ja];B[na];W[kb];B[jo];W[io]
;B[fl];W[fm];B[pe];W[pf];B[oh];W[pg];B[ls];W[mf];B[ms];W[nr];B[oo];W[po]
;B[ah];W[ak];B[al];W[aj];B[hl];W[ba];B[ab];W[hk];B[il];W[dq]
)

[logan]

I think Ito Showa did have an interesting style, caused by him having to play so many games under a teaching and stewarding attitude. Many seem to be lost because he's, at least to my eyes, trying to provide artificial situations for his pupils to increase their skills in.