1001 GoGoD Games for your Coffee Break #41 (3 March 2013)

John Fairbairn · #1

When Honinbo Shusai was in semi-retirement and the talent of Go Seigen had yet to mature, it was a toss-up between Suzuki Tamejiro and Segoe Kensaku as to who was the best player in the world. There is some comedic history between then mentioned in "The Go Consultants". Here is another funny episode in a game from 1911.

The game was played for the newspaper Yorozu Choho at the home of the YC reporter, Iwasaki Kenji. Do bear in mind that the art of commentary was still in is infancy, but in this case Iwasaki was extremely crass in making notes only on White's moves, it being evident that Black was in the lead. Maybe that wasn't too stupid, but Suzuki took umbrage and angrily denounced this idea of commenting only on the loser's moves. I'll leave it to you to spot the mistakes, but it's also a very pretty little finish.

logan · #2

Although Segoe & Suzuki may have battled for a short time for title of strongest, I always wonder what the affairs would have been like had Kogishi Soji been alive. How much would the go world have changed? (e.g. Shusai may not have been in position to give the family title away and support the Nihon Kiin in the same way once Honinbo Shuritsu came into play. And what of the effect on Shin Fuseki, Go Seigen, Kitani Minoru and the first 9-dan(s)?) What do you think John?

1001 GoGoD Games for your Coffee Break #41 (3 March 2013)

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