Today you are getting two for the price of one. In my first essay I gave you a mirror game but today I am giving (almost) two. Fujisawa Hosai (previously known as Kuranosuke) famously liked to play mirror-go and he did it with success against many of the strongest players in Japan. The first game is from 1957 against Go Seigen. When Rin Kaiho, Go’s first pupil, had an important game coming up against Fujisawa, Rin went to Go for advice on how to counteract the tactic. Go showed him his game (which he had lost) and, when it came to the crunch, Rin played copycat for the longest sequence of matching moves that we know about in pro play. Rin won the game and with it the chance to challenge for a major title. More details can be found in Rin’s biography and an article on mirror-go in the GoGoD Encyclopaedia.
I have even more Go Seigen games to come! Best wishes.
(;SZ[19]FF[3]
PW[Fujisawa Hosai]
WR[9d]
PB[Go Seigen]
BR[9d]
KM[4.5]
RE[W+R]
GC[Mane-go.]
US[GoGoD95]
;B[qd];W[dc];B[pq];W[cp];B[od];W[ep];B[de];W[po];B[qo];W[ce];B[dd];W[pp]
;B[qp];W[cd];B[ec];W[oq];B[pn];W[df];B[cc];W[qq];B[pr];W[db];B[bc];W[rq]
;B[or];W[eb];B[fd];W[np];B[nq];W[fc];B[cf];W[qn];B[op];W[ed];B[ee];W[oo]
;B[no];W[fe];B[ef];W[on];B[mp];W[gd];B[pm];W[dg];B[eg];W[om];B[qm];W[cg]
;B[bf];W[rn];B[ol];W[eh];B[fg];W[nm];B[nl];W[fh];B[gg];W[mm];B[ml];W[gh]
;B[hg];W[lm];B[rm];W[bg];B[ro];W[be];B[jj];W[ik];B[ij];W[hk];B[kl];W[in]
;B[ke];W[mf];B[ld];W[of];B[qf];W[kf];B[jf];W[kg];B[hi];W[jg];B[ig];W[je]
;B[if];W[lj];B[kj];W[md];B[me];W[ne];B[le];W[nd];B[lc];W[pe];B[pd];W[pb]
;B[mb];W[nb];B[oc];W[nc];B[ob];W[oa];B[rb];W[mh];B[oh];W[ph];B[og];W[qe]
;B[re];W[pf];B[qg];W[pg];B[oi];W[ng];B[pi];W[jd];B[ma];W[na];B[jc];W[ic]
;B[id];W[qh];B[rh];W[ie];B[ib];W[kb];B[hc];W[he];B[kc];W[gb];B[ka];W[mj]
;B[jh];W[ri];B[rg];W[qi];B[nj];W[ja];B[lb];W[sh];B[rd];W[la];B[hb];W[hd]
;B[lf];W[lg];B[kh];W[lh];B[qj];W[nh];B[li];W[sg];B[rf];W[rj];B[qk];W[mi]
;B[ki];W[qa];B[ra];W[ka];B[rk];W[sj];B[lk];W[ic];B[ga];W[fa];B[id];W[pj]
;B[nk];W[ic];B[bp];W[bo];B[id];W[ha];B[ia];W[ga];B[cq];W[dp];B[br];W[dr]
;B[gn];W[fk];B[bn];W[ao];B[co];W[cn];B[do];W[dn];B[eo];W[bm];B[en];W[gp]
;B[ho];W[iq];B[io];W[em];B[jn];W[fm];B[go];W[fq];B[fj];W[gj];B[gi];W[ej]
;B[fi];W[ei];B[ni];W[ic];B[dm];W[cm];B[id];W[jk];B[kk];W[ic];B[dq];W[er]
;B[id];W[gc];B[dl];W[ap];B[sk];W[ic];B[ck];W[cl];B[id];W[kd];B[qb];W[ic]
;B[ek];W[bk];B[id];W[mc];B[hq];W[ic];B[fl];W[el];B[gk];W[dk];B[id];W[sn]
;B[sm];W[ic];B[aq];W[an];B[id];W[rp];B[so];W[ic];B[hp];W[gr];B[id];W[hr]
;B[pc];W[ic];B[am];W[al];B[id];W[nf];B[pa];W[ic];B[af];W[jb];B[bd];W[ag]
;B[ae];W[fk];B[dh];W[di];B[ek];W[jp];B[gm];W[fk];B[gl];W[ko];B[jr];W[lr]
;B[mr];W[lp]
)
(;SZ[19]FF[3]
PW[Fujisawa Hosai]
WR[9d]
PB[Rin Kaiho]
BR[8d]
KM[5]
RU[W wins jigo]
RE[B+R]
GC[Mane-go.]
US[GoGoD95]
;B[qd];W[dc];B[pq];W[cp];B[od];W[ep];B[de];W[po];B[qo];W[ce];B[dd];W[pp]
;B[qp];W[cd];B[ec];W[oq];B[pn];W[df];B[cc];W[qq];B[pr];W[db];B[bc];W[rq]
;B[or];W[eb];B[fd];W[np];B[nq];W[fc];B[cf];W[qn];B[op];W[ed];B[ee];W[oo]
;B[no];W[fe];B[ef];W[on];B[mp];W[gd];B[pm];W[dg];B[eg];W[om];B[qm];W[cg]
;B[bf];W[rn];B[ol];W[eh];B[fg];W[nm];B[nl];W[fh];B[gg];W[mm];B[ml];W[gh]
;B[hg];W[lm];B[rm];W[bg];B[ro];W[be];B[jj];W[ik];B[ij];W[hk];B[kl];W[in]
;B[ke];W[kg];B[jf];W[nf];B[hj];W[nd];B[nc];W[oe];B[dq];W[dp];B[pd];W[ld]
;B[ip];W[gj];B[gp];W[mc];B[nb];W[jk];B[kk];W[kj];B[ki];W[ih];B[lj];W[hh]
;B[lf];W[lg];B[jg];W[jh];B[mf];W[mg];B[kd];W[kc];B[jc];W[jb];B[ng];W[nh]
;B[og];W[oh];B[pg];W[ph];B[kh];W[qg];B[pf];W[mi];B[lh];W[mh];B[kb];W[lc]
;B[jd];W[le];B[kf];W[me];B[ib];W[pe];B[qf];W[qe];B[rg];W[rf];B[qh];W[rd]
;B[rc];W[lb];B[ja];W[rb];B[sd];W[re];B[qb];W[se];B[sc];W[qj];B[qi];W[ri]
;B[pj];W[pi];B[rj];W[qk];B[si];W[pb];B[oc];W[rk];B[rh];W[sk];B[sj];W[sg]
;B[la];W[ma];B[ka]
)
