The Dang Hu Games (當湖十局) were played between Fan Xiping (范西屏) and Shi Ding'an (施襄夏) in the 1740s. Although many books state that there were 10-11 games, that is actually a mystery and there may have been up to 13 games. For those familiar with classic Japanese go the series could be said to be similar to if Honinbo Genjo and Yasui Chitoku had ever played a match-series against each other -- two lifelong friends and rivals, born a year apart and matching each other in strength year-by-year. The result would have been a even split with nearly every game becoming a masterpiece -- just like in
The Dang Hu Games.
[quote=""
Two of a Kind: Fan Xiping & Shi Ding'an" by John Fairbairn"]"Fan [Xiping] was marvelous, lofty and far reaching, like a supernatural dragon, changing so that no-one could tell his head or his tail. Shi [Ding'an] was profound and precise, like an old steed galloping but never losing its step."
"Shi was like the ocean in great flood, containing much that is profound. Fan was like the high mountains, with aspirations that were lofty and marvellous."[/quote]
They also matched books, Shi Ding'an wrote a commentary on two-stone handicap games, and Fan matched him. Fan wrote the classic
Peach Blossom Spring Go Manual (桃花泉奕譜) and Shi wrote
Guide to Go Theory (Yili Zhigui). And yes, they also published a book together (
Go Games of the Three Zhangs).
There are also eight made-for-TV, Chinese,
drama movies about the two players (大国手之, 2010-1).
Chen Zude's notable commentary collection:
当湖十局细解 (1987/2005)
I've also added an e-book I made of the eleven existing game records. (The source of the game records is the GoGoD collection.)
