Blood-vomiting game
Encyclopedia
The blood-vomiting game is a famous game of go
of the Edo period
of Japan
, played on June 27, 1835 between Honinbo Jowa
(white) and Intetsu Akaboshi (black). It is noted for the three ghost moves that were allegedly given to Jowa during the game by ghost
s, and for the premature death of the go prodigy
Intetsu Akaboshi who died soon after coughing up blood onto the board after the game. Selected moves of the game are shown in diagrams.
After continually struggling to gain the post of Meijin
, Honinbo Jowa had won the title over rival Inoue Genan Inseki. The rivalry between Jowa and Inseki began when a game scheduled between the two was cancelled. The game, scheduled for February 18, 1828, was to be played due to Inseki's recent promotion to 8 dan
. The game was cancelled by Jowa's side, who claimed that Inseki did not deserve his promotion but had gained it through intrigue. This led Inseki to attempt to remove Jowa from his post. Failing to keep to an agreement, Jowa refused to give up his post to Inseki after 6 years (1834). Inseki then sent his pupil, Intetsu Akaboshi, expected to become Meijin after Jowa, to play Jowa in a match. The match lasted for four days without any adjournments. Jowa won the match, and while kneeling over the board Akaboshi coughed or vomited up blood. He died within a few months. As Akaboshi was only 25 years old at the time, it is often suggested that pre-existing gastrointestinal bleeding
or pulmonary disease had weakened his health, and it is possible that Akaboshi was sick for months with these diseases already.
The third ghost move was an example of good shape and bad shape with a move. The good of the move was it allowed Jowa to launch an attack that would lead to him winning, while the bad was making an empty triangle
, a shape that is normally avoided because it is seldom effective.
Go (board game)
Go , is an ancient board game for two players that originated in China more than 2,000 years ago...
of the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, played on June 27, 1835 between Honinbo Jowa
Honinbo Jowa
Honinbo Jowa served as 12th Honinbo from 1827 and Meijin Godokoro from 1831 until 1839, when he was forced into retirement....
(white) and Intetsu Akaboshi (black). It is noted for the three ghost moves that were allegedly given to Jowa during the game by ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
s, and for the premature death of the go prodigy
Child prodigy
A child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
Intetsu Akaboshi who died soon after coughing up blood onto the board after the game. Selected moves of the game are shown in diagrams.
After continually struggling to gain the post of Meijin
Meijin
Meijin , literally translated, means "Brilliant Man." It is the name of the second most prestigious Japanese Go Tournament. It also refers to a traditional Japanese title given to the strongest player of the day during the Edo period.- The tournament :...
, Honinbo Jowa had won the title over rival Inoue Genan Inseki. The rivalry between Jowa and Inseki began when a game scheduled between the two was cancelled. The game, scheduled for February 18, 1828, was to be played due to Inseki's recent promotion to 8 dan
Go ranks and ratings
Skill in the traditional board game Go is measured by a number of different national, regional and online ranking and rating systems. Traditionally, go rankings have been measured using a system of dan and kyu ranks...
. The game was cancelled by Jowa's side, who claimed that Inseki did not deserve his promotion but had gained it through intrigue. This led Inseki to attempt to remove Jowa from his post. Failing to keep to an agreement, Jowa refused to give up his post to Inseki after 6 years (1834). Inseki then sent his pupil, Intetsu Akaboshi, expected to become Meijin after Jowa, to play Jowa in a match. The match lasted for four days without any adjournments. Jowa won the match, and while kneeling over the board Akaboshi coughed or vomited up blood. He died within a few months. As Akaboshi was only 25 years old at the time, it is often suggested that pre-existing gastrointestinal bleeding
Gastrointestinal bleeding
Gastrointestinal bleeding or gastrointestinal hemorrhage describes every form of hemorrhage in the gastrointestinal tract, from the pharynx to the rectum. It has diverse causes, and a medical history, as well as physical examination, generally distinguishes between the main forms...
or pulmonary disease had weakened his health, and it is possible that Akaboshi was sick for months with these diseases already.
The secret Inoue house move
The secret move used by Akaboshi in the match was developed by Genan Inseki and others in the Inoue house as a taisha variation. The move, shown in the diagram, gave Akaboshi a lead by attacking the white stones in the center and being able to capture two stones later on in the game.| style="border: solid thin; padding: 2px;" | |
| The secret move |
The ghost moves
The three ghost moves were believed to have been brought to Jowa by ghosts, allowing him to come back in a game he was losing. These moves eventually led to Jowa winning by resignation. The first two moves allowed white to ignore a move at a14 in order to play another move due to the aji of "a".| style="border: solid thin; padding: 2px;" | |
| The first two ghost moves. |
The third ghost move was an example of good shape and bad shape with a move. The good of the move was it allowed Jowa to launch an attack that would lead to him winning, while the bad was making an empty triangle
Empty triangle
In the game of Go, the empty triangle is the most fundamental example of the concept of bad shape.It consists of a formation of three stones of one colour, occupying a compact arrangement in a 2×2 square, like the triangled black stones and no stone for White at the marked intersection...
, a shape that is normally avoided because it is seldom effective.
| style="border: solid thin; padding: 2px;" | |
| The third and last ghost move. |
End of the game
| style="border: solid thin; padding: 2px;" | |
| The end position. The ghost moves are marked in order. |