Honinbo Shuei
Encyclopedia
Honinbo Shuei was a Japanese
professional Go
player
.
, served as the 17th and again 19th head of the Honinbo house. He was also the 13th and final head of the Hayashi house
before merging it with the Honinbo house in 1884.
Honinbo Shuei was a remarkable player, and his strength apparently exceeded his contemporaries by a considerable margin. Surviving game records show that he played a large number of handicap games. He was very active and innovative in the 1890s, a time of reviving fortunes for go, and participated in a number of jubango
.
He attained the title of Meijin
in 1906, becoming the ninth person to have done so. Shuei's style was characterized by his calm and confident approach to the game and his supreme positional judgement. He was also fond of making light shapes and sabaki tactics. He earned the nickname "the master of miai" for creating situations where he would have two equally good options at his disposal. He was one of the pioneer players opening frequently at hoshi
points during fuseki
, for which he was later greatly admired by the great Go Seigen
.
He has also received praise from another top player, Fujisawa Hideyuki. Fujisawa commented in Go World
that he thought Shuei was the strongest of the Meijin
s and Honinbos. He even said he believed he was stronger than the likes of Honinbo Shusaku
and Honinbo Dosaku
. He went on to say that Shuei's flow of moves was like water. Fujisawa said, "I always have the feeling that I'd be no match for him ... I'm far below his level". Yet another top player Kobayashi Koichi also claimed that Shuei was stronger than he was.
Ironically, as a boy he was given to the Hayashi house because he supposedly showed little promise. And the first time he was appointed Honinbo, he resigned in favor of Murase Shuho who he thought was stronger, although Shuei won their celebration game in which he took black. Shuho did not live very long, so Shuei accepted the title again, and later became much stronger than his contemporaries, so was awarded the Meijin title, which even his father had not achieved.
Shuei had a number of disciples. They include Honinbo Shugen
, Takabe Dohei
, Karigane Junichi
, Nozawa Chikucho, Tamura Yasuhisa, Tanaka Masaki, Inoue Yasunobu, Hayashi Tokuzo, Seki Genkichi, Tsuzuki Yoneko
, and Inoue Kohei.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
professional Go
Go (board game)
Go , is an ancient board game for two players that originated in China more than 2,000 years ago...
player
Go players
This page gives an overview of well-known players of the game of Go throughout the ages. The page has been divided into sections based on the era in which the Go players played and the country in which they played. As this was not necessarily their country of birth, a flag of that country precedes...
.
Biography
Honinbo Shuei, a younger son of the very strong Honinbo ShuwaHoninbo Shuwa
Honinbo Shuwa was a Japanese professional Go player, and also the fourteenth head of the Honinbo house .His most significant games were probably the three challenge games of 1840 and 1842 against Inoue Genan Inseki...
, served as the 17th and again 19th head of the Honinbo house. He was also the 13th and final head of the Hayashi house
Hayashi house
The Hayashi house was one of the four go houses of Edo period Japan. It was in effect the junior partner in the system of go schools, never providing a Meijin player. Always an ally of the Honinbo school, for traditional reasons, it didn't survive to the end of the period as truly independent...
before merging it with the Honinbo house in 1884.
Honinbo Shuei was a remarkable player, and his strength apparently exceeded his contemporaries by a considerable margin. Surviving game records show that he played a large number of handicap games. He was very active and innovative in the 1890s, a time of reviving fortunes for go, and participated in a number of jubango
Jubango
Jubango is a Japanese term for a Go match consisting of ten games which might be ended earlier if agreed by the players. A decisive victory would result in the opponent being beaten down to a lower rank. A player would be beaten down if he fell behind his opponent by four wins in the net score...
.
He attained the title 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 :...
in 1906, becoming the ninth person to have done so. Shuei's style was characterized by his calm and confident approach to the game and his supreme positional judgement. He was also fond of making light shapes and sabaki tactics. He earned the nickname "the master of miai" for creating situations where he would have two equally good options at his disposal. He was one of the pioneer players opening frequently at hoshi
Hoshi
is a Japanese word which means star. It is also a surname. is an unrelated word meaning "dried." is a Japanese surname with a similar pronunciation. is unrelated to the preceding words, and pronounced differently. It is a technical term in Buddhism...
points during fuseki
Fuseki
Fuseki is the whole board opening in the game of Go.-Less systematic:Since each move is typically isolated and unforced , patterns for play on the whole board have seen much less systematic study than for Joseki, which are often contact moves which require specific and immediate responses...
, for which he was later greatly admired by the great Go Seigen
Go Seigen
Wu Qingyuan , generally known in the West by his Japanese name Go Seigen, is considered by many players to be the greatest player of the game of Go in the 20th century and of all time.-Biography:...
.
He has also received praise from another top player, Fujisawa Hideyuki. Fujisawa commented in Go World
Go World
Go World is an English-language magazine published in Japan about the game of go. It is published by Kiseido Publishing Company four times per year....
that he thought Shuei was the strongest of the 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 :...
s and Honinbos. He even said he believed he was stronger than the likes of Honinbo Shusaku
Honinbo Shusaku
Honinbo Shusaku was a professional Go player and is considered by many to be the greatest player of the golden age of Go in the mid-19th century.- Biography :He was nicknamed "Invincible" after he earned a perfect score for 19 straight wins in the annual castle...
and Honinbo Dosaku
Honinbo Dosaku
Hon'inbō Dōsaku was a professional go player.- Biography :Dōsaku was one of the greatest go players in history. He was born in the Iwami province of Japan and studied Go in the Hon'inbō school, becoming Meijin at a very young age....
. He went on to say that Shuei's flow of moves was like water. Fujisawa said, "I always have the feeling that I'd be no match for him ... I'm far below his level". Yet another top player Kobayashi Koichi also claimed that Shuei was stronger than he was.
Ironically, as a boy he was given to the Hayashi house because he supposedly showed little promise. And the first time he was appointed Honinbo, he resigned in favor of Murase Shuho who he thought was stronger, although Shuei won their celebration game in which he took black. Shuho did not live very long, so Shuei accepted the title again, and later became much stronger than his contemporaries, so was awarded the Meijin title, which even his father had not achieved.
Shuei had a number of disciples. They include Honinbo Shugen
Honinbo Shugen
Honinbo Shugen was a Japanese professional go player. He was twice head of the Honinbo house, being both the sixteenth and the twentieth head.-Biography:...
, Takabe Dohei
Dohei Takabe
was a professional 7 dan Go player.-Biography:Takabe was a pupil of Honinbo Shuei, the 17th and 19th head of the Honinbō house. In the 1920s, he joined the Kiseisha, a splinter group of the Nihon Ki-in, Japan's main administrative body for Go. The Kiseisha was succeeded by the Keiinsha, of which...
, Karigane Junichi
Karigane Junichi
was a Japanese professional Go player, posthumously made an honourary 9 dan by the Nihon Ki-in.-Biography:Karigane was responsible for founding several organizations that would continue to be influential throughout the early 1900s. In 1922, he formed the Hiseikai, a group tournament, which also...
, Nozawa Chikucho, Tamura Yasuhisa, Tanaka Masaki, Inoue Yasunobu, Hayashi Tokuzo, Seki Genkichi, Tsuzuki Yoneko
Tsuzuki Yoneko
was a Japanese professional Go player, and a disciple of Honinbo Shuei....
, and Inoue Kohei.