Honinbo Shusai
Encyclopedia
is the professional name of Hoju Tamura, also known as , who was a Japanese professional
Go
player
.
, son of Tamura Yasunaga, a retainer
of the shogun
. He learned go at age 10 and joined the Hoensha
in 1883, then under the leadership of Murase Shuho. He was made shodan
at age 13. At age 18, he attained the rank of 2 dan (the lower professional ranks cannot be assumed to correspond to modern ones). He then broke with the game for a time, tried to go into business on his own account, and ended up in a Buddhist retreat in Chiba Prefecture
. After more than a year out of the game, he set up his own go salon in Roppongi
.
He was then helped by Kim Ok-kyun, a Korean then resident in Japan, who used his contacts to secure Tamura an introduction to Honinbo Shuei
. He was re-ranked as 4 dan in 1892 and proceeded up the ranks from there. He engaged in a number of high-profile matches. He played Ishii Senji, a top player at Hoensha, in two jubango
, one in 1895 on sen, and the other in 1897 on sen-ai-sen. A fourth such match in 1899 was left incomplete. In 1897 he challenged Yasui Sanei, last of the Yasui house, to a jubango. He also challenged Honinbo Shugen
. In 1897-8 he played Ishii Senji once more. In 1899 he played jubango against Karigane Junichi
, who would be his only serious rival over the coming decades. In 1900/1 he played a jubango with Iwasa Kei. He emerged with the reputation of the top player, apart from Shuei. In 1907, he became 7 dan, an exclusive grade in those times.
He became the 21st and last hereditary head of the Honinbo
house, as successor to Shuei. The manner of his ascension was to cause a lasting conflict between Tamura, who took the name Shusai, and Karigane, also of the Honinbo house, who had been backed by Shuei's widow.
He attained the title of Meijin
in 1914, becoming the tenth player since the original Honinbo Sansa
to do so. In Shusai's case, as was for Shuei previously, there was no official government involvement, and his title was given by the acclaim of fellow players. He subsequently played in some high-profile 'defences' of the Meijin position as the only 9 dan player.
Shusai pushed the strategy of the Meiji period - as famously outlined by Honinbo Shuho
's book Hoen Shinpo - to further efficiency. This was done by playing farther and sometimes higher extensions, with the intention of providing better global protection to weak points. This method - then new - has been referred to as "harmony breaking."
Be that as it may, his opening style was unable to deeply influence many others as the culmination of his style was soon cut short by the arrival of the shinfuseki
openings revolution. He rarely innovated in joseki
, preferring the admonition 'do not seek out novelty'.
Before the Nihon Ki-in
was set up, there was no codified set of rules available at all. Shusai handed down judgements on controversies in the first days, for example on mannenko.
was the most significant moment in the organisational history of Japanese go in the twentieth century. It was mediated through Shusai, whose prestige was required as a minimum condition to unify the various groups. Shusai was backed by Baron Kishichiro Okura, an influential business magnate.
The process was started in 1923 with the foundation of the Hiseikai group by Karigane, Tamejiro Suzuki
, Takabe Tohei, and Segoe Kensaku. This prompted the amalgamation of the Honinbo school and the Hoensha, in January 1923, in the Chūō Kiin. This arrangement was however temporary, and the two constituent organizations split three months later. The 1923 Great Kantō earthquake
brought hardship to a number of Go organizations, and many of them faced closure. Under the guidance of Baron Kishichiro Okura, the Nihon Ki-in was founded in May 1924 to merge existing organizations into a single entity. Shusai was an important member of this new organization.
planned a challenge match between the two camps. This was the setting for the 1926 showdown with Karigane (the 'group-capturing masterpiece'), perhaps the most anthologised
game of modern times. Edward Lasker
in his book Go and Go Moku wrote:
Intense public interest was shown by, or perhaps aroused by, the Yomiuri's publicity tactic of posting the game on billboards, with plays pasted on as they happened. Shusai won the game with White. The players had 16 hours each; the game was played out over 6 sessions, with Karigane eventually ceding as he ran out of time in a game he was likely to lose by about 5 points.
This was just the initial game of a subsequent win-and-continue match, in which three Kiseisha players (Karigane, Takabe and Onoda Chiyotaro
) rotated against Nihon Ki-in young stars. Kitani Minoru won ten games in a row, and the match was a triumph for the Ki-in.
and Shusai played a famous game. Go Seigen was then 18 years old, ranked 5 dan, and been in Japan about five years. They had played before, but not an even game; Go Seigen had won five previous handicap games.
The tradition at the time dictated whoever played White had the right to adjourn the game at anytime, and there was no sealing of moves. This meant that Shusai, being the nominally stronger player and thus holding White, could adjourn the game whenever it was his turn to play and continue deliberating at his leisure during the adjournment. Shusai shamelessly abused this privilege by calling adjournments some 13 times, without exception, all at his turn to move, thus prolonging the match to a period of three months (16 October 1933-19 January 1934). For instance, Shusai played first on the eighth day of the match, and Go Seigen replied within two minutes. Shusai then thought for three and a half hours but only to adjourn the game. During these adjournments, Shusai would retreat home to study the game with his students.
He trailed throughout the game until, on the 13th day of the match, he made a brilliant move at W160, now celebrated. It was rumored that it was not Shusai but one of his students, Maeda Nobuaki, who was the author of this ingenious move. Segoe Kensaku told a reporter this, in what he thought was an off-the-record interview. Maeda himself even hinted as much. When presented with the opportunities to debunk these rumors, Maeda neither denied nor confirmed them.
The match ended with Honinbo Shusai winning by two points.
title to the Nihon Ki-in
in 1936 and retired thereafter.
In 1938, at the age of 64, he came back to play a memorial "retirement game" against Kitani Minoru, losing it by 5 points. The game was later immortalized by Nobel Prize winner Kawabata Yasunari in the novel Meijin (published in English as The Master of Go
).
Kitani Minoru, having witnessed how Shusai abused his adjournment privilege during his match against Go Seigen, demanded that the moves be sealed before each adjournment. Initially, Shusai's camp opposed this, but Kitani insisted, and Shusai eventually gave in. Time limits were used, of 40 hours each, and Kitani thought deeply. He won the game by a comfortable margin of five points (the game had no komi, so Kitani as black kept his initial advantage by safe play).
Kawabata's account emphasised the impression that Shusai had been thrown by Kitani's use of an adjournment to play a kikashi that could only be answered predictably. However, to the objective audience, Kitani can hardly be blamed for giving Shusai a taste of his own medicine.
Hashimoto Utaro confided to a reporter that his master Segoe Kensaku had his reservations about Shusai. Segoe had earlier, along with Shusai, visited China at the invitation of several wealthy Chinese go patrons. They played a number of exhibition games against Chinese players. As a guest, Shusai had refused to abide by Chinese playing rules, embarrassing his hosts in the process. Moreover, Shusai would not apparently risk losing to young Chinese players and had left many games unfinished, supposedly to be concluded another day, a promise he never fulfilled. Segoe commented to Hashimoto that it was unacceptable for Shusai to have left the games unfinished after receiving hospitality and large game fees.
Go Seigen also held Shusai in very low esteem. According to Pieter Mioch, who interviewed Go Seigen for the Dutch Go Association magazine, Go Seigen called Shusai a "scoundrel" and a "villain." Go Seigen accused Shusai of selling his prestigious Honinbo
title for a large sum in order to build himself a magnificent house while failing to give any of the money back to the go community.
Go professional
A Go professional is a professional player of the game of Go. The minimum standard to acquire a professional diploma through one of the major go organisations is very high. The competition is tremendous, and prize incentives for champion players are very large...
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
He was born in Shiba, TokyoShiba, Tokyo
Shiba is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, located near Hamamatsucho and Tamachi Stations on the Yamanote Line and Mita Station on the Toei Mita Line....
, son of Tamura Yasunaga, a retainer
Bastard feudalism
Bastard feudalism is a term that has been used to describe feudalism in the Late Middle Ages, primarily in England. Its main characteristic is military, political, legal, or domestic service in return for money, office, and/or influence...
of the shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
. He learned go at age 10 and joined the Hoensha
Hoensha
The Hoensha was a Japanese Go organization founded in 1879 by Honinbo Shuho. The Hoensha was the successor to study groups set up by Nakagawa Kamesaburo and other players. It was the major Go organization of the later Meiji period. Like the many Go organizations today, the Hoensha awarded...
in 1883, then under the leadership of Murase Shuho. He was made shodan
Shodan
, literally meaning "beginning degree," is the lowest black belt rank in Japanese martial arts and the game of Go. The 2nd dan is higher than Shodan, but the 1st dan is called Shodan traditionally and the 1st dan is not called "Ichidan"...
at age 13. At age 18, he attained the rank of 2 dan (the lower professional ranks cannot be assumed to correspond to modern ones). He then broke with the game for a time, tried to go into business on his own account, and ended up in a Buddhist retreat in Chiba Prefecture
Chiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
. After more than a year out of the game, he set up his own go salon in Roppongi
Roppongi
is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, famous as home to the rich Roppongi Hills area and an active night club scene. Many foreign embassies are located in Roppongi, and the night life is popular with locals and foreigners alike...
.
He was then helped by Kim Ok-kyun, a Korean then resident in Japan, who used his contacts to secure Tamura an introduction to Honinbo Shuei
Honinbo Shuei
Honinbo Shuei was a Japanese professional Go player.- Biography :Honinbo Shuei, a younger son of the very strong Honinbo Shuwa, served as the 17th and again 19th head of the Honinbo house...
. He was re-ranked as 4 dan in 1892 and proceeded up the ranks from there. He engaged in a number of high-profile matches. He played Ishii Senji, a top player at Hoensha, in two 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...
, one in 1895 on sen, and the other in 1897 on sen-ai-sen. A fourth such match in 1899 was left incomplete. In 1897 he challenged Yasui Sanei, last of the Yasui house, to a jubango. He also challenged 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:...
. In 1897-8 he played Ishii Senji once more. In 1899 he played jubango against 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...
, who would be his only serious rival over the coming decades. In 1900/1 he played a jubango with Iwasa Kei. He emerged with the reputation of the top player, apart from Shuei. In 1907, he became 7 dan, an exclusive grade in those times.
He became the 21st and last hereditary head of the Honinbo
Honinbo
Honinbō was the name of one of the four major schools of Go in Japan. Easily the strongest school of Go for most of its existence, it was established in 1612 and survived until 1940....
house, as successor to Shuei. The manner of his ascension was to cause a lasting conflict between Tamura, who took the name Shusai, and Karigane, also of the Honinbo house, who had been backed by Shuei's widow.
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 1914, becoming the tenth player since the original Honinbo Sansa
Honinbo Sansa
Honinbō Sansa was the assumed name of Kanō Yosaburō , one of the strongest Japanese Go players of the Edo period , and founder of the house of Honinbō, first among the four great schools of Go in Japan...
to do so. In Shusai's case, as was for Shuei previously, there was no official government involvement, and his title was given by the acclaim of fellow players. He subsequently played in some high-profile 'defences' of the Meijin position as the only 9 dan player.
Style and influence
Shusai was a naturally slow and deep-thinking player. The fashion for relatively slow play in Japan has been traced back to his influence. Innovations such as time limits and clocks were introduced during his lifetime, much to the ire of Shusai.Shusai pushed the strategy of the Meiji period - as famously outlined by Honinbo Shuho
Honinbo Shuho
, known also as Murase Shūho , was the first Japanese professional go player to have a reputation in the Western world.-Biography:A disciple in the Honinbo house, he founded the Hoensha institution and taught the game of Go to a German visitor by the name of Oskar Korschelt. Korschelt later was the...
's book Hoen Shinpo - to further efficiency. This was done by playing farther and sometimes higher extensions, with the intention of providing better global protection to weak points. This method - then new - has been referred to as "harmony breaking."
Be that as it may, his opening style was unable to deeply influence many others as the culmination of his style was soon cut short by the arrival of the shinfuseki
Shinfuseki
or new opening strategy was the change of attitude to go opening theory that set in strongly in Japan in 1933. It corresponds, a little later, to hypermodern play in chess, with the inversion that shinfuseki thought the center of the board had been unjustly underemphasised.In the 1930s, a group of...
openings revolution. He rarely innovated in joseki
Joseki
In Go, are studied sequences of moves in the corner areas of the Go board, for which the result is considered balanced for both black and white sides. Because games typically start with plays in the corners, players often try to use their understanding of joseki to gain local advantages in the...
, preferring the admonition 'do not seek out novelty'.
Before the Nihon Ki-in
Nihon Ki-in
The Nihon Ki-in , also known as the Japan Go Association, is the main organizational body for Go in Japan, overseeing Japan's professional system and issuing diplomas for amateur dan rankings. It is based in Tokyo. The other major Go association in Japan is Kansai Ki-in.Nihon Ki-in was established...
was set up, there was no codified set of rules available at all. Shusai handed down judgements on controversies in the first days, for example on mannenko.
Under the Nihon Ki-in
The 1924 foundation of the Nihon Ki-inNihon Ki-in
The Nihon Ki-in , also known as the Japan Go Association, is the main organizational body for Go in Japan, overseeing Japan's professional system and issuing diplomas for amateur dan rankings. It is based in Tokyo. The other major Go association in Japan is Kansai Ki-in.Nihon Ki-in was established...
was the most significant moment in the organisational history of Japanese go in the twentieth century. It was mediated through Shusai, whose prestige was required as a minimum condition to unify the various groups. Shusai was backed by Baron Kishichiro Okura, an influential business magnate.
The process was started in 1923 with the foundation of the Hiseikai group by Karigane, Tamejiro Suzuki
Tamejiro Suzuki
was a professional 8 dan Go player.-Biography:Suzuki was a pupil of Iwasaki Kenzo from 1894, and later studied under Honinbo Shuei. In 1909, Suzuki defeated Kensaku Segoe in a series of 6 matches, of which he lost 2, and was promoted to the rank of 4 dan in 1912...
, Takabe Tohei, and Segoe Kensaku. This prompted the amalgamation of the Honinbo school and the Hoensha, in January 1923, in the Chūō Kiin. This arrangement was however temporary, and the two constituent organizations split three months later. The 1923 Great Kantō earthquake
1923 Great Kanto earthquake
The struck the Kantō plain on the Japanese main island of Honshū at 11:58:44 am JST on September 1, 1923. Varied accounts hold that the duration of the earthquake was between 4 and 10 minutes...
brought hardship to a number of Go organizations, and many of them faced closure. Under the guidance of Baron Kishichiro Okura, the Nihon Ki-in was founded in May 1924 to merge existing organizations into a single entity. Shusai was an important member of this new organization.
The match with Kiseisha
Karigane, in the meantime, had set up his rival Kiseisha organisation (1924). The Yomiuri ShimbunYomiuri Shimbun
The is a Japanese newspaper published in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and other major Japanese cities. It is one of the five national newspapers in Japan; the other four are the Asahi Shimbun, the Mainichi Shimbun, Nihon Keizai Shimbun, and the Sankei Shimbun...
planned a challenge match between the two camps. This was the setting for the 1926 showdown with Karigane (the 'group-capturing masterpiece'), perhaps the most anthologised
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
game of modern times. Edward Lasker
Edward Lasker
Edward Lasker was a leading German-American chess and Go player. He was awarded the title of International Master of chess by FIDE. Lasker was an engineer by profession, and an author.-Background:...
in his book Go and Go Moku wrote:
- ... probably one of the most beautiful games on record ... [after White's 41st move] The way Karigane boldly develops a position and finally cuts at e4 is most ingenious; it took a Honinbo to refute his plan. ... [After the end] Playing over this beautiful game over several times will teach the student more than he could learn in several years practice. No better guide on the way to mastership can be imagined.
Intense public interest was shown by, or perhaps aroused by, the Yomiuri's publicity tactic of posting the game on billboards, with plays pasted on as they happened. Shusai won the game with White. The players had 16 hours each; the game was played out over 6 sessions, with Karigane eventually ceding as he ran out of time in a game he was likely to lose by about 5 points.
This was just the initial game of a subsequent win-and-continue match, in which three Kiseisha players (Karigane, Takabe and Onoda Chiyotaro
Chiyotaro Onoda
was a professional 7 dan Go player.-Biography:Onoda was a member of the Hoensha teaching group established by Honinbo Shuho, which ran from 1879 until the founding of the Nihon Ki-in...
) rotated against Nihon Ki-in young stars. Kitani Minoru won ten games in a row, and the match was a triumph for the Ki-in.
1933 game with Go Seigen
In 1933, Go SeigenGo 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:...
and Shusai played a famous game. Go Seigen was then 18 years old, ranked 5 dan, and been in Japan about five years. They had played before, but not an even game; Go Seigen had won five previous handicap games.
The tradition at the time dictated whoever played White had the right to adjourn the game at anytime, and there was no sealing of moves. This meant that Shusai, being the nominally stronger player and thus holding White, could adjourn the game whenever it was his turn to play and continue deliberating at his leisure during the adjournment. Shusai shamelessly abused this privilege by calling adjournments some 13 times, without exception, all at his turn to move, thus prolonging the match to a period of three months (16 October 1933-19 January 1934). For instance, Shusai played first on the eighth day of the match, and Go Seigen replied within two minutes. Shusai then thought for three and a half hours but only to adjourn the game. During these adjournments, Shusai would retreat home to study the game with his students.
He trailed throughout the game until, on the 13th day of the match, he made a brilliant move at W160, now celebrated. It was rumored that it was not Shusai but one of his students, Maeda Nobuaki, who was the author of this ingenious move. Segoe Kensaku told a reporter this, in what he thought was an off-the-record interview. Maeda himself even hinted as much. When presented with the opportunities to debunk these rumors, Maeda neither denied nor confirmed them.
The match ended with Honinbo Shusai winning by two points.
Retirement game
He transferred the HoninboHoninbo
Honinbō was the name of one of the four major schools of Go in Japan. Easily the strongest school of Go for most of its existence, it was established in 1612 and survived until 1940....
title to the Nihon Ki-in
Nihon Ki-in
The Nihon Ki-in , also known as the Japan Go Association, is the main organizational body for Go in Japan, overseeing Japan's professional system and issuing diplomas for amateur dan rankings. It is based in Tokyo. The other major Go association in Japan is Kansai Ki-in.Nihon Ki-in was established...
in 1936 and retired thereafter.
In 1938, at the age of 64, he came back to play a memorial "retirement game" against Kitani Minoru, losing it by 5 points. The game was later immortalized by Nobel Prize winner Kawabata Yasunari in the novel Meijin (published in English as The Master of Go
The Master of Go
The Master of Go is a novel by the Nobel Prize-winning Japanese author Yasunari Kawabata, first published in serial form in 1951. Titled Meijin in its original Japanese, Kawabata considered it his finest work, although it is in contrast with his other works.-Plot introduction:It is a...
).
Kitani Minoru, having witnessed how Shusai abused his adjournment privilege during his match against Go Seigen, demanded that the moves be sealed before each adjournment. Initially, Shusai's camp opposed this, but Kitani insisted, and Shusai eventually gave in. Time limits were used, of 40 hours each, and Kitani thought deeply. He won the game by a comfortable margin of five points (the game had no komi, so Kitani as black kept his initial advantage by safe play).
Kawabata's account emphasised the impression that Shusai had been thrown by Kitani's use of an adjournment to play a kikashi that could only be answered predictably. However, to the objective audience, Kitani can hardly be blamed for giving Shusai a taste of his own medicine.
Controversy
Honinbo Shusai has had a number of accusations leveled against his character. These deal with his rivalries, within the Honinbo house and subsequently with the establishment of the Nihon Ki-in, conduct as a player, and financial dealings. Even though a transitional figure, Shusai possessed enormous prestige due to his positions of Meijin and Honinbo; but he often abused his privileges as the senior player.Hashimoto Utaro confided to a reporter that his master Segoe Kensaku had his reservations about Shusai. Segoe had earlier, along with Shusai, visited China at the invitation of several wealthy Chinese go patrons. They played a number of exhibition games against Chinese players. As a guest, Shusai had refused to abide by Chinese playing rules, embarrassing his hosts in the process. Moreover, Shusai would not apparently risk losing to young Chinese players and had left many games unfinished, supposedly to be concluded another day, a promise he never fulfilled. Segoe commented to Hashimoto that it was unacceptable for Shusai to have left the games unfinished after receiving hospitality and large game fees.
Go Seigen also held Shusai in very low esteem. According to Pieter Mioch, who interviewed Go Seigen for the Dutch Go Association magazine, Go Seigen called Shusai a "scoundrel" and a "villain." Go Seigen accused Shusai of selling his prestigious Honinbo
Honinbo
Honinbō was the name of one of the four major schools of Go in Japan. Easily the strongest school of Go for most of its existence, it was established in 1612 and survived until 1940....
title for a large sum in order to build himself a magnificent house while failing to give any of the money back to the go community.
See also
- Japanese Go professionals