is a 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

Masaki Takemiya was born in Japan. He became one of the many disciples of the Minoru Kitani

Minoru Kitani

was one of the most celebrated professional Go players and teachers of the game of Go in the twentieth century in Japan.- Biography :He earned the nickname "the Prodigy" after winning a knockout tournament. He defeated eight opponents from the Kiseisha in a row during 1928. He played a celebrated...

 school. His rise to fame began when he was only 15 years old. By the time he was 15, he was already 5 dan. He earned the nickname "9 dan killer" because he won several games against top rated players. His famous "cosmic style" of Go would become popular among fans. It focused on large moyo in the center of the board. He's known as keeping a consistent record of winning titles. The longest period in which he did not hold a title has only been 4 years. His form lately has been terrific. He closed off 2005 with an impressive win of 16 straight games, which was stopped by Omori Yasushi in the qualifiers for the 3rd World Oza

World Oza

-Outline:The World Oza, sponsored by ToyotaDenso of Japan, is the newest international tournament. 32 players are invited from the following countries/regions.*10 from Japan*7 from China*7 from South Korea*1 from Chinese Taipei*3 from Europe...

. Outside of Go, Takemiya also won the biggest Japanese backgammon

Backgammon

Backgammon is one of the oldest board games for two players. The playing pieces are moved according to the roll of dice, and players win by removing all of their pieces from the board. There are many variants of backgammon, most of which share common traits...

 tournament, the 12th Saint of the Board title, by beating the former holder, Abe Akiko.

Three of Takemiya's books have been published in English -- Enclosure Joseki (Kiseido Press), now out of print but available in digital form; The Imagination of a Go Master (NEMESIS Enterprises); and This Is Go the Natural Way! (Hinoki Press).

His style

Takemiya is known for his "Double 4" 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...

 when he uses white, where he usually starts the game like so:

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"Double 4" 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...  (White).

Takemiya is a favorite among amateur go players because of his very thick playing style as black. His sanrensei (three star) openings involve plenty of fights.

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Takemiya's famous moyo (right side)

The sequence of moves from 1-8 in the lower right corner involves a common joseki that creates a moyo in conjunction with the q10 stone. Takemiya often plays a variation of this 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...

 but has made a few innovations of his own such as the kosumi in response to the same corner approach in the upper right corner. The resulting sequence could result in moves 1-6.

Takemiya on go and dancing

Takemiya's other great love is dancing. He says that go is more like a dance than a war and that learning to dance has made him a better go player. This has also influenced his style in his later years.

Titles & runners-up

Ranks #8 in total amount of titles in Japan.

Title	Years Held
Current	13
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 :...	1995
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....	1976, 1980, 1985–1988
Judan Judan (Go) The Judan —which can be translated as "10 dan"—is a Go competition in Japan. It is one of the seven major professional titles.-Biography:...	1990–1992
NEC Cup NEC Cup The NEC Cup is a Go competition, supported by NEC Corporation.-Biography:The NEC Cup is a Go competition used by the Japanese Nihon-Kiin. Unlike the big three titles in Japan, the NEC Cup is a single knockout tournament where players have less time to think. The field of challengers is 16...	1981, 1985
NHK Cup	1989
Defunct	5
Kakusei Kakusei (Go) The Kakusei was a Go competition in Japan.-Past winners:...	1991
Hayago Championship Hayago Championship The Hayago Championship was a Go competition.-Outline:The Hayago Championship was a hayago tournament, where each player had to make moves within 10 seconds. The tournament was sponsored by TV Tokyo.-Past winners:...	1978, 1989
Prime Minister Cup Prime Minister Cup The Prime Minister Cup was a Go competition.-Outline:The Prime Minister Cup ran from 1961 to 1981. It was used by the Nihon Ki-in The first 18 titles were decided in a knockout tournament. The last two years, the format was changed to a best-of-three match between finalists from a large...	1971, 1973
Continental	4
Asian TV Cup Asian TV Cup The Asian TV Cup is a Go competition.-Outline:The Asian TV Cup is the oldest continental tournament, dating back to 1989. The winners and runner up's of the biggest hayago competitions from Asia battle in the biggest hayago tournament of all.-Past winners:-See also:*...	1989–1992
International	2
Fujitsu Cup Fujitsu Cup - Outline :The Fujitsu Cup is an international competition. Fujitsu and Yomiuri Shimbun host the oldest international Go competition. The players are picked as follows:* The top 3 players from the previous year's competition* 7 players from Japan...	1988, 1989

Title	Years Lost
Current	15
Kisei Kisei The Kisei is a Go competition. The title, meaning go sage in Japanese, was a traditional honorary appellation given to a handful of players down the centuries. The element ki can also apply to shogi, and there were also recognized kisei in the shogi world.-Background:Kisei is a Go competition...	1985, 1987, 1989
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 :...	1996
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....	1974, 1977, 1981, 1989
Judan Judan (Go) The Judan —which can be translated as "10 dan"—is a Go competition in Japan. It is one of the seven major professional titles.-Biography:...	1986, 1993, 2002
Oza Oza is a title in Go. The association that holds this title is the Japanese Nihon Ki-in.-Outline:Recently, the format for the tournament was changed to a best of five. The challenger is decided in a tournament of 16 players, other than the title player. The winner's purse is ¥14 million .-Past winners...	1988
Gosei	1977
NHK Cup	1975, 1977, 1984, 1986
Defunct	3
Hayago Championship Hayago Championship The Hayago Championship was a Go competition.-Outline:The Hayago Championship was a hayago tournament, where each player had to make moves within 10 seconds. The tournament was sponsored by TV Tokyo.-Past winners:...	1988
Nihon-Kiin Championship	1971
Asahi Pro Best Ten Asahi Pro Best Ten The Asahi Pro Best Ten was a Go competition.-Outline:The tournament consisted of 20 players. The format was a knockout. The 20 players were reduced to 10, with the place for number 1 coming down to a best-of-three match.-Past winners:...	1974

External links

• A review of his book in French
• Go style of Takemiya. Is it a good choice for you?