From: jzy@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Jim Yu)
Subject: Go Seigen: Game 0 (Part 2)
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston Illinois.
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 04:55:27 GMT

Hello everyone!

Here is a brief history of the "Japan's Strongest Deciding Matches" held in
late 50's to 60's, until it was officially turned into "Meijin Sen." This
piece is a direct translation of a Japanese 5 dan (I must get his name next
time) -- so, it's another Japanese to Chinese to English process. :)

I did find a few conflicts between this 5 dan's writing and a few other
record books I have (mostly, conflicts on dates).  I believe my other
sources are more reliable and so I will make notes below (in square
brackets).  Also, a couple more other notes of mine are also shown in
square brackets (['s and ]'s).


``When Wu defeated Takagawa Kaku 8 dan, who had won 5 consecutive Honinbo
titles, there was no legitimate 10-games series opponent for him left.
Since the first 10-game series, Wu had faced Kitani Minoru 7 dan, Karigane
Junichi 8 dan, and Fujisawa Kuranosuke 6 dan of the prewar era, Hashimoto
Utaro 8 dan, Honinbo Kunwa (Iwamoto Kun 8 dan), Honinbo Shou (Hashimoto
Utaro 8 dan, 2nd time), Fujisawa Kuranosuke 9 dan (2nd and 3rd time),
Sakata Eio 8 dan, and Honinbo Shukaku (Takagawa Kaku 8 dan) of the postwar
era.  It seemed that 10-game series was unable to continue.  Therefore, at
the end of 1957 (Showa Year 32) [my other records show that it should be at
the beginning of 1957], Yomiuri Shimbun initiated and sponsored a
championship tournament called "Japan's Strongest Deciding Matches."

``These matches were also called "Top Six Matches." Participants included
all the 9 dans of the time.  That is, Wu and Nihon Kiin's Kitani Minoru and
Sakata Eio; also, the "homeless" Fujisawa Hosai (Kuranosuke) who left Nihon
Kiin after losing to Wu in their 10-game series.  Besides them [9 dans,
which also included Hashimoto Utaro], there was 5 consecutive Honinbo title
holder Takagawa Kaku 8 dan.  Participants were the strongest players that
could be invited.  Although these matches were not named "Meijin Sen", the
fans all regarded it as the "actual Meijin Sen."

``According to the rules of these matches, there was no komi, and it was a 
double round-robin in which each pair of players were to play two games
against each other (playing black by turn).  By April of 1959 (Showa Year
34) [should be 1958 (Showa Year 33)], all matches, a total of 30, were
finished.  Among them, there were some historical matches such as Wu and
Kitani Minoru's rematch after 12 years [should be 13 years], and Wu's new
version of "big avalanche joseki."

``To Wu, these opponents all had been beaten by him into "sente handicaps"
[These special handicaps were used in Wu's 10-game series.  At the start of
each series, both Wu and his opponent would play like normal even games
(players play black by turn).  But when one of them had a net lead of 4
games in the series (it was almost always the case that Wu had such a
lead), the trailing player would receive a "sente handicap" (I will call it
"2/3 sente") in which he would have sente (black stone) in two out of three
games.  Then, if this trailing player would net 4 more losses, his "sente
handicap" would become "long-sente", or he would always play black.  Of
course, if he could net 4 wins after being handicapped, he would be
promoted to play even games again (that, however, didn't happen to any of
the opponents of Wu; Wu usually beat them with white too).  Note: when
Fujisawa played his 3rd 10-game series with Wu, as well as Sakata Eio's
lone series with Wu, both players started with "2/3 sente", and both were
beaten to "long sente."], and now he had to agree to play with them in
normal even games.  One could understand that Wu might have different
ideas, but eventually, Wu never suggested anything different from the
rules.

``Finally, these 1st Deciding Matches ended with Wu winning by a record of
8 wins and 2 losses.  In the 2nd Matches [in 1959], Sakata won by a record
of 8 wins, 1 loss, and 1 tie; Kitani and Wu won 2nd and 3rd places,
respectively.  In the 3rd Matches [in 1961], the leading Wu lost his finale
to Sakata, thus tying Sakata for the 1st place. [That was the point that Wu
started to fade.  In the August of the same year, 1961, Wu was injured
(including his brain) by a motorcycle in a traffic accident.  His body
would eventually recover, but his prime time was over.] ''


Hope the above piece of informations helps.

Yours truly,
Jim Z Yu
--
Go isn't everything.  Go is the only thing.           -- zhuge

"zhuge, why does your .plan change every minute -- when i finger you?"
"you must have used a different finger each time."