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AshleyF
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Ashley Nathan Feniello (12k AGA)

Software Engineer


I start my kids out young! :-)

Nathan (18 mo.):

Nathan

Kaitlyn (5):

Kaitlyn

Calvin (7):

Calvin

My wife and I recently visited Japan:

Visit To Japan Wife And I


[Diagram]
Diag.: What is it?


Arno: a Martian with a single eye?

unkx80: A Go stone on a goban?


I'm experimenting with richer diagram commenting. I'll move this to another page once complete.

Kitani Minoru 9p (Black) Go Seigen (Wu) 9p (White)

April 14-15, 1957, Tokyo

Before WWII, in Japan, the most popular stars in sports were led by Futabayama of sumo (Japanese wrestling), Kawakami of baseball, Boriguchi of boxing, and Kimura Meijin of shogi. While in Go, the most honorable, at the top of the world, were none other than the discoverers of Shin Fuseki, Kitani Minoru and Go Seigen (Wu).

(Now it's post-war time). Those famous stars (excluding Wu and Kitani), at one time or another, have either retired or faded, and only the home run king of baseball, Kawakami, is still able to live up with his fame; he is a rarity.

But Wu, since traveling to Japan in 1928 at the age of 14, has held the highest honor in Go, never faded in 30 years. He is truely a genius that would appear only once a few hundred years in Go history.

Comparing with competitions in which outcome may be decided in a short burst or a split of second, a Go game takes much longer battles to yield a winner and a loser. This may have told us why Go players' professional careers are longer than that of other sports.

After WWII, Kitani Minoru's records were down for a while, but since he was promoted to 9 dan last year (1956), his once unbeatable form appeared again. Recently he posted an astonishing record of 14 wins and 5 losses. In major tournaments like the Highest Rank Deciding Matches, Honinbo Matches, and Tokyo Newspaper sponsored Championship Matches, he all recorded triumphs.

Is the once overwhelming "Wu-Kitani Era" re-emerging? Gradually recovered, rising giant Kitani Minoru, challenges Go Seigen for the first time in 13 years. This balanced struggle is indeed the most remarkable post-war battle since the Wu-Fujisawa 10-game series.

This is the first game between Kitani 9 dan and me (Wu) after the War.

Before the War, we had a 10-game series when we were 7 dans; later, we also played 4 games. I remember these 4 games were three games in the Grant Meet (Nihon Kiin's Japanese Go Association ranked players tournament) and one game sponsored by Yomiuri Newspaper. Finally in 1944 (during the War, that is), we met again in the ranked players tournament when we were 8 dans. This game now is my first against Mr. Kitani in 13 years.

This game is played in Tokyo Chiyoda District Kioi Street's Fukudake Inn on April 14-15, 1957. At the same time, the game between Sakata Eio 9 dan and Takagawa Honinbo 8 dan (another of Strongest Deciding Matches) is also held here. That game of theirs will end with Sakata 9 dan, playing Black, winning by 4 points.


[Diagram]
Diag.: Kitani vs. Go Seigen, 1957, Tokyo (1 - 8)

B7 is Kitani 9 dan's unique move; other players rarely play it, but Kitani 9 dan has used it a few times in openings like the B1, B3, B5 of this game.

W8 extending upward is solid.



[Diagram]
Diag.: Variation 7.1

Black does not want to play B7 here because then White would play W8 to form the Avalanche shape, so B7 at W8 applies the proverb 'The enemy's key point is yours.'



[Diagram]
Diag.: Variation 8.1

If White extends downward with W1, the sequence here to B6 would be certain. White's W3 and W5 playing on the 6th line is unsatisfactory.



[Diagram]
Diag.: Continuation 8.1

Also, later Black will have a peep at B1 (followed by W2 connection and B3 extension).



[Diagram]
Diag.: Kitani vs. Go Seigen, 1957, Tokyo (9 - 12)

B1 Hane is big.

W2 Certainly.

In the situation shown in this game, W4 does have various ways to play.



[Diagram]
Diag.: Variation 11.1

If Black plays B3 here, the leak of White to the right is almost covered, so B3 is not as good as at W4, the way actually played.



[Diagram]
Diag.: Variation 12.1

W4 is normally played here.

Kitani 9 dan said in his post-game review that, if W4, he had prepared to play B5.



Japanese editor, Mr. Katsumoto Tesshu, gives us another angle to look at the way the two players have played the corner so far.

[Diagram]
Diag.: Reference

The way two players have played so far is similar to this joseki.



[Diagram]
Diag.: Kitani vs. Go Seigen, 1957, Tokyo (13 - 15)

B1 of course.

W2 is also normal.

B3 is a big point on the board.



[Diagram]
Diag.: Variation 15.1

Had B3 been played here, White would certainly tenuki and play W4.



[Diagram]
Diag.: Kitani vs. Go Seigen, 1957, Tokyo (16 - 18)

W1 is also a big point that cannot be missed. W1 and B Square are miai.

B2 is an extremely good point.

W3 is a difficult one. (difficult to find a good spot, that is). White adopted to attach.



[Diagram]
Diag.: Variation 18.1

Wu says, White had considered to play W1 jump. Then Black would certainly play B2. After that, if W3 to press, we can then imagine a picture up to B8. White would look thin, so I didn't adopt this way to play.



This is a copy of the living page "AshleyF" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2003 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.