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Kadoban
Keywords: Go term, Tournament
角番
Definition
English expressions
Is it only kadoban for the potential loser?It is common for kadoban is applied only to the person who is at risk to lose (the so-called unilateral meaning of kadoban). However, it can also be used to generically describe the game where the title is at stake (the bilateral usage). A dictionary definition supports this usage:
Sample: 'X became Meijin after a tense kadoban'. Related expressions
Sumo usage
The other known use of kadoban is in EtymologyDoes the kado of kadoban refer to a corner? Can kadoban be translated directly as in a corner? Is the kado of kadoban related to the same character in the term kak(u)kai referring to sumo? We just don't know. It seems at least as likely that kado refers to an outside-type corner, like that of a street, as the corner of a room. The fact that kado is written in hiragana and katakana sometimes leaves open the possibility that it is not even related to the corner meaning, and that the 角 character is an ateji (character chosen after the fact for its phonetic equivalence). This word apparently does not exist in Chinese. kokiri English language papers in Japan often referred to kadoban sumo wrestlers as being 'in the corner'. However I agree that in my experience kado is used in an 'outside' sense whereas the corners of rooms and the go board are termed sumi, 隅. Neil: I suppose the corner translation is tempting because being cornered is a pretty good metaphor for the situation. This is a copy of the living page "Kadoban" at Sensei's Library. ![]() |