Tennouzan
Historical meaning
A small (270m) strategically-located mountain on the Kyoto/Osaka border, over which a decisive battle was fought in the medieval (1582) "Yamazaki wars" between Toyotomi Hideyoshi (who won) and Akechi Mitsuhide. Thus, commanding position or strategic point. By extension, a battle over such a position or competition to occupy it first.
Go meanings
- A high, commanding point critical to both sides, with the potential to decide the direction of the game. Often, a board-dominating point at the boundary of opposing moyos, or boshi-like move. Often occurs near the end of the fuseki or the beginning of the middle game. Merely being big or strategic does not suffice to make a move or point tennouzan.
- Decisive game. In a seven-game series tied 2-2, the fifth game is crucial. It will place one player just one win away from victory; the other player just one loss away from defeat (kadoban). The winning player will have a "commanding position" in the series. Thus, such a game is also called tennouzan.
Proverb
tennouzan wo nogosu na, lit. keep your eye out for the pivotal situation in the game, or don't miss the chance to take the point which expands your moyo while reducing your opponent's.
Examples
Example 1 Says "Black 49 is tennouzan." It's a boshi.
Example 2
From http://www.sankei.co.jp/edit/igo/html/juudan/02judan/2_04.html, which says, "Black should have decisively taken the tennouzan point."
Example 3. Says "For 25 the tennouzan was 27." The move indicated is a knight's move at the boundary of two moyos.
Example 4 Discusses a
book (by Haruyama Isamu 9-dan) with a chapter called Moyo no tennouzan, focusing on tennouzan as points where moyos come into conflict.
Bill: This link seems to be broken.
Example 6
From the 51st Oza title match, game 5
Example 7
Yasui Santetsu was Black vs. Nakamura Doseki
From http://mignon.ddo.jp/assembly/mignon/go_kisi/doseki_santetu3.html
Example 8
From http://hobby.nikkei.co.jp/igo/oza/50_1_3/05.html .
Miscellaneous
Oblique historical connection with go: the victor at the historical battle of Tennozan was Hideyoshi who defeated Akechi Mitsuhide, having chased after him when he (Mitsuhide) killed Oda Nobunaga? on the night of the alleged triple ko game with Honinbo Sansa.
Other usages: Shogi (there is a proverb that the centre square is the Tennouzan); sports (decisive match).
WME: Bob Myers. Contributions by John F, Bill Spight, others.
See also: