Saikyo

The Nihon Saikyo League (日本最強決定戦, lit. Tournament to Determine Japan's Strongest Player) was a tournament league from 1956-1961. It was popularly called the "Six Strongest Tournament" or "六強戦," and was the precursor to the Meijin tournament. Each player played each other twice alternating colors, with no komi, and a time limit of 10-hours each with a 5-minute byoyomi. The last finisher in the league was replaced by the winner of its preliminary tournament.

Tournament League Winners

• Season 1: 1956-1958 Go Seigen (8-0-2)

Ahead of Kitani Minoru, Sakata Eio, Hashimoto Utaro, Takagawa Kaku and Fujisawa Hosai.

• Season 2: 1958-1959 Sakata Eio (8-1-1)

Ahead of Kitani Minoru, Go Seigen, Iwata Masao, Hashimoto Utaro and Takagawa Kaku.

• Season 3: 1959-1961: Tie Go Seigen and Sakata Eio (6-3-1)

Ahead of Iwata Masao, Hashimoto Utaro, Hashimoto Shoji and Kitani Minoru

Notes

• This title was replaced in 1962 by the Meijin title.

• With the exception of Takagawa Kaku & Iwata Tatsuaki, all were 9-dan (at a time when there were very few 9-dans).

Links

• Additional coverage at: http://gobase.org/games/japan/TITLES/saikyo.html.

• Colorized photos of the first edition on Yomiuri website, Go-Kitani and Takagawa-Sakata. Grab and slide the white circle at the center.