Segoe Kensaku

Segoe Kensaku (瀬越憲作, 1889–1972) was a professional go player, first at Hoensha, Hiseikai, then in the Nihon Ki-in.^[1] He achieved 8-dan in 1942 and honorary 9-dan later. He was the teacher of Go Seigen, Hashimoto Utaro, and Cho Hun-hyeon. He helped publish more than 100 books in his lifetime, including Tesuji Dictionary and Go Proverbs Illustrated.

He became a professional at the age of 20, and was immediately promoted to 3 dan, on the basis of a 4–2 victory against Suzuki Tamejiro receiving sen-ai-sen handicap. Prior to this point, he had met some professionals, but never had a teacher (Fairbairn, The Go Consultants, p. 75). Segoe was also one of the few people strong enough to play Honinbo Shusai Meijin just as black, scoring 3–1. He had previously proved too strong to receive any handicap stones.

Segoe was the official referee for the atomic bomb game.

Segoe commited suicide in July 1972 (by strangling himself with his two hands (Cho Hunhyun, Go with the flow, p 179)), possibly influenced by Kawabata Yasunari's suicide in April.

In 2009, Segoe was inducted into the Nihon Ki-in Hall of Fame.

Books

• Segoe Tesuji Dictionary 手筋辞典 (with Go Seigen)
• Segoe Tsumego Dictionary 詰碁辞典
  • (Chinese translation) 围棋死活辞典 (Weiqi Life and Death Dictionary, printed in Shanghai) -- 1000 Life and Death Problems in 30 Categories. Out of print, but may be the rare out of print life and death book for professionals by Segoe Kensaku that Kobayashi Koichi has worked through 20 times (as of Go World 37, Autumn 1984)." ISBN 7-5337-0315-5
• Go Proverbs Illustrated
• 囲碁の力を強くする本 (The Book to Increase Your Fighting Strength at Go) -- A modern classic. Still in print after 50 years.
• Oshiro Gofu. Complete collection of Castle Games, in 10 volumes, edited in 1950-1951.

Segoe's Pupils

• Hashimoto Utaro
• Go Seigen
• Sugiuchi Masao
• Seo Hisashi
• Hisai Keishi
• Sanno Hirotaka
• Cho Hun-hyeon
• Iyomoto Momoichi
• Yoneyama Toku
• Inoue Ichiro
• Suzuki Keizo
• Matsuzawa Tsujiro

Further Reading

• Segoe, Fujisawa and Cho

Notes:

[1] Segoshi Kensaku (an alias for this page) is an alternate reading of Segoe Kensaku. It is considered incorrect by John Fairbairn. However, it appears in some Japanese and English sources. JohnFIt is also considered incorrect by Segoe Kensaku! See Eminence Grise: the Life and Times of Segoe Kensaku, available on Amazon.