Famous Killing Game Of 1926

   

The Famous Killing Game of 1926 is a famous 1926 newspaper sponsored game[1] between Honinbo Shusai and Karigane Junichi. It was billed as a grudge match between heads of both factions of the go world, Shusai representing the Nihon Kiin and Karigane representing the Kiseisha. It became the most documented go game of the 20th century. It’s marked by a ferocious fight that lasts over 150-moves and ends with the capture of a large group. Black and White battle to resolve a huge capturing race with a ko on the bottom while trying to keep enough ko threats around the board to win it. It would be Shusai and Karigane’s last game against each other.

Table of contents Table of diagrams
Diagram 1 - Shusai (W) v Karigane (B)
Diagram 2
Diagram 3
Diagram 4
Diagram 5

Game progress

[Diagram]

Diagram 1 - Shusai (W) v Karigane (B)

The fight begins when W35 & W37 declare a large moyo on the bottom and Black is induced to invade.

[Diagram]

Diagram 2

White plays the strongest replies, and soon Black is forced to cut with B67 and begin a capturing race with the lower-left White group. When Black cuts with B71 the most famous portion of the fight -- the center fight -- begins.

[Diagram]

Diagram 3

The final shape for the capturing race on the bottom is set with a two-move approach ko at 'a'. Both players fight for superiority in the center while maintaining enough ko threats for the capturing race at the bottom.

[Diagram]

Diagram 4

B33 marks Black's last ko threat before White resolves the ko on the bottom. Black loses on time while White is 6-points ahead on the board. In this game, a time limit of 16 hours each w/ sudden death was used. Byoyomi (second-counting) would be invented soon after.

[Diagram]

Diagram 5

Final position. 254-moves.


SGF

The following SGF file was taken from [ext] ~aeb.

(;
PB[Karigane Junichi]
BR[7p]
PW[Honinbo Shusai]
WR[Meijin]
TM[16h]
RE[W+T]
DT[1926-09-27..10-18]
SO[Kido 38#13 (rotated)]
;B[qd];W[qp];B[od];W[dc];B[do];W[dq];B[cq];W[cr];B[cp];W[er]
;B[ck];W[op];B[ce];W[qj];B[gc];W[ed];B[dg];W[cd];B[de];W[bd]
;B[qh];W[kc];B[ql];W[ph];B[qg];W[ok];B[om];W[pm];B[pl];W[ol]
;B[pn];W[nm];B[qm];W[nn];B[rj];W[eo];B[en];W[fo];B[fq];W[dp]
;B[dn];W[ip];B[jq];W[iq];B[ir];W[jp];B[kr];W[kq];B[jr];W[lq]
;B[lr];W[mr];B[hq];W[hp];B[gp];W[go];B[mq];W[nr];B[fr];W[hr]
;B[gq];W[fs];B[gs];W[ls];B[hs];W[ks];B[ep];W[br];B[gr];W[js]
;B[kp];W[lp];B[ko];W[jo];B[nq];W[or];B[ms];W[ns];B[ho];W[hn]
;B[jn];W[io];B[in];W[ho];B[kn];W[ms];B[is];W[mp];B[hm];W[gm]
;B[fn];W[hl];B[im];W[gn];B[gl];W[fl];B[gk];W[fm];B[fk];W[dl]
;B[el];W[em];B[dm];W[ek];B[ej];W[eq];B[dk];W[fp];B[es];W[dr]
;B[bq];W[cl];B[el];W[ep];B[bo];W[ek];B[mo];W[np];B[el];W[co]
;B[bl];W[ek];B[cm];W[el];B[cn];W[bk];B[bj];W[fj];B[ei];W[hk]
;B[gj];W[bm];B[ak];W[bn];B[co];W[ap];B[jk];W[aq];B[am];W[gi]
;B[hj];W[ij];B[hi];W[ik];B[hh];W[ih];B[kj];W[hg];B[gh];W[ii]
;B[kh];W[kg];B[lh];W[lk];B[kk];W[lm];B[km];W[gg];B[fh];W[jg]
;B[ds];W[cs];B[as];W[ar];B[fe];W[mf];B[lj];W[pg];B[mg];W[ng]
;B[nf];W[lg];B[mh];W[me];B[ne];W[nc];B[oc];W[nd];B[oe];W[ll]
;B[nh];W[ri];B[qi];W[pj];B[rk];W[pi];B[qf];W[fd];B[gd];W[ge]
;B[he];W[gf];B[if];W[je];B[jb];W[kb];B[eb];W[db];B[ie];W[ig]
;B[ic];W[hb];B[gb];W[id];B[jd];W[jc];B[ib];W[kd];B[ha];W[ob]
;B[pb];W[fs];B[es];W[ds];B[og];W[rn];B[an];W[fs];B[be];W[ee]
;B[es];W[kl];B[jl];W[fs];B[ff];W[fg];B[ef];W[bb];B[es];W[eg]
;B[df];W[fs];B[md];W[hr];B[mc];W[eh];B[fi];W[dh];B[ch];W[hd]
;B[hc];W[jd];B[le];W[lf];B[ld];W[ke];B[rm];W[ro];B[mk];W[on]
;B[mn];W[nj];B[mj];W[nl])

Appreciation

Edward Lasker in his book Go and Go Moku wrote:

… probably one of the most beautiful games on record … (after White’s 41st move) The way Karigane boldly develops a position and finally cuts at e4 is most ingenious; it took a Hon’inbō to refute his plan. … (After the end) Playing over this beautiful game over several times will teach the student more than he could learn in several years practice. No better guide on the way to mastership can be imagined.

Notes

[1] Sponsored by the Yomiuri Shinbun. Game 1 of the Kiseisha Win & Continue Match.

See Also


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