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
White plays the strongest replies, and soon Black is forced to cut with and begin a capturing race with the lower-left White group. When Black cuts with
the most famous portion of the fight -- the center fight -- begins.
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.
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.
Final position. 254-moves.
SGF
The following SGF file was taken from ~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
- An English book about the game: Power: Honinbo Shusai Defends the Nihon Ki-in (2012) by John Fairbairn.
- Mentioned in John Fairbairn's article, "History of Newspaper Go" (29 March 2000) from the now defunct Mindzine.
- Mentioned in The Economist's article, "
Go: The Game to Beat All Games" (16 December 2004) (Paywall).
- The game was also used in the Hikaru no Go manga, vol. 2 ch. 8, Shindo v. Kaga.