29 Facts About Go Seigen

Wu Chuan, courtesy name Wu Ching-yuan, better known by the Japanese pronunciation of his courtesy name, Go Seigen, was a Han Chinese master of the game of Go.

Go Seigen is considered by many players to have been the greatest Go player in the 20th century.

Go Seigen quickly excelled and soon became known as a Go prodigy.

Go Seigen's reputation spread to Japan, then the leading Go powerhouse, and a movement was started there to bring him to Japan.

Go Seigen subsequently emigrated to Japan in 1928, at the invitation of Baron Kihachiro Okura and Inukai Tsuyoshi, and embarked on a professional career.

Go Seigen was tutored by Segoe Kensaku, the same teacher as Hashimoto Utaro and Cho Hunhyun.

Go Seigen began his rise to the top of the professional go world early.

In 1933, along with his great friend Kitani Minoru, Go Seigen developed and popularized the Shinfuseki that broke away from the traditional opening patterns.

Go Seigen suffered nerve damage, and his stamina and concentration greatly deteriorated as a result.

Go Seigen gradually played less and less often, and went into virtual retirement in 1964, although he did not "officially" retire until 1983.

Go Seigen authored a number of books on go, some of which include A Way of Play for the 21st Century, Modern Joseki Application Dictionary, and Fuseki and Middle-game Attack and Defense.

Go Seigen held study sessions with other professional players such as O Rissei, Michael Redmond, Rui Naiwei, and others.

In 1987, Go Seigen was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, 3rd Class, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, for his lifetime contributions to Go.

Go Seigen is commonly considered to be among the best to have ever played go, and is frequently deemed to have been the best player of the 20th century.

Go Seigen dominated professional go for more than a quarter of a century.

Go Seigen maintained a brilliant match record and successively defeated all the leading players of the day in a series of notable jubango, even forcing them down to handicaps.

Go Seigen won the Oteai six times, and won a special Nihon Ki-in championship tournament in 1933.

Go Seigen was notable for his fast-paced development and playing, fighting style, positional judgment and accurate reading.

Go Seigen settled his groups quickly, got to the big points first, and regularly used much less time in a game than his opponents.

Go Seigen was exceptional at using thickness and making large exchanges.

Go Seigen's reading was fast and accurate, and his intuition and positional judgment were often praised.

Go Seigen is well known, along with Kitani Minoru, as one of the two leading exponents and innovators of the shinfuseki, a period of revolutionary experimentation in the opening of the game that broke away from traditional moves.

Go Seigen was inventor of the notable and revolutionary uchimagari avalanche joseki variation.

Go Seigen was matched against Kubouchi Shuchi, a player from the Kansai Ki-in who had a strong individual style.

Go Seigen had an excellent record against Takagawa, whose main achievement was winning the Honinbo title for nine consecutive years.

In 1933, Go Seigen won a special Nihon Ki-in tournament to have the opportunity to play a game against Honinbo Shusai Meijin.

The game itself began on October 16,1933, with Go Seigen taking black and lasted for a period of almost three months.

For instance, on the eighth day of the match, Shusai played first, and Go Seigen replied within two minutes, Shusai then thought for three and a half hours, only to adjourn the game.

Go Seigen was therefore put into an especially adverse position for having to take on the entire Honinbo establishment.