Modern Mastergames, Vol. 1

The games in this book were played in turbulent times. When the first Honinbo tournament was established, the war had not yet seriously affected the Japanese go world or the daily life of the average Japanese, but, by the time of the third Honinbo tournament, Japanese society was in chaos. After the war, many doubted that go would return to its former glory or that the occupation forces would even allow it to be played. Fujisawa Hosai remembered how he and a number of other go professionals seriously took up the study of chess for this very reason.

But these fears were overblown. By the 1950s the go world was again abuzz. Rivalries were flourishing, and newspapers were establishing new tournaments with abundant prize money.

The matches played then were of much consequence - it was more than just winning a title. The results were to determine the organizations that govern the game in Japan until today. The pressures on the players were intense, it exposed their psychological strengths as well as fragilities. The matches showed how dangerous it was to underestimate an opponent. It was almost unbelievable to some that the mild-mannered Takagawa, whose quiet and laid-back style, never attacking too strongly, and lacking the brilliance of a player like Sakata, could hold the Honinbo title against all comers for nearly ten years.

In the early 1960s, two important titles - the Meijin and Judan - were established to compete with as well as to complement the Honinbo title, and, with the establishment of these titles and Sakata's dominance of them, the foundations of the Japanese go world was firmly established.