Background
Seigen Go was born on June 12, 1914 in Fukien, China.
Seigen Go was born on June 12, 1914 in Fukien, China.
Go Seigen did not start learning go until he was nine, a relatively late age for a professional (Honinbo Dosaku first learned go at seven and Honinbo Shusaku before he was six). His father, who had taken go lessons from Honinbo Shuho while studying in Japan, was responsible for introducing him to the game.
By the time he was 12, less than three years after first learning the game, he was already of professional strength, as evidenced by his games against the visiting Japanese player Iwamoto Kaoru, 6p in 1926.
Go Seigen began his rise to the top of professional go world early. By the time he was 18 he was already a top-flight player belonging to a very small elite. In 1933, along with his great friend Kitani Minoru, Go Seigen developed and popularized the Shinfuseki that broke away from the traditional opening patterns. It is for this very important contribution that Go Seigen and Kitani Minoru are recognized as the fathers of modern go.
In 1933, he defeated the current champion Shiisai Hon-imbo with new strategy never before used in Japan. He was recognized as a genius after this victory.
Later in 1942, he retired from Go circles. Go Seigen returned to the game after the end of World War II and regained his crown by defeating both Hashimoto and Iwamoto Hon-imbo in a straight ten-game match.
In 1942, he married Kazuko Nakahara.