The Duel of the Century: Go Seigen vs. Kitani Minoru
The Crown Jewels of Japanese Go
By 1933, Wu Qingyuan and Kitani Minoru stood as the twin luminaries of the Japanese Go world. Sensing an opportunity, Jiji Shimpō organized a highly anticipated ten-game match between the two. What no one foresaw was that this series would ignite the revolutionary "New Fuseki" movement.
The Spark of Innovation
Wu Qingyuan, recently promoted to 5-dan, began experimenting with fast, expansive fuseki. Meanwhile, Kitani, a practical player who normally favored solid territory, began exploring high-positioned, influence-based openings. Both players independently devised groundbreaking opening strategies.
By the fifth game of their match, Kitani invited Wu to Hell Valley Onsen for a mid-series break. There, Kitani was dictating Go concepts to Hirohara. Wu listened in and found himself deeply intrigued. The two launched into an extended dialogue that turned the onsen into the birthplace of a revolution.
Revolutionary Debuts on the Board
That autumn, both players unveiled their new fuseki in the Ōteai. In Kitani's game against Hasegawa Akira (5-dan), his White 2-4-8 formed the first-ever recorded "three-star-point formation," stunning the community. Hasegawa collapsed under pressure, resigning by move 140.
Wu, playing White against Kosugi Toku (4-dan), created an aerial masterpiece that one reporter likened to an "air force exercise." The board shape resembled a folk game called "sixteen-finger-pointers." Wu triumphed by move 156.
The results spoke for themselves: Wu ranked first in that season's Ōteai, Kitani second. Across Japan, Go boards became battlegrounds for airborne innovation.
Toward the Ultimate Showdown
Riding the wave, Yomiuri Shimbun launched the "Japan Go Championship," featuring 16 top players. The winner would earn the rare honor of facing Honinbo Shusai. Wu beat Hashimoto Utarō in the final, to which Yomiuri president Matsutarō Shōri quipped, "Excellent! You lost wonderfully!"
On October 16, 1933, the match took place at Ginza's Tanjōbashi Hall. Headlines proclaimed: "The Unbeaten Master vs. the Go Prodigy." Wu opened with the infamous Black 1-3-5 at 3-3, star point, and tengen. The traditionalists were outraged—3-3 was taboo in the Honinbo House. Letters poured into the press decrying his audacity.
Public outcry aside, Wu’s shin-fuseki strategy held firm. After 12 adjournments spanning into the new year, Shusai tried to counter with the legendary White 160, but Wu had prepared. Despite setbacks, he fought hard into the endgame. In the final moments, with both sides spending over 22 hours, Wu lost by only two points. Shusai, exhausted, admitted that the emotional strain prevented him from reaching his best.
Legacy of the New Fuseki
In 1935, the new fuseki was lauded by fans but criticized by professionals. Even their mentors, Suzuki Tamejirō and Segoe Kensaku, felt it was too radical. Hoping to rein in their students, they proposed a public consultation game: Suzuki and Segoe vs. Kitani and Wu.
Held in March, the "New vs. Old" match saw Kitani and Wu play Black using their shin-fuseki. Their opponents stuck to traditional formations. After a brilliant sequence involving a seki, Kitani and Wu won by one point.
Despite their victory, criticism continued. The following year, Honinbo disciples Murashima and Takahashi co-authored Defeating the New Fuseki, with Shusai himself writing the foreword. Still, the movement proved unstoppable.
Modern staples such as the three-star opener, Chinese opener, and even Takemiya Masaki's cosmic style all trace their lineage to the Kitani-Wu revolution. Indeed, the 21st-century Go landscape stands firmly on the foundation laid by their visionary work.
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Copyright Notice
This English adaptation is based on Japanese Go Stories (《日本围棋故事》, 2016) by Xue Zhicheng (薛至诚).
For non-commercial use only: Shared for educational purposes under fair use.
Rights retained: All copyrights belong to the original author and cited sources.
Modifications: Minor narrative adjustments were made for readability; all historical content remains accurate.
No affiliation or endorsement: This work is independent and unaffiliated with the original author or publishers.
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References
Adapted from:
Xue Zhicheng (薛至诚), Japanese Go Stories (《日本围棋故事》), 2016.
Cited in original work:
Watanabe Hideo (渡辺英夫), Shin Zaigin Dansō (《新坐隱談叢》)
Watanabe Yoshimichi (渡部義通), Kodai Igo no Sekai (《古代囲碁の世界》)
Lin Yu (林裕), Weiqi Encyclopedia (《围棋百科辞典》)
