The Final Gambit
When Doseki passed away, it should’ve been a smooth transition.
By all accounts, Honinbo Douchi was the natural successor—brilliant, accomplished, and the clear heir to the Honinbo school’s legacy. Everyone expected it. And Douchi, who had waited patiently for over a decade, believed it was finally time.
But the Go world doesn’t always follow logic. It follows power, ego, and grudges.
A Recommendation Denied
Before his death, Doseki—aware of the promise he had once broken—tried to right a wrong. He privately instructed the other Go houses to support Douchi’s appointment as the next Meijin (head of the Go world).
But when the time came, they did nothing.
Douchi waited.
Then waited longer.
But none of the other houses moved. No endorsement. No gesture. Not even a whisper.
Why?
Because beneath the surface, old politics still burned.
Yasui Senkaku—the one Douchi had defeated so thoroughly years ago—still held sway in the Yasui house. His pride wounded, he would not allow Douchi’s rise to go uncontested.
As for the Inoue and Hayashi houses? Their current heads were Doseki’s former disciples. How could they stomach prostrating themselves before their younger schoolmate? Pride got in the way. They stayed silent, feigning forgetfulness.
But Douchi was not one to wait forever.
The Challenge Issued
Furious, Douchi made his move.
He sent his disciple to all three houses with a simple message:
Name me Meijin. Or face me on the board.
It wasn’t a request. It was an ultimatum.
The other houses panicked. None of them dared face Douchi in a public match—not after his recent displays of dominance. After frantic deliberation, they reached a compromise.
Hayashi Monetsu, the head of the Hayashi house, was chosen to deliver the answer:
“The delay was unfortunate, yes. But we now agree—next year, you shall be Meijin. In the meantime, we offer this: you’ll be granted the title of ‘8-dan Provisional Meijin.’
But one thing more… in this year’s castle match, we ask that the game be drawn—peacefully, without scandal.”
Douchi, ever the strategist, accepted. If this performance of diplomacy could secure him the seat of Meijin, so be it.
But he didn’t plan to leave the game itself to chance.
A Masterful Deception
Douchi selected an old match—one originally played between Honinbo Dosaku and Kumagai Honseki, one of the Six Heavenly Kings—and decided to reuse it. The first 146 moves were copied exactly.
From move 147 onward, he applied subtle changes—just enough to avoid suspicion.
The result? A perfectly crafted draw.
It was technically a farce. But it worked.
That match, ironically, was later enshrined in Japanese Go history as a masterpiece—a “symbol of cooperation” between houses. Few knew the truth: that it was theater, not rivalry, that filled the board that day.
But what mattered was the outcome.
A Seat Earned Too Late
In April of the following year, Douchi officially became Meijin.
The other three house heads were promoted to 8-dan provisional Meijin as well—a concession to maintain balance.
The Go world celebrated. But Douchi? He didn’t smile.
As he returned home with the Meijin certificate in hand, he was overheard saying:
“Ten years too late.”
He was only 32 years old—still the youngest Meijin in history. Had he taken the seat at 22, it would’ve shocked the system. But even now, he stood at the peak.
What could he have done with an extra 10 years as Meijin?
We’ll never know.
Heaven’s Cruel Timing
Just seven years after ascending to the highest position in Go, Honinbo Douchi died unexpectedly at the age of 39.
His health, once robust, had declined suddenly. Whether from years of pressure, the emotional toll of his battles, or simple fate, he was gone far too soon.
The man who crushed Yasui Senkaku.
The teenager who defied death to win a game.
The prodigy who waited a decade for his rightful title.
He finally earned it… and had almost no time to use it.
In his death, Go lost not only a champion, but a future that would never be.
What Happens After a Legacy Is Cut Short?
Who will carry the Honinbo torch?
Will old rivalries reignite?
And what becomes of a Go world when its brightest prodigy vanishes too soon?
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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.
Contact: For verification or takedown requests, please email help@zeejyan.com.
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》)
