The Politics of the Board
Four Houses, One Prize
By the late Bunsei era, the Meijin title—the highest symbol of authority in the Go world—remained unclaimed. Two giants had defined the previous generation: Honinbo Genjou (本因坊元丈) and Yasui Chitoku (安井知得). Both were 8-dan. Both had the respect of the nation. And both had refused to make a move toward the throne.
They were rivals, yes. But rivals bound by a strange respect. Neither man would push for dominance while the other stood. Their loyalty to the dignity of the Four Houses was unshakeable.
But time doesn’t wait. As both Genjou and Chitoku entered the twilight of their careers, the vacuum beneath the Meijin title grew more visible. Ambitions stirred. And when the moment came, it was Honinbo Jouwa (本因坊丈和) who stepped forward.
The Rise of Jouwa (丈和)
Jouwa was once an overlooked student in Genjou’s house—quiet, unpolished, and for a time stuck at 1-dan for nearly two decades. But after a transformative journey (one the legends say included a mysterious defeat by a Go-playing hermit in the forest), Jouwa returned changed.
By his early thirties, he had surged past his peers. He rose to 6-dan, then 7-dan, then 8-dan. At the 1819 castle games, he defeated Yasui Chitoku in a match that electrified the Go world. The win wasn’t just a personal triumph. It was a signal. The next Meijin might no longer be one of the old guard.
Within the Honinbo house, Genjou had retired, and Jouwa was now the official head. For the first time since the era of Satsugen (察元), the Honinbo house stood near the summit again. Jouwa was strong, politically savvy, and—most of all—ready to act.
But prestige attracts predators. And one was already watching.
Genan Inseki (幻庵因碩): The Man Who Knew Too Much
Born Hashimoto Tetsutarou, the man who would become Genan Inseki, was raised inside the Inoue house under Hattori Inshuku (服部因淑), one of the most cunning minds in Go. At age 13, he was adopted by his teacher, renamed Hattori Ritchaku, and trained with the intensity of a future leader.
In 1824, he was named heir to the Inoue house and became Inoue Ansetsu (井上安節). By 1837, now known as Genan Inseki, he had reached 7-dan, and in the same year, so had Hayashi Motoyoshi (林元美), the head of the Hayashi house.
The timing was no accident.
Genan had studied war, not just Go theory, but military classics like The Art of War. He approached the Go world not as a game, but as a battlefield. And when he looked at Jouwa, he didn’t see a teacher’s successor. He saw a rival standing in the way of his own Meijin ambitions.
The Alliance of Necessity
Genan made the first move. He approached Jouwa and Motoyoshi with a proposal: all three men should support one another’s rise to 8-dan. United, they could dominate the elder council, outflank the aging Chitoku, and shift the balance of power away from tradition.
Motoyoshi, a seasoned opportunist with literary charm and shallow conviction, agreed immediately.
Jouwa hesitated—but not for long.
With three houses aligned, the elders had little room to resist. Over the next year, all three men reached 8-dan status. Jouwa was now the highest-ranked player in Japan, with only Chitoku standing beside him. And his path to Meijin looked clear.
Genan had kept his word. But he had never meant to keep it.
Betrayal, Seeded Quietly
No sooner had he risen to 8-dan than Genan moved again. He approached Chitoku—older, wounded by his loss to Jouwa—and proposed a plan. Let him challenge Jouwa directly for the Meijin title.
Chitoku was reluctant. He had no love for Genan, but his pride still burned. If Genan wanted his support, he’d have to earn it through a ten-game formal match.
Genan agreed, but his real aim wasn’t the match. He wanted to stir the pot. To trap Chitoku in a long campaign. To distract Jouwa. To let them exhaust each other.
And then he would claim the board for himself.
But there was one problem: Jouwa was listening.
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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》)
