GO FOR THE BLIND: In response to a recent EJ classified inquiry about blind go, a reader referred us to the British Go Association’s Go for the Blind page, which contains information on playing blind go and pictures of special go sets.
MISSING MEIJIN GAME: “I’ve been studying the Meijin matches sent through the E-Journal for this year’s title,” writes reader David Lang. Is there a reason why the 5th match never came with the E-Journal? Perhaps I missed it.” See attached; click here to download all five Meijin games.
SHIBUMI THE MOVIE?: ”I was wondering if Shibumi the movie had ever been made,” writes Heidi. “I have a friend named after the character in that book, and I’d love to get him a copy for his birthday.” According to an undated entry on Trevanian.com. “Shibumi will be turned into a movie by Warners some time soon. The project is well advanced and filming will begin soon.” While the authoritative and comprehensive Internet Movie Database (IMDB) has no reference at all to a movie version of the novel, which features go-playing assassin Nicholas Hel, the New York Times website does, listing Keanu Reeves as playing Hel, Warner Brothers as the studio and five screenwriters but no director. All in all, a bit of a mystery. Trevanian — who died in 2005 – would have been pleased.
FINDING SUNSHINE: “Greetings from the Japan Alps national park,” writes Roger Schrag, Bay area go organizer. “Had a great evening with Kaz, what a truly nice guy! Visited Nihon Kiin, Sunshine Go Club, and Ueno Go Center.” Schrag will be in Japan for two more weeks and promises a full report upon his return. Meanwhile, here’s popular EJ contributor Kaz Furuyama’s directions to the Sunshine Go Club, which the EJ reported on back in May (THE TRAVELING BOARD: The Sunshine Go Club): the club is open from 12 noon to 9p weekdays and Saturday, and noon to 8p Sundays; the club is in Sunshine Building, a 60 story-building in Ikebukuro, “But inside the building, it’s rather tricky to get there,” Kaz says. “If you speak Japanese, you could ask a person at the information desk at Sunshine Building how to get there.” The club’s phone number is 03-3989-3515. email Kaz for further details at cickazu@gmail.com
three books of a seven-volume series, reports publisher Richard Bozulich. Graded Go Problems for Dan Players “is a translation of a 14-volume series put out by the Nihon Ki-in, compressed into seven volumes,” Bozulich tells the E-Journal. Targeted at aspiring dan players, the series is designed to provide low-kyu and low-dan players with the essential grounding in the basics of life-and-death, tesuji, and joseki needed to develop deeper and more accurate reading and the knowledge they need to compete as dan players. In “300 Life-and-Death Problems,” “300 Tesuji Problems,” and “300 Joseki Problems,” the level of the problems starts at around 5-kyu and works up to 3-dan, with the majority in the 1- to 3-dan bracket. The series will continue with volumes four to six, containing life-and-death, tesuji, and joseki problems for 3-dan players and stronger. Volumes seven will cover the opening (fuseki) and the middle game. Expected publication date for Volumes Four to Six is Spring 2010 and Summer 2010 for Volume Seven.
