Keith Arnold, hka, with Patrick Bannister
Our feature photo this month was originally captioned “Clash of the Titans: Takagawa vs. Go Seigen in the 18th Ōza Tournament,” 9 July 1970. Takagawa (left, in photo at right) was by this time one of the elder statesmen of the game, His greatest achievement was holding the Honinbo title for nine consecutive years. His “simple,” solid style has long been prized as one amateur players should emulate as they get stronger. Two of the early go books in English – How to Play Go and Vital Points of Go – were published by the Nihon Kiin.
Go Seigen, of course, needs no introduction, arguably the greatest go player of all time. At his peak, it is fair to say that he was at least a stone better than the entire world. Game record here.
The quizmaster, stumped: While I rely on my collaborator Mr. Bannister for dates and competitions on these old photos, I invariably know the player’s names, since these were the greats when I was beginning to play. Embarrassingly, however, I was stumped by the gentleman in this photo (left). We will share why he is pictured next month, but for now – who is he? Bonus questions/hints – Which US Go Congress did he attend, and what Ishi Press go book did he author? Send your answers to us c/o journal@usgo.org.
