American Go E-Journal

“The future of American go looks very bright,” Yasumasa Hane 9P told the E-Journal in an interview Sunday morning. “You have so many young serious players.” Hane is the Nihon Kiin’s official representative to this year’s U.S. Go Congress, and he’s accompanied by his family, including wife Masami 1k, daughter Michiyo Yamamori 1k. daughter-in-law Shigeko Hane 1P, and Shigeko’s daughters Ranka 1k, Rinka 4k and Ayaka 1k (YASUMASA HANE 9P & GO FAMILY TO ATTEND U.S. GO CONGRESS 6/18 EJ). The father of Naoki Hane 9P, former Honinbo, Kisei and Tengen title holder, Hane is also known as a major contributor in the development of the Chinese fuseki. He studied with Toshihiro Shimamura 9P, and told the E-Journal that as a student, “We never played with Shimamura, only with each other, but that was old-style and today it’s better for the teacher to play with students.”  Interestingly, Hane says that as teachers of amateur players, “The biggest mistake we make is to teach too much.” The best way to work with beginners, Hane said, is “just let them play and enjoy the game. When they find that it’s fun, they will stay.” With both pros and amateurs, he added, “you can’t push too much too soon” or there’s a risk of burn-out. He loves go because “it’s an art” and says that the current focus on winning makes him “a bit sad; the games we play will always be there, and we must leave art that we can be proud of.” These days, Hane said, “there’s no value placed on the opinion of the loser; winning is all.” Like Takemiya Masaki 9P, he urges players to “play where you want and don’t be afraid. If you’re chasing the dream you must take the risk.” His advice to go students is to “play your best move and don’t be afraid to make a mistake; the pro will correct your mistake and you’ll learn.” He also strongly advises those looking to improve to record their games and review them with stronger players, and was “very impressed” with the number of players he saw recording their games at the Open on Sunday. “The U.S. Open is great,” Hane said, “you should do it twice a year!”
– report/photo by Chris Garlock