Many books from the GoGoD archives have now been published either in paper form or as e-books.
The Meijin (or Master) as long been the most prestigious title in Japan for the best players of the oriental game of go. Only one Meijin at a time was allowed. Two of the very best players were Honinbo Genjo and Yasui Chitoku. Neither was Meijin. The reason was that they were at their peak in the same era, the early 19th century, which is often referred to as the Golden Age of go in Japan. They were rivals, but were also friends. Many of their games survive and each one is treasured. A major part of the reason is that both had contrasting styles – one favouring early territory then digging in, the other favouring early strength and gaining territory, or reducing the opponent’s, by later fighting. This, along with the very high standard of play, has made their games almost a standard text-book for students of the game. The present book collects all their 80-odd games with each other – several being recent finds – and gives detailed commentaries based on a combination of the very many professional commentaries that these games have attracted over two centuries.
Available on Amazon
Honinbo Shuei (1852~1907) is the go player that masters of the calibre even of Go Seigen and Takagawa Kaku professed to admire the most. Many consider him the Meijin of Meijins, and in his late years no-one could play without a handicap against him. Yet he achieved his dominance only in middle age, having several times disappeared from the mainstream go world for months on end. He lived at a time of enormous upheaval and uncertainty in the Japanese go world, seeing tragedy strike his father, his brother and his mentor. His own life was marred by a debilitating disease. But he compounded his problems by choosing to struggle – with some success – to uphold the Honinbo name and the game’s traditions in the brave new world represented by the rival Hoensha organisation. This book is a ground-breaking, detailed biography of Shuei set within the background of the tumultuous times he lived through. It is sympathetic but candid.
Available on Amazon
The Honinbo Tournament is go’s oldest annual tournament. By trial and error it set the standards for every tournament since. This book describes in detail how it came about, and goes carefully through each of the early years in the 1940s and 1950s, and each year’s changes. The games of each title match up to and including Term 6 are given with rich commentaries (32 games), showcasing also the most famous players and anecdotes featured in the highest level of go.
Published as an e-book by SmartGo
Today We Have a Splendid Feast The great Inoue Inseki Meijin, the 17th century author of the famously hard-to-impossible problems of the Igo Hatsuyoron, produced other, easier tsume-go works. One was the Yoshin Teiki, most of which is now lost. But the portion that survives gives a fascinating insight into how he worked on his problems and (presumably) taught his pupils. The surviving sections, given here in full, are eminently suitable for beginners, but even strong players can learn amply from the way the Meijin used his mind, and be severely challenged by the hardest problems.
Published as an e-book by SmartGo
New Ways in Go is a complete translation of Honinbo Shuho’s 1882 classic, covering handicap openings, even-game openings and commentaries on his games with Shuwa and Shusaku.
Published as an e-book by SmartGo
Unfinished Symphony gives extensive commentaries on the shortened ten-game match between Go Seigen and Karigane Junichi, with comprehensive historical background. This continues the series of Go Seigen’s matches that was begun in paper form by Slate & Shell.
Published as an e-book by SmartGo
The original version of The Life, Games and Commentaries of Honinbo Shuei was published as a Kindle book over six separate volumes, but is now available as a SmartGo book with interactive game replay.
Published as an e-book by SmartGo
The 1347 Chinese go classic Xuanxuan Qijing, or Gengen Gokyo by its Japanese name, is the most significant go book ever produced. It has become the foundation for virtually every problem book since. Gateway to All Marvels brings together every problem and every variant from perhaps every subsequent edition, and discusses how the almost 500 problems and their solutions have evolved and varied.
Published as an e-book by SmartGo and
Amazon Kindle
Inoue Genan Inseki is a short biography of Honinbo Jowa’s main rival and one of the most interesting characters in the go world.
Published as an e-book by Amazon Kindle
This is a flip book – two books in one. The first is Jowa’s Three Brilliances: Honinbo Jowa Plays Akaboshi Intetsu. This game is commonly known as the ‘blood vomiting’ game, but it is Jowa’s three brilliant moves that make it famous. The second is The Insha Game: Honinbo Shusai versus Karigane Junichi. It is the first game of the pivotal match between the newly established Nihon Ki-in and the rival professional organization the Kiseisha. Not currently in print owing to Slate & Shell’s decision to end paper production of books.
Old Fuseki vs. New Fuseki describes both the evolution of New Fuseki and also the 1933 game between Honinbo Shusai and Go Seigen.
Published as an e-book by SmartGo
The start of a series on famous games, intended also as a way of filling in gaps in the history of 20th century go. The Meijin’s Retirement Game covers in depth the famous game between Honinbo Shusai and Kitani Minoru.
Not currently in print owing to Slate & Shell’s decision to end paper production of books.
A massive book, 9-dan Showdown covers no fewer than three ten-game matches between Go Seigen and Fujisawa Kuranosuke, the first two 9-dans in history. A book of excerpts was also published by SmartGo as an e-book. Complete book not currently in print owing to Slate & Shell’s decision to end paper production of books.
Final Summit was the second in the series on all Go Seigen’s ten-game matches, of which Kamakura was the first volume. It features his last match, against Takagawa Kaku. Not currently in print owing to Slate & Shell’s decision to end paper production of books.
A detailed account of the famous ten-game match between Go Seigen and Kitani Minoru which took place mostly in Kamakura in 1939-41. Extensive biographies of both players and the go, social and political background to the match are followed by complete analysis of all ten games. Kamakura is based on over 60 years of pro commentaries we have collected. Not currently in print owing to Slate & Shell’s decision to end paper production of books.
The Go Consultants describes one of the famous consulation games of the 1930s in which Go Seigen and Kitani Minoru, stars of New Fuseki, took on the top players of the old order, their teachers Suzuki Tamejiro and Segoe Kensaku in a consultation game. The discussions of the two teams were recorded and provide a unique insight into how professionals think.
Published as an e-book by SmartGo
The first book to appear under the strapline “From the GoGoD Archives”, The Go Companion is a selection of popular material from our New In Go column combined with newly written material (about 60%) in similar vein, to present a 300-page wide-ranging survey of go culture and history. Not currently in print owing to Slate & Shell’s decision to end paper production of books.
