Modern Go
From the 17th century establishment of Japan's Four Houses to the 21st century China-Korea rivalry, modern Go has experienced important transitions toward professionalization and internationalization. This history witnessed Go's evolution from traditional Eastern art to global competitive sport.
Japan's Four Houses Era (1612-1868)
Establishment of the House System
In 1612, Tokugawa Ieyasu officially established the "Go-dokoro" (Go Authority), appointing Hon'inbo Sansa as the first Go-dokoro. This marked the formal beginning of Go professionalization.
Subsequently, the Inoue house, Yasui house, and Hayashi house were successively established, together with the Hon'inbo house forming the "Four Houses." These four Go houses received stipends from the shogunate and specialized in Go research and education.
Castle Game Competition
Each year, representatives from the Four Houses would play "Castle Games" in Edo Castle, demonstrating their skills to the shogun. This system sparked intense competition among the houses, driving rapid development of Go technique.
To achieve good results in Castle Games, each house's players studied behind closed doors year-round, developing many joseki and tesuji, and establishing systematic Go theoretical frameworks.
Hon'inbo Dosaku and Hon'inbo Shusaku
Hon'inbo Dosaku (1645-1702) is considered the first "Go Saint" in Go history. He created the "tewari" evaluation method, established the prototype of the dan ranking system, and laid scientific foundations for Go theory.
Hon'inbo Shusaku (1829-1862) was the last superstar of the Four Houses era. He set a record of 19 consecutive wins in Castle Games, and his "Shusaku style" opening layout had far-reaching influence. Shusaku's solid, precise playing style was viewed by later generations as one of Go's highest standards.
End of the Four Houses Era
After the 1868 Meiji Restoration, the shogunate system collapsed, and the Four Houses lost their economic support. After a difficult transition period, Japanese Go finally established the "Nihon Ki-in" (Japan Go Association) in 1924, opening a new era of modern professional Go.
The Wu Qingyuan Era (1930-1960)
Birth of a Genius
Wu Qingyuan (1914-2014), born in Fujian, China, went to Japan for development at age 14. He quickly displayed astonishing talent and together with Kitani Minoru created the "New Fuseki" revolution.
The New Fuseki Revolution
In 1933, Wu Qingyuan and Kitani Minoru published "The New Fuseki Method," challenging the traditional "komoku" opening and advocating openings on star point, 3-3, and other high positions. This revolution completely changed Go opening theory.
New Fuseki emphasized:
- Speed is more important than solidity
- The value of the center was re-recognized
- Whole-board concepts replaced local gain/loss calculations
Ten-Game Match Invincibility
From 1939 to 1956, Wu Qingyuan defeated all top players of the era in ten-game matches (promotion/demotion long-term rivalry matches), including Kitani Minoru, Fujisawa Kuranosuke, Sakata Eio, and others, demoting them one by one.
During this period, Wu Qingyuan was recognized as the world's number one, his skills reaching the highest peak humans had attained at that time. His influence transcended borders, jointly revered by Go circles in China, Japan, and Korea.
Wu Qingyuan's Legacy
In 1961, Wu Qingyuan was injured in a car accident and gradually faded from the front lines. But his Go philosophy - pursuing the "natural way" and emphasizing whole-board balance - had profound influence on later generations. Many modern AI Go moves unexpectedly coincide with Wu Qingyuan's innovations from decades earlier.
Japan's Six Super Players Plus One Era (1970-1990)
Rise of the Six Super Players
From the 1970s to 1990s, six super-first-class players appeared in Japanese Go, known as the "Six Super Players":
- Sakata Eio (1920-2010): Precise calculation, known as "the Razor"
- Fujisawa Hideyuki (1925-2009): Bold playing style, called "Ghost Hand"
- Otake Hideo (1942-): Beautiful playing style, called "Natural Style"
- Lin Hai-feng (1942-): From Taiwan, solid and steady
- Takemiya Masaki (1951-): Created "Cosmic Style," emphasizing center
- Kobayashi Koichi (1952-): Solid playing style, precise calculation
Cho Chikun the "One Strong"
Among the Six Super Players, Cho Chikun (1956-) was particularly outstanding. Born in Korea and going to Japan at age 6, Cho Chikun set the record for most titles in Japanese Go. His playing style was tenacious, especially skilled at comebacks.
End of Japan's Golden Era
During this period, Japan was unquestionably the center of world Go. International competition champions were almost all won by Japanese players. However, in the late 1980s, Korean Go began to rise, signaling the arrival of a new era.
The Rise of Korea (1989-2010)
Cho Hunhyun: Father of Korean Go
In 1989, the first Ing Cup World Professional Go Championship was held in Beijing. Korean player Cho Hunhyun (1953-) defeated Japan's Nie Weiping in the finals to win the championship. This victory ignited Korea's Go fever.
Cho Hunhyun is called the "Father of Korean Go." Not only was he powerful himself, he also trained many top disciples, laying the foundation for Korean Go's rise.
Lee Chang-ho: The Stone Buddha Legend
Cho Hunhyun's most outstanding disciple, Lee Chang-ho (1975-), was called "Stone Buddha." His playing style was extremely steady, almost never making mistakes, famous for winning by "half a point."
From the 1990s to early 2000s, Lee Chang-ho dominated world Go:
- Most world championship titles
- World ranked #1 for multiple consecutive years
- Almost invincible in various international competitions
Lee Chang-ho's playing style influenced an entire generation of players. He proved that in Go, "not making mistakes" is more important than "playing brilliant moves."
Lee Sedol: Uninhibited Genius
Lee Sedol (1983-) is another Korean legend. Unlike Lee Chang-ho's steadiness, Lee Sedol's playing style was extremely aggressive, often producing astonishing "demon moves."
In the 2000s, Lee Sedol versus Lee Chang-ho was called the "Two Lees Era." Their games with completely different styles brought fans countless exciting moments.
Lee Sedol was also the player who represented humanity against AlphaGo in 2016. Although he lost 1:4, his "divine move" in the fourth game became a classic moment of human resistance against AI.
In 2019, Lee Sedol announced his retirement, saying: "Even if I become number one, there is an entity that cannot be defeated."
China's Revival (2010-2015)
Gu Li and Kong Jie
In the late 2000s, Chinese Go began to revive. Gu Li (1983-) and Kong Jie (1982-) and other players achieved important breakthroughs on the international stage, breaking Korea's monopoly.
Gu Li was called "the Blunt Blade," known for his powerful late-game ability. His rivalry with Lee Sedol was called "Peerless Rivals," the most exciting rivalry of that era.
The Rise of Ke Jie
Ke Jie (1997-) represents China's new generation of Go. He won the world championship at just 17 years old in 2015 and has since topped world competitions multiple times.
Ke Jie's playing style is sharp, his personality flamboyant, and he's very active on social media. He represents the image of a new generation of players: both with traditional Go cultivation and modern ways of expression.
In 2017, Ke Jie represented humanity's last match against AlphaGo, losing 0:3. After the match, Ke Jie said: "It (AlphaGo) is too perfect. I don't see any hope of victory."
Shin Jinseo: King of the Post-AI Era
Shin Jinseo (2000-), a Korean player, is considered representative of the "AI generation." He has used AI for training since childhood, his playing style combining human creativity with AI precision.
After 2018, Shin Jinseo rose rapidly to become the world's #1 ranked player. His rivalry with Ke Jie has become the main theme of China-Korea Go competition in the post-AI era.
Human Go development has gone through wonderful evolution from ancient cultural inheritance to modern professional competition. However, the appearance of AlphaGo in 2016 drew an important dividing line in this history.
Next chapter: AI Go Development History