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Go Seigen Turns 100, Keeps On Playing

Go Seigen -- regarded by many to be the greatest go player who ever lived -- celebrated his 100th birthday on June 12. “I still study Go every day, placing stones on the board,” Go Seigen said in his book ‘A Way of Play for the 21st Century.’ “You might think study is meaningless for me, since I retired so many years ago. But for people who play it, Go is like an eternal friend, a permanent art form. I’ll continue playing and studying Go. Probably just like you.” Many players, including pros, still study and learn from Go Seigen’s games today. “Go Seigen created a new paradigm in the game of go and raised the understanding of future players to a new level,” writes Youngil An 8P on Go Game Guru. Click here to see Youngil An’s commentary on a memorable 1940 Go Seigen game against Kitani Minoru, who was his best friend and rival. “Even though this game was played almost 75 years ago,”  says Youngil An, “Go’s play still feels modern and he plays many moves that normal players wouldn’t even imagine.”
 - Based on a report on Go Game Guru; photo by Zhang Jingna