Tags: kisei, yamashita keigo, yoda norimoto
Kisei Title, Game 5
The first day of the 5th game of the Kisei title final starts today. Title holder Yamashita Keigo and challenger Yoda Norimoto are tied 2:2 after the first four games. Yamashita plays black in this game.
Funny photo taken the day before the match started: the two players are “testing” the goban:
Check the official match page for game progress and photos of the players and of the game venue.
What a strange concept of testing the goban. I’m so used to playing whatever is available (often home made goban) that I don’t even know what I’d do if I saw a ‘good’ goban. I wonder what they do if one of the players doesn’t like it?
huh!? testing the goban? what for????
Well, not really testing as in accept/reject, but enjoying the sound of the Go stones on the goban.
You know, they use very good equipment when they play title matches in Japan. Thick gobans are supposed to “sound” in a particular way when placing stones with force, so it looks to me like they enjoy that sound. They must have discussed the quality of the goban, I think.
Anyways, the photo is taken the day before the match, they were just visiting the playing room. Also, Yoda wears a very special, colorful kimono, not the one he wore today, during day 1 of the game (see the first picture).