Posts Tagged ‘nihonkiin’

Updated the “Professional Go tournaments” page

Tuesday, February 27th, 2007
I finished updating the “Professional Go tournaments” page – added a bit a background about the pro titles in Japan, and also a link to the upcoming Judan title page. In the Judan page I wrote a story I had almost forgotten: how Cho Chikun became self-appointed insei teacher.

Feedback

Since I added the possibility to add a comment (besides the rating) at the end of most of the 361points.com pages, a few people started to use it. I got mostly encouraging words – thanks everybody for your feedback! – but also the first actual suggestion: “Please post more lectures on fuseki, things like direction of play, thickness vs weakness, urgent points vs. big points”. I’ll try to do that as I’ll follow the Judan title next – and when I’m writing the next article/lesson. I am thinking to add some sort of page to allow users to vote on different topics they are more interested in – but until then please feel free to use either the feedback system on the website, or just comments to this blog and let me know if you have other suggestions.

Catalin Taranu

Thursday, February 8th, 2007
I think every Go player knows about Catalin Taranu – one of the very few Europeans to became professionals in Asia. He is 5 dan pro at Nihon Ki-in (in Japan). Catalin is currently living in Romania, on an extended leave from Nihon Ki-in, in order to promote Go. I recently discovered Catalin’s website. What I like in particular is his concentrated Guide to Go – which summarizes in very few words and examples a lot of key concepts – make sure you read it! While I was insei starting in early 1994, Catalin came as an insei to Japan next year, in 1995, together with Mirel “Tsurukame” Florescu. There was quite some concentration of Romanian insei at Nihon Ki-in that year :-) They literally came to Japan together (I picked them up from the airport in Narita) – but while Mirel stayed, just like me, at the Igo Kenshu Center near Tokyo, Catalin was to become an insei at the Western branch of Nihon Ki-in, in Nagoya. We did meet, all three of us, during the summer vacation in 1995 for a great vacation in Kyushu – thanks to the wonderful, late Nishimura-san – I am sure many European players remember him from several European Go Congresses. (Mirel and I also met Catalin during the same summer of 1995 at the annual insei Go camp at Hakone). Soon after that great summer of 1995 I returned home from Japan, after a little more than 18 months as an insei – to continue my University studies – while Mirel and Catalin enjoyed many more years in Japan.

Watching the Kisei title, live – thanks, Cyberoro!

Thursday, February 1st, 2007
As I mentioned on the Kisei 2007 page, I was delighted to find out that I can watch the most important Japanese Go title, live – first by finding some Japanese client software (that’s how I followed the first game), then discovering that Cyberoro broadcasts it live! That is awesome – while it is exhausting to follow a 2-day title game, I like it a lot – I feel just like in the “old days” when I was insei in Japan! Not to mention that they broadcast other games as well – today is Thursday in Japan, which is the day of the week when high-dan games are scheduled at Nihon Ki-in: the veteran Rin Kaiho is playing against the young Iyama Yuta, veteran Takemiya is playing against young Tsuruyama (who was insei at the same time I was), another games pairs 2 veterans: Otake Hideo and Kudo Norio… and I can watch all these games now. Thanks, Cyberoro Go server!