computer-go: RE: Go Seigen : was Re[2]: computer-go

[Sam Sloan <sloan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

In the middle game and endgame, the top players 300 years ago like Dosaku,
Osenchi, Jowa, Shuwa, Shusaku, Gennan Inseki, Ota Yuzo, etc., were as good
or perhaps better than (especially Dosaku and Shusaku, who made very few
mistakes and were more consistent in their play, compared to today's top
pros) the top pros of today. It is true that opening theory has advanced
considerably since Dosaku, but middle game and endgame is pretty much the
same.

The late Takagawa Kaku, who was Honinbo for nine consecutive terms in the
1950s, and was a title contender until the 1970s) said that he would have to
take four stones from God to make it an even game. Perhaps this is a
realistic estimate. I don't know of any professional who claims to be near
perfect play. They all (and I mean all who have ever commented on this
subject) claim that their go needs substantial improvement

Great modern players like Fujisawa Shuko and Kobayashi Koichi claim that
Honinbo Shuei (died 1907) was stronger than they are.

Korean Go is more territory-oriented that influence-oriented. Yamashita
Keigo 7-dan (the 21-year-old who won the Gosei title from Kobayashi Koichi)
often plays a 5-5 and 5-4 combination on one side of the board. He is
probably the most recent strong player to adopt an influence-oriented game.
However, most title holders in Japan, Korea, and China play a tight
territorial game.

Richard Bozulich