Go game review #1: Gennan Inseki 8p vs Honinbo Shusaku 4p, ear-reddening game

Who?

Honinbo Shusaku is seen as one of the greatest go players of all time, especially in Japan where he was born and from. At a young age Shusaku's talent for the game was clear and it wasn't long before he became a professional. This game is against Gennan Inseki who is another professional player. A professional is someone who is an expert at the game of go and plays in competitions and teaches the game for a living. 

This is not a new game and was played in Japan on July of 1846. This game was recorded down on paper along with others he played. Go/wei chi/ baduk enthusiasts and professionals like to refer and learn from his games even to this day. When this game was played, Gennan Inseki was the stronger player and it was predicted he would win rather easily.

The game:

This game is one of Shusaku's most famous games and it is called the ear-reddening game where Shusaku's opponent's ear got red somewhere around mid-game and gives himself away. Some people are born with the physical trait of turning red easily on the ears, neck or face when they are nervous or anxious. It is said that this was noted by a doctor. 

Opening + first fight:

This is the result of the opening and first fight for territory in the lower right corner. White ends the fight by placing a stone at "x". The bottom corner is now split between the two sides. Black gained three points of territory and white got more from this exchange. If we predict from this point, it seems white will win. It is too early in the game to decide however and black can turn the tide and claim victory.

Around mid-game, the ear-reddening move played by Shusaku:

Black at "x" is the famous ear-reddening move. It is said that when Shusaku played this move, his opponent's ears started to get red. At this point it is about mid-game. Black has gotten the upper right and marked the lower left corner. Black playing at K11 means he wants to start the fight for the middle territory. 

Could he have chosen to go somewhere else? Definitely. But the young and already professional Shusaku decides at that moment, I want the middle!  

Gennan Inseki's response to Shusaku's center move:

Inseki decides to ignore Shusaku's center move at first and does not respond until several moves later. Is this the pride of a stronger player? It seems so to me. Instead white responds by taking the upper left corner and adds some side territory to that also. White only plays at "x", J10, in response to black's K11 after several moves elsewhere. It seems like white is saying, now we fight for the middle.

End result:

The end result is this with black winning by three points. Perhaps Inseki should have responded right away to Shusaku's center move, but that is debatable. The result of the middle fight was pretty even with both sides getting similar amount of points. This is an example of a good and well-fought out game between two experts at the time. It is important to win but it is just as important to feel good about it.

After playing his opponent, Inseki readily admitted that Shusaku was stronger than he first thought and adjusted the next game accordingly.

***Beginner's tip: 

From this game you can see how one move can turn the whole game around. This will happen in Go. Maybe you lost a few stones or some territory in the beginning but don't fret yet, the game can be turned around and you could walk away with a win. 

But be careful! This does not mean you shouldn't be afraid of losing territory or stones. You may sacrifice some points but if you let go of too much the winner will be clear and there is no changing it after that.