Go game review #2: Honinbo Shusaku 6d vs Ota Yuzo 7d

Who?

Honinbo Shusaku was indeed a top player of his time for even his rivalries with other go players are famous. Ota Yuzo was notably one of his greatest rivals. Ota Yuzo was a top player in his own right and was actually stronger than Shusaku at first. It is said that Shusaku played more games with him than with anyone else. 

This game was played in February of 1853 and is one of many they played around that time. 

The game:

Shusaku takes white and Yuzo takes black.

Opening + first fight:

Black takes the lower left corner although it is still open and can be recaptured by white if black is not careful. White ends the first fight and moves to the spot above the lower middle star point. If white at K5 connects with the stone at G6, black will have to quickly fight to make life in the corner. 

Middle fight:

Black which is Yuzo starts the fight for the middle around here. Compared to the game between Inseki and Shusaku, this fight for the middle starts sooner and it is not even mid-game yet. White can easily take the lower right corner which is the only corner left to claim but white does not move there after this. Instead Shusaku focuses on the white group on the right side. This is a good choice because black's move here helps him gain in the middle and attack the white group on the right at the same time.

After mid-game:

White's bottom territory and upper left corner are pretty big. Black has lost the lower left corner that he had in the beginning and has only the upper right corner with not much territory elsewhere. The stone Yuzo placed to start the fight for the middle is now white's capture and did not work well for him in the end.

  

End result:

White wins by two points. It was a very close game and not a big defeat for Yuzo. It is a loss still and Shusaku walks away with a win. In the game of go a win is a win and a player can lose by just half a point. Ties do happen but if you can win, you will want to win instead of tying with your opponent.