Honinbo Sanetsu

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Honinbo Sanetsu

Name	Honinbo Sanetsu
Kanji	本因坊道悦
Born	1611
Died	1658
Birthplace	Japan
Teacher	Honinbo Sansa, Nakamura Doseki
Rank	8 dan

Honinbo Sanetsu (本因坊道悦, 1611 - 1658) was a professional Go player, and second head of the Honinbo house.

[edit] Biography

Sanetsu was the second Honinbo. A minor at the time of Honinbo Sansa's death, he inherited a difficult sitution since he could not receive the official allowance for the house. Sansa had asked Nakamura Doseki to act as Sanetsu's guardian, and through Doseki's good offices an annual 30 koku of rice was negotiated. ^[1] During his minority the position of head of the Honinbo house was in abeyance, so that the house notionally did not exist.

He played in an international match, giving Peichin Tsuhanoko of the Ryukyu Kingdom a two-stone handicap, when the latter came to Japan with a Ryukyuan embassy in 1634.[1]

The high point of his professional career came in a challenge match against Yasui Sanchi. From 1645 to 1653 they played six games of oshirogo, but the result was 3-3. Neither player therefore made the step up from 8 dan to Meijin.^[2]