Hosai Fujisawa

Hosai Fujisawa
Full name Hosai Fujisawa
Kanji 藤沢朋斎
Born March 5, 1919
Yokohama, Japan
Died August 2, 1993 (aged 74)
Japan
Teacher Honinbō Shūsai
Rank 9 dan

Hosai Fujisawa (藤沢 朋斎 Fujisawa Hōsai, born as Kuranosuke Fujisawa (藤沢 庫之助 Fujisawa Kuranosuke), March 5, 1919 August 2, 1993) was a professional Go player.

Biography

Hosai Fujisawa was born in Yokohama, Japan. He was among the best players of the 20th century. He became an insei at the Nihon Ki-in when he was 11 years old. He became one of Honinbō Shūsai's disciples. He was known for a strong sense of will, reading deeply and taking long turns. He had a fuseki that was different from other players. Fujisawa would usually open the game on the 3-3 point in one of the corners, then make enclosures on the parallel corner when he played black. When he played white he often played imitation go. He was the first player to be promoted to 9 dan in the Oteai system when he won the Oteai seven times. He was known for playing two Jubango matches with Go Seigen, matches made up of 10 games. These matches occurred in 1951 and 1952, the time when Fujisawa and Go were the only 9 dans. Fujisawa lost both of the matches.

An example of Hosai's fuseki (Hosai is black).

Titles & runners-up

Title Years Held
Current 2
Japan Judan 1964
Japan Oza 1958
Defunct 1
Japan Hayago Championship 1971
Title Years Lost
Current 9
Japan Honinbō 1957
Japan Judan 1965, 1967
Japan Oza 1963
Japan NHK Cup 1955, 1957, 1960, 1967, 1969
Defunct 3
Japan Hayago Championship 1968, 1970, 1972

References