Famous Red Ear Game between Genan and Shusaku, 幻庵と秀策との間の有名な耳赤の碁(2013.2.25)

　    Honinbo Shusaku (1829-1862) was born in what is now Hiroshima Prefecture, and his real name was Kuwahara Torajiro. At the age of eight, he was already able to play Ito  Showa in a 9-stone game at Onomichi. At nine, he came up to the capital to become a pupil of Honinbo Jowa.

     By 1840, he was shodan and by 1846 4-dan. In that year, he played Genan Inseki in Osaka, scoring three wins and leaving one game unfinished, including the famous Red Ear Game. Genan was amazed at the boy's strength. He was apponited Shuwa's heir  1848, and was promoted to 6-dan, and married Jowa's daughter, Hana.

     In the following year, he made his first appearance at the Shogun's Palace. In the 13-year period up to 1861, he played 19 castle games and won the lot.

     He died of cholera at the early age of 34 in the Edo (Tokyo) home of the Honinbos, without actually succeeding to the title of head of the family. Nevertheless, he is still honoured as a Honinbo.

     Shusaku was only 7-dan when he died, yet he is regarded as a go sage, a title accorded only to the very greatest go players.

Appreciating Famous Games (Shuzo Ohira 9-Dan,  translated by John Fairbairn, The Ishi Press, Tokyo, Japan,  1977)

(Reference)  碁の名手（本因坊秀策）の耳赤の一手にまつわる歴史対局、耳赤の碁、秀策流、御城碁１９連勝、とは: http://kanazawa-sakurada.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/2012/12/37.html.