Jūbango

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Jūbango ( Japanese 十 番 碁 ) is a Japanese term for a specific type of competition in Go . Ten games are played between the two participants, whereby the jūbango can also end earlier if mutual consent is given. Instead of Komi , i.e. a point advantage for the white player, Uchikomi was used in the past, i.e. a requirement for the weaker player. Well-known historical Jūbango players are for example Go Seigen , Kitani Minoru and Hon'inbō Shūei .

Jūbangos usually extend over longer periods of time and only rarely are several games played in a month. The individual games also usually take place in different locations.

Traditional form

The Jūbango was extremely popular among other classic forms of competition, especially during the Edo period in Japan (1603–1868). Most of the time, the competitions took place between rivals of about the same skill level, so that no Komi or guidelines were used, but the players took turns choosing colors. Should a player win several games in a row, the weaker player could receive a handicap.

Modern jūbango

The traditional rules were revived in the 20th century and resulted in a series of high quality competitions between the best Go players sponsored by the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun . The competitions could be conducted with great seriousness and have a considerable influence on the reputation of the players and their schools. Go Seigen was one of the most successful Jūbango players in the 20th century. After a break of 10 years, the last Jūbango between January and September 2014 between the Chinese player Gu Li and the Korean player Lee Sedol was played that Lee Sedol won 6-2.

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