Legendary Chinese go master dies in Japan

WU Qingyuan, a legendary Go chess master known in Japan as Go Seigen, has died at the age of 100 in Odawara, Japan, Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported yesterday. 

Wu was born in Fuzhou, capital of southeast China’s Fujian Province and, encouraged by his father, began to learn the Chinese board game at an early age. His talent was recognized at the age of 9 when he beat Wang Yunfeng, one of China’s top players. 

In 1928, Wu moved to Japan and the following year was awarded the rank of 3rd dan by the Nihon Ki-in, the Japan Go Association.

In 1950, he was granted 9th dan, the highest professional level. He became a naturalized citizen in 1979. 

Along with his friend and 5th-dan player Minoru Kitani, he developed a new strategy focusing on the center of the board, the basis of modern Go strategy. The pair are recognized as the fathers of modern Go. 

Wu dominated the professional game until his retirement in 1984 at the age of 70.

A board game like chess, Go is played with black and white pieces, with each player seeking to enclose more territory on the board than his opponent.