The Never-ending Road: Chapter 21 – Brusque Commentary

By Leitbur

-------------------------------------------

"Oh Shindo, there you are. Good to see that you made it."

Turning his head toward the sound of his name, Hikaru spotted one of the seminar directors motioning him over. He'd worked seminars for the Go Association before, and had been surprised by how many people of all ages could be drawn to one of these kinds of events. The Go Association certainly went all out for these events too, as there had to be twenty or more pros at the event acting in different capacities.

Reaching the director now, Hikaru took the sheet of paper that the director offered him and began to read it over as the director continued, "You'll be in Room 309 in the morning with Tajima and Ochi. After your lunch break, please try to make it to the auditorium on the 2nd Floor, they want everyone there a little early."

Nodding, Hikaru turned and made his way off towards the elevators. So they'd added more to his schedule than he had previously done in the past. The last two times he'd done an event like this he'd been there to do straight shidougo, but now it seemed they wanted to showcase him off a little bit more. He still had shidougo lessons scheduled for the morning, but now the afternoon had him scheduled to do commentary for a match between Ryoko Haruki 9 – Dan and… Kurata. Well that didn't sound so bad, he'd spent some time playing Kurata while preparing for the Hokuto Cup after all, and while Hikaru wasn't quite sure how serious either player would be taking this seminar game today, it still ought to be fun.

Scanning over the schedule some more as he stepped into the elevator, Hikaru noticed that Akira was also here. It looked like he was scheduled to do commentary for Ogata's match against Yoshirou Kamishi 9 – Dan tomorrow. Chuckling to himself, Hikaru began to wonder if having both of them doing commentary for the seminar had anything to do with that recent offer they'd received. The organizers of the NHK Cup had stopped by the Go Association building last Thursday asking if both he and Akira would be interested in acting as the analytical commentary for the televised tournament. Neither he nor Akira had been too fond of the idea, but the organizers had assured them that having two young players like themselves talking to the audience and television viewers, sharing thoughts and comments, would be good publicity and might draw more curiosity from the younger viewers.

Akira had voiced concern that normal people might not take Hikaru and himself seriously given their ages, and while he himself had not voiced it, Hikaru had wondered if it was a good idea at all for Akira and him to be sharing their thoughts on television. After all, if someone just looked at how many of their discussions at the Go salon had ended, it certainly was cause for alarm. It was possible though that either the organizers or the Go Association had not quite given up on the idea, and that this weekend was being used as an audition for the job that Hikaru suspected neither he nor Akira really wanted all that much.

Stepping out of the elevator now, Hikaru glanced down at his schedule again, checking his shidougo partners. Tajima 3 – Dan and Ochi 3 – Dan, just as the director had said. Coming to a halt, Hikaru blinked and looked again. Ochi… 3 – Dan. He hadn't heard that Ochi had made 3 – Dan, although given his winning streaks it wasn't exactly surprising. Ochi tended to win ten games or so in a row before losing a game or two, only to go on another streak. So Ochi was the first of their passing class to make 3 – Dan.

Beginning to walk down the hallway again, Hikaru pondered this. Ochi was an anomaly really, the true loner of the past two graduating groups. While Waya, Isumi, Honda and himself spent a fair amount of time studying and hanging out with one another, Ochi was the lone insei that avoided the others, as if he expected their presence to bring him down. Come to think of it, Ochi had been like that as an insei too, often carrying his lofty superior personality around. In many ways, Ochi's desire to succeed surpassed even Hikaru's, and it was far more obvious because he refused to lean on anyone else for support, to accept that he wasn't special, unstoppable even. It wasn't a bad attitude, as it did keep his confidence in his ability to win strong, but it was a fragile confidence, prone to cracking, even shattering, when the slightest blemish appeared in its sheen.

Shrugging his shoulders as he opened the door and stepped into the room, spotting his name on one of the tables, Hikaru entered and said good morning to the other occupants in the room. Oh well, at least he didn't have to share a room with Ochi tonight.

-------------------------------------------

"And so Kurata-sensei has chosen to play there. As you can see this makes for a good push on the right side of the board. Wouldn't you agree Shindo?"

Nodding to Iwasaki 7 - Dan, Hikaru looked at the board with a slightly timid expression. Honestly he wouldn't have played there had he been the one making the move, not that Kurata's move wasn't good, but it just seemed to Hikaru that there were better moves. "Yes, it's a nice move, and a nice way to counter Haruki-sensei's play here. It's pretty clear given how she's playing that Haruki-sensei is trying to overpower and crush Kurata, but he's not backing down at all."

Smiling slightly as this was the longest comment by Hikaru yet during the match, Iwasaki pointed to the board and continued, "Yes, now it's likely that Kurata-sensei will try to move here next, so why don't we start playing it out to see what may occur."

A young female whom Hikaru did not recognize then stepped out holding several large magnetic stones and handed them to Iwasaki who gave a slight nod to her before returning his attention to the board and placing a stone. "So if Haruki-sensei plays here, then Kurata will make his move for this spot here and force here. Now this favors Kurata-sensei, so Har… ah yes, Haruki-sensei played here to prevent this advantage."

Nodding silently as Iwasaki continued to discuss the move, Hikaru sighed. This just didn't seem right to him at all. Commentating on a game like this with the players right next to them, even if it was only an exhibition game, really no different than any of the pick up games that he played at Akira's Go salon, seemed wrong. It seemed to him that it would have been better if it was set up like the Hokuto Cup had been, with the commentary in a separate room. Still, he did understand that with this not being a sponsored tournament with no real stakes, it was not necessary. Besides, the crowd seemed to really like seeing the players live rather than just their moves on a screen.

Klak.

Glancing over at the magnetic board now as the young lady placed the position of Kurata's reply, Hikaru's eyes almost shot out of his head. That move… it was bad in so many ways. Sure, Kurata might not be giving this game his all, but still, it was timid, weak. Glancing over at Iwasaki, Hikaru saw that he too seemed slightly nervous and shaken by the move.

Scratching the back of his neck, Iwasaki then continued, "Umm, yes… so Kurata-sensei played there. This is a forceful move and… well…" Damn, I don't know what he was thinking on this move, but I don't want to upset Kurata, he might hurt me afterwards. How should I…

"I think it's a pretty lame move. Sure, it seems like a strong reaction, but it doesn't leave flexibility." Iwasaki cringed as he looked to see Hikaru now standing next to the board gesturing to the move that Kurata had just played. Why, why had Hikaru chosen this moment to start commentating? Iwasaki had been trying for most of the match to get Hikaru to say more than just a few sentences, to take some of the work off himself, not to mention give Hikaru the opportunity to show off his knowledge. Yet he'd remained rather quiet, perhaps even a little nervous. It had been expected of course, Hikaru was just a kid still and had never done a live commentary like this. So why had he chosen now to get over that timid, nervous start? Kurata was going to…

"Hey Shindo, what do you mean my move sucked?"

Iwasaki gulped. Somehow Kurata had gotten hold of a microphone and had turned around in his seat to question Hikaru. Was this some sort of gag? Perhaps one of those television reality shows that set people up in crazy situations to see how they'd react? Would that mean his family was watching him right now?

Hikaru meanwhile had turned to face Kurata, and even as Iwasaki seemed to be withering and shrinking away, Hikaru's energy began to rise. "I'm only speaking the truth Kurata. I could have made a better move than that without even taking the time to think."

"WHAT?"

Not backing down in the slightest, Hikaru continued, "Well look at the move. I mean I know you rely on intuition at times, but I guess your intuition's taking a day off."

As Kurata was about to respond, he heard the laughter from the crowd, and looking out at them, frowned and turned back in his seat. "Fine, I'll show you the power of Atsushi Kurata, just you watch Shindo." As he said this Haruki played her stone, and looking down at the board Kurata attempted to hide a gasp. She'd…

As if reading Kurata's thoughts, Hikaru said, "See, I told you so. Haruki-sensei has just capitalized on the mistake that Kurata used here. Now likely she'll continue to press here." Hikaru continued on as the crowd laughed some more. Soon the theatrics appeared to settle down, and Iwasaki breathed a sigh of relief. That had been scary, he had half expected some sort of altercation to occur for a minute. Well, at least Hikaru was talking now, and the crowd had seemed to find it all quite entertaining. Iwasaki glanced out at the crowd who were now listening to Hikaru quite intently as he began to describe Kurata's attempt to claw his way back, then returned his gaze to Hikaru. It took a certain kind of person to be able to talk that way to someone like Kurata. After all, Kurata's titleholder status was likely imminent, and in fact, depending on who you asked, even overdue. Yet Hikaru had no problem pointing out such a mistake as that. Then again, if what he'd seen and heard were true, this boy might not be that far off from a title of his own.

-------------------------------------------

"So as you can see, playing the corner move here at 19-18 before making the atari is essential for black, otherwise white can live by creating an eye using the 19-18 point and survive. Are there any questions?" Pausing a moment and receiving none, Hikaru then continued, "Well then that's all for the lecture, I hope you all enjoyed it." Taking a slight bow, Hikaru then made his way off the small stage.

This was far easier than the commentary, lecturing on Go problems. He'd had some practice filling in for Shirakawa's Go class, and in fact he'd be back there again next Sunday as Shirakawa would be playing in a Hayago tournament. Now that he thought about it in fact, he rather wished he could switch places with Shirakawa, taking that tournament right off his plate. Perhaps he should start to look into taking on some of the more minor tournaments as well soon.

As he stepped down several members of the crowd who had been listening to his lecture moved over to talk to him. "That was wonderful Shindo-pro, you explained everything so well."

"Yes, I learned a lot from that lecture. It's hard to believe you're only fifteen."

"He may be fifteen, but Shindo-sensei is in the Kisei League after all. He even defeated Kuwabara Honinbo."

"Oh, that's true."

Chuckling slightly at all the fuss being made about him, Hikaru just smiled back at all of them. It really was strange to hear people talking about him in this way, just like he'd heard people talk about Akira for all those years. Still, it was kind of unnerving for some reason. Sure he was in the Kisei League, he'd even pulled out his game against Kuwabara, but some of their flattery was rather… excessive. After all, he wasn't the real genius, the true genius was no longer here to see the success he had gained.

"Thank you, all of you. I appreciate your support."

Another person chimed in, preventing Hikaru's escape. "Oh Shindo-sensei, I signed up for your shidougo lessons tomorrow."

At this, others began to comment as well. "Hey, maybe I should as well."

"Yeah, I mean we can get a chance to learn from the next Kisei."

"Hey Shindo-pro, can I have an autograph please?"

At those words, Hikaru froze. An autograph, someone wanted his autograph? Turning around, he saw the middle-aged person in question holding out a paper fan. This was unreal. Now he had to deal with autograph requests, and he hadn't really won anything yet. He was turning into Kurata.

As if in answer to his thoughts, a voice rang out from behind the small congregation, "Wow Shindo, you're giving out autographs already? Beat old man Kuwabara and now you have a big head huh? Maybe you should wait until you beat me first."

As he heard the voice, Hikaru paled, and as the crowd parted Kurata came into view. Was he still mad about earlier? Before he could say anything, Kurata continued, "I'm sorry everyone, but I need to have a quick word with Shindo here. Could you please excuse us."

With that Kurata motioned for Hikaru to follow him, and complying the pair moved off over towards one of the lecture stands. Sliding behind the stand, Kurata turned to Hikaru and said, "Look Shindo, about earlier…"

Interjecting, Hikaru bowed and hastily blurted out, "I'm sorry about that Kurata. I just saw the move and it came out and I… I'm sorry."

Grinning at this, Kurata chuckled and replied, "It's fine Shindo, and you were right about that move. I guess maybe I was taking today a bit easy, but you certainly got me fired up. Besides, the audience seemed to enjoy it."

Sighing in relief, Hikaru nodded. So Kurata wasn't upset with him after all. Well, it was Kurata, and he wasn't the type to hold something like that against him. After all, they'd spent some time playing one another at Akira's house, and it was clear that Kurata acknowledged his skills. Not only that, but he had a feeling that Kurata actually liked him too. Yeah, Kurata was cool, fun even. He was so…

Kurata then continued, "After all, not everyone you commentate on is going to be as forgiving and understanding as I am. I know, you figure you have to get your shots in before I'm Kisei, Meijin and Honinbo, but you have to be tactful. Still, I just wanted to let you know that I'm not upset."

Frowning, Hikaru sighed heavily. Kurata was so into himself, that's what he was. There were very few people Hikaru had met who showed such brazen confidence in their own abilities as Kurata did. He was definitely a braggart; a fun, cool, entertaining braggart perhaps, but a braggart for sure. Chuckling lightly to himself now, Hikaru shook his head slightly. Still, he couldn't imagine Kurata any other way.

Checking his watch, Kurata then said, "Oh, I have to get going. I'm supposed to be meeting someone for dinner." As he began to move off, Kurata then turned back to look at Hikaru and added, "Hey Hikaru, if you really want to show that you're better than me, make sure you get through the Kisei League to the challenger match. I'll see you there. Heh, if you can beat me in the Kisei Challenger I'll even finish signing that autograph for you. Talk about motivation huh? Later."

Blanching as Kurata turned to leave, Hikaru felt a sweatdrop forming as he struggled to keep a straight face. I don't want it!

-------------------------------------------

Author's Notes:

Well this was a somewhat shorter chapter, but it was certainly less intense than the last couple of chapters. I felt it was best to get away from all that tension and just relax a little. After all, there was a lot of stuff to digest in that last chapter. Plus I know some of you have been inquiring about how pros make money, so I thought I'd show Hikaru at the type of event where his primary income would come from. After all, it's not really in the tournaments, but rather in the teaching of Go that pros make their money.

I suppose it might be a little boring or dull, it certainly wasn't one of my favorite chapters to write, but it was a chapter I nonetheless wanted to have. Hopefully like pervious chapters like this one you all found it enjoyable. I don't know, maybe I'm just anxious to write the next chapter, as I've been looking forward to writing it for awhile.

Terms:

NHK Cup: This is a single knockout Go tournament with a prize of 5 million Yen ($43,000). Before 1963 it was broadcast via radio, but has since been shown on television. It is a minor tournament, not comparable to the Big Seven titles. Hane Naoki 9 – Dan is the most recent winner, who also happens to hold the record for quickest promotion to 9 – Dan at 11 years and 3 months set on July 25, 2002. I should note that this record was set under the old rules with the Oteai, and a player could quite easily make 9 – Dan much faster now with instant promotions.

Eye: Well, this is a slightly more difficult term to describe. An eye is basically an empty space or territory surrounded by stones of one color and cannot be played in by an opponent because to play in it would be an automatic capture. These are very important and central to Go strategy because if a group of stones holds two or more eyes then that group cannot be captured. I'm sure a diagram of an eye exists online somewhere if you need a visual. Note also that this is a basic description, and a false eye also falls under this description.

Hayago Tournament: This is a Lightning Go tournament, usually played with ten seconds per move rules and no byo-yomi. There are a number of minor tournaments that play by these rules and are quite popular, possibly due to their shorter game time and faster, more action-packed pace. Examples of these types of tournaments include the NEC Cup, the Agon Kiriyama Cup, and the Ryusei Cup. It should also be noted that winning the latter two grants an immediate promotion to 7 – Dan under the new rules.

Now to answer a few questions that several of you have. My Dan or Kyu level? Well I actually have no idea, as I'm not sure how those levels are measured. I've never had my Go level formally tested either, so I can't really answer that. I doubt that I'm very high though, I've only been playing for maybe a year.

How tense are Go games? Well I've never played in a professional tournament before, but my understanding is that while there is a great amount of tension, the amount seen in Hikaru no Go is a bit much, and likely there to add more emotional drama to the story. It should be remembered however that for the most part, a great deal of the tension in the story, or any tension for that matter, is really in the player's heads, and can grow more intense that way. People can feel tension, but it's not something that can really be measured scientifically.

Will we see this side of Hikaru in the Kisei League? Well I suppose it depends on whether you believe that the Hikaru we saw against Nase is the same Hikaru that played Akira and Hagiwara, or if it was a different sort of Hikaru. That being said, this is the Kisei League, and if he gets desperate… who knows. It should also be noted that Hikaru did not so much let up on Nase but rather began to enjoy himself a little more in the thrill of the moment. Despite the stakes, this is what he lives for and it's easy to get caught up in it all. As for Nase being a challenge for Hikaru, well I don't know if that's the right word. It likely seemed that way because at one point Nase just let go and decided to play regardless of the outcome. She was losing more and more with each move, but she didn't care about it that much, she just wanted to go down fighting.

Keep Hikaru single? Well I'll just refer you to my fourth Leitbur's Corner article that discusses the matter in more detail. As for Akira learning the truth about Sai, that's a plot issue, so forgive me if I don't answer it. Still, it is intriguing isn't it?

Now, about the next chapter. I know many of you have been waiting for it, so I will let you know that this current chapter took place during the last weekend in August. That means that we're now in September. So next chapter will finally give you Hikaru's visit to Akari's High School Go club. I shall say no more.

My, another chapter with so many reviews. There's a lot more people reading this story it appears too. Well I thank you all for your continued interest and comments on this humble story. I will also mention that there is a fanart picture on the yahoo group depicting a scene from a recent chapter, and I would like to both thank the reader who created it and encourage anyone who wants to see it to go to the group and do so. Thanks again, and R&R. Feel free to email me with any questions or comments you'd prefer not be read by others, just make sure the subject is clear so I don't delete it.