Disclaimer: I do not own Hikaru no Go

Chapter 4: That game long ago

Taiwan Go Institute

"I resign. Thanks for the game." said Song Chen, 7-dan, bowing respectfully.

"Thanks for the game." Touya Kouyo returned the compliment.

"It really is an honour for the Taiwan Go Institute to be hosting such a distinguished guest as you, Touya-sensei. You provide great inspiration to all of us, and for the Taiwan Go league that has only recently turned professional." continued Song.

"You flatter me. I relish the chance to travel and meet new Go players, and I'm very happy that your institute can provide me with this opportunity. Taiwan has some really promising players, for example Murong Feng, who is already a 2-dan despite only being 13 year old. I had a really interesting game with him 2 days ago." Touya Kouyo replied graciously.

"I agree. He is one of our bright sparks. Touya-sensei, I heard a rumor that your retirement and subsequent travels were motivated by that game you played online against Sai, long ago. Is it true? I'm really curious."

"Ha ha, you've heard of that game too. Honestly, I'm eagerly looking forward to my next game with Sai. However, I need to continue to hone my skills and raise my Go to a new level, before I'm ready to play with him again."

"That game has already become the legend in the Go world. Really, Touya-sensei, you're too modest. How can your Go be not good enough?"

"The fact is, I lost that game..." a wave of emotions seemed to have swept over the former Meijin.

"Well, it was razor thin - half a moku! Oh by the way, Murong also plays online Go. In fact, it looks like he is playing a game now."

"He is also interested in internet Go?"

"That's right. He told me that last week, he met an unusually strong opponent on the internet. They played 3 games since, and he lost all of them. Not satisfied with his performance, he has been issuing new challenges against this opponent."

"Is that so? This person must be really strong, to be able to beat Murong decisively. I must take a look."

"Could it be Sai?" the thought came to Touya Kouyo, almost instinctively "He has not been seen for a long time. Maybe he decided to make a comeback?"

Murong was so engrossed in the game that he did not notice when Touya Kouyo walked over to the computer and stood next to him.

"Murong (black) vs Fujiwarano (white). Well, it is not Sai." the former Meijin seemed slightly disappointed "But his style... it has the shadow of Sai. Could he be Sai's disciple?"

"Damn it, I RESIGN!" Murong suddenly shouted, at the top of his voice. Then he suddenly saw Touya Kouyo next to him "Oh I'm sorry, Touya-sensei. I got carried away. This Fujiwarano, he's simply too strong for me."

"That was a really interesting game." Touya Kouyo offered one of his rare words of praise "Say... can you help me to request a game with him?"

"Wow, even Touya-sensei is interested in him. He would be honored. OK, I will send him a message."

Murong: Hey, a VIP wants to play with you. You have time now?

Fujiwarano: Sure. What's his nickname?

Murong: Toya Koyo.

"Touya-sensei wants to play with me!" exclaimed Hikaru "Cool, I shall show him my true strength right now!"

Fujiwarano: It'll be my pleasure. I'll host the game.

Toya Koyo (black) vs Fujiwarano (white). Time: 3 hours. Komi: 5.5 moku.

"Just like that game..." Touya Kouyo and Hikaru commented, to themselves.


"The light is still on in Father's room" Akira noticed on his way to the restroom "He only just returned from Taiwan today. Is he waiting for his imaginary opponent to play with him again?"

Akira recalled the occasions when his father just sat next to the goban by himself, with black and white stones on opposite sides and just a single black stone on the board. This time, however, his father was laying out the stones instead.

"Akira, don't keep standing there. Come in."

"Yes, father." Akira needed only a moment's glance at the board to recognize the game "This game... isn't it that match you played with Sai?"

"That's right. I have been thinking about the game for a long time now. Look at this move." Touya Kouyo laid out the game to the crucial decisive moment "It seemed to me at that time that it was absolutely necessary for black to connect here. It resulted in a 0.5 moku loss for me. However, if I had placed it here instead, threatening white's corner, the result would have been a 2.5 moku win for me instead."

"I have seen it before. Hikaru showed it to me at the Go salon."

"I see. So Hikaru also discovered this move." Touya Kouyo seemed unusually pleased "When I found this move, I was very happy, for a while. At first, I thought defeat was inevitable, but it seemed that there was a way to win after all. It was a pity I didn't think of it during the game."

"I was happy for you too, father."

"But after some time, I became dissatisfied again. In a strange way, I wanted Sai to win that game. He clearly played above me, and do not deserve to lose like that. So I continued to search for a way for white to win, after that move."

"So did you find it, father?"

"It was not easy. I thought about it for at least 3 months. After all, it was close to end-game, and there were not many more possibilities. But I found it, eventually."

Touya Kouyo placed a white stone at a seemingly irrelevant part of the board. Akira, baffled at first, watched as his father continued to play out the moves. Twenty moves later, the outcome was clear. White sacrificed the chance to cut off black in the middle, as well as its territory in the corner, in exchange for the destruction of the black stones on the left side. It ended in a 1.5 moku victory for white.

"Wow, father, that's amazing! It requires an exceptionally deep reading of the game! I would never of thought of that!"

"Ha ha, it took me 3 months to come up with that."

"Father, have you been spending all your time on this game recently?"

"Well, yes and no. I have been thinking about this game. But I have also been considering some of my other games. You see, I am currently writing a book on some of the more interesting games in my career, including games against Kuwabara sensei, Ogata, Kurata, you, and of course, that game with Sai. Besides providing an in depth analysis of each game, I also supplied some alternatives as to how the game could have been played. Perhaps I will also include the online games I have played recently."

"You started playing online again?"

"That's right. It's against a player by the name Fujiwarano. I would show you the games, but you really should go to bed. Perhaps I'll just show you the opening of my last game. He plays an interesting style, somewhat like Sai."

The game started with the usual Joseki. Then at move 13, black played in an unusual position. It was a move Akira instantly recognized.

"This style... there is no doubt about it! Father has been playing Hikaru!"

End of Chapter 4


Author's notes: From the website of the Taiwan Go Institute, I gathered that they have recently turned professional. However, I am not familiar with their league, and I apologize if I made any mistakes. The komi for recent Go tournaments have been changed to 6.5 or 7.5, but I have kept it at 5.5 since that was the case in the story.

angjels: I didn't mean to mysterious. But it is a bonus if you think it is so

kathy: Sorry I can't make Hikaru win. It has to be so. It's going to be Hikaru x Akari, sorry to disappoint the Shonen-ai fans. In any case, romance is not very important to the story.

flute: You'll find out as the story develops!

mikage-aya, thuyhy: Thanks for reviewing!