Life In 19x19

There are many great players who do not quite reach the top and so they rarely enjoy accolades such as a collection of best games. Rectifying that slightly, here is the 1841 game regarded as the lifetime masterpiece of Ito Showa, whose day job was as a jozu (7-dan) but who doubled up as the Honinbo family steward, and thus also as one of the main teachers of the likes of Shusaku and Shuei.

I think Ito Showa did have an interesting style, caused by him having to play so many games under a teaching and stewarding attitude. Many seem to be lost because he's, at least to my eyes, trying to provide artificial situations for his pupils to increase their skills in.