For all the descriptions about gradual breakdown of tradition in the other novels, this extraordinary work chronicles the total and irreversible disintegration of a particular cultural practice, namely, the artistic emphasis of playing the chess game Go. It was made even more philosophically interesting when one read the work in August 2017, three months after DeepMind's AlphaGo won 3 - 0 to the World No. 1 - this reprint is update enough to include the results in the preface. In the modern world, we consider a game of chess a competitive sport, where the objective is to win within set rules. It is a battle of decision making - reason rather than feeling - so the advent of artificial intelligence brings all sorts of wonders about the limitations of human intelligence. In the days of Imperial Japan, however, to practice the art of Go was a well-paid honour, in which the playing style and respected conventions are direct reflections of sophistication so there was more to mere winning and losing. The best player, often undefeated, was given the title of "Meijin". There was only one Meijin at a time and the titleholder retained it for life. This tradition diminished when it lost official support, and eventually ended when the last Meijin decided to retire the title in a last match against a tournament-chosen challenger in 1938, and this novel is a historical account of this encounter. It is remarkable in that the book not only details the 237 moves that spanned over six months in 41 chapters, it is also an epic description on and, at times, unusually blunt commentary of all the psychological and physical struggles of both players, the changes of the surroundings, the spectators and cultural significance. It writes as much about facial expressions as urination frequencies. Apparently it is recommended reading for all aspiring Go players. You really have to read it to believe how the arrangement of 237 black and white dots in a regular-spaced 2D grid can be so engrossing.
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