Saijo Masataka 8-dan

Summer - vacation - events . . . if one were playing a word-association game, what would come next? The European Go Congress, of course! That's only common sense in the European go world. That just shows how well established and loved the congress is.               The congress is a go festival held only once a year that's so important you could say it's the go world's Christmas and New Year rolled into one.               This year [2002], it was held for the 46th time. Every year it moves to a different place, with the national go associations taking it in turns to organize it.               This year it was held for two weeks in the Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, which had formerly been a part of Yugoslavia.               Every year several hundred go players wishing to raise their level take part.               With the development of the Net in this age of information, the game of go has become much better known than before, but the truth of the matter is that people still have very few opportunities for study.               The other thing is that you don't often get a chance to receive live instruction from professional go players. People hung on my words, not wanting to miss a thing. My listeners were so enthusiastic that I too got carried away. Once the congress was over, I was too exhausted to do anything and passed a few days in a daze. Just like every year.               Of course, there were a lot of people, family, friends, lovers, enjoying go as part of their summer vacation.               The important thing is to enjoy the congress at your own pace. One of the charms of the congress is that you are free to enjoy it at your own pace and in your own way.               I can't talk about the congress without mentioning Saijo Masataka 8-dan. To tell the truth, I'm sure many of my Japanese readers won't be familiar with him. Saijo Masataka? Who's he? In Japan, he's not a very conspicuous player.               To tell the truth, although he's a senior of mine at the branch of the Nihon Ki-in I belong to, in Nagoya, I had known him for nearly 20 years without knowing anything, until a few years ago, about his magnificent teaching contributions overseas, so I can hardly criticize my readers.               No matter what the time of day, Saijo Sensei never refuses a request to teach go. So long as there's one person left who wants a game commented on or one person who wants to play a teaching game, he will keep them company until late at night or even until dawn.               Moreover, his analysis is logical and lucid, which makes him very popular in Europe, where people want things explained in black and white.               Saijo's friends secretly call this teacher who never says no 'the Buddha of go'.               Is it that if someone who perfects the art of playing is a god, then someone who perfects the art of teaching is a Buddha? Or does it come from the Buddhistic image of Japan? Anyway, Saijo Sensei has earned the trust and affection of European go fans.               Saijo Sensei's English is awful. For example: 'Black ga atari, to suru to White wa capture desho. Because de dame ne.'               Saijo can communicate with English like this. I don't know whether to be impressed or frightened.               It may seem a little early to talk about next year's congress venue, but here goes.               It's scheduled for St. Petersburg. In one corner of the hall, there was a corner where the organizers displayed PR pamphlets, maps and congress T-shirts. Some people in a hurry were already applying and vowing to meet up with each other next year.               Each year the host association goes to a lot of trouble over an original design for the congress T-shirt. Imagine what Russia and the Baduk Association had chosen for their design: the record of a 25-year-old game in which Saijo had beaten Fujisawa Shuko. Saijo was surprised and moved.               As we were parting after the congress, Saijo Sensei murmured: 'I hope they keep up this atmosphere at next year's congress.'               I took his words to heart and I plan to do my bit by turning up again.

Saijo Masataka 8-dan

('Monthly Go World', September, 2002. Translated by John Power.)