Yasui Sanchi (安井算知)
Sanchi YASUI (1617 - March 12, 1703) was a go player and the second family head of the Yasui family that was the head family of the school. The third meijin godokoro (a title that was given in Japan from the beginning of the Edo period until the Meiji Restoration; in that period it was the highest official standing that could be attained by a go player). In order to discriminate with the ninth Sanchi YASUI, he is sometimes called Meijin Sanchi.
Biography
He was born in Yamashiro Province and employed by Iemitsu TOKUGAWA when Sanchi was twelve years old and later adopted by the first Santetsu YASUI and inherited the Yasui family and became the second Sanchi YASUI. In 1630, after the second meijin Doseki NAKAMURA died, in order to determine the successor, Sanchi played with Sanetsu HONINBO rokubango (six-game go match) as oshirogo (game played in the presence of the shogun in the castle during the Edo period) from 1645. Up until 1653, both won games for the black and the result was three to three and inconclusive (There is a view that the match was by senaisen for Sanchi with the result of four wins and two losses for Sanchi). This rokubango was the first sogo (official challenge match) in Japan.
Sanetsu died in 1658 and ten years later in 1668, Sanchi petitioned to Masayuki HOSHINA, who was the feudal lord of the Aizu Domain, and others and assumed the position of the meijin godokoro which had been vacant. However, the third Doetsu HONINBO, who succeeded Sanetsu, did not agree to this and asked for a sogo and it was determined that rokujubango (sixty-game go match) should be played with josen (playing with black in all games) for Doetsu from the same year. Up until the sixteenth game, the result was nine wins, three losses and four ties for Doetsu and the handicap was changed to senaisen (playing black then white then black) and, up until the twentieth game in 1675, the result was twelve wins, four losses and one tie for Sanetsu and the match was discontinued. Handicap at that time was senaisen and it was later commneted 'Sanchi is a little superior,' but Sanchi returned the title of godokoro at the age of fifty-eight. Two years later, Doetsu also retired and let Dosaku HONINBO iherit the position of the family head and Dosaku assumed the postion of meijin godokoro.
Up until 1696, Sanchi attended at oshirogo as an observer, but he retired in 1697 and make the third Chitetsu YASUI inherit the position of the family head. In 1703, he died at the age of eighty-seven and was buried in Jakko-ji Temple in Kyoto.
(Later, the graveyard of the Yasui family was moved to Joshin-ji Temple in Edo.)
Score of the rokubango ((o) = win, (x) = loss)
1645: Sanchi (black) (o) Sanetsu
1646: Sanchi (x) Sanetsu (black)
1647: Sanchi (black) (o) Sanetsu
1648: Sanchi (x) Sanetsu (black)
1649: Sanchi (black) (o) Sanetsu
1653: Sanchi (x) Sanetsu (black)
(Result: Three to three)
Score of the nijubango ((o) = won, (x) = lost, (-) = tie)
1668: Sanchi (-) Doetsu (josen)
1669: Sanchi (x) (-) (-) (x) (o) (x) (x) (-) (x) (o) (o) Doetsu (josen)
1670: Sanchi (x) (x) (x) (x) Doetsu (josen)
(With the result of six games more wins than losses (nine wins, three losses and four ties), the handicap was changed to senaisen.)
1671: Sanchi (x) Doetsu (senaisen) black
1672: Sanchi (x) Doetsu (senaisen) black
1673: Sanchi black (o) Doetsu (senaisen)
1674: Sanchi (x) Doetsu (senaisen) black
(Ended with twelve wins, four losses and four ties for Doetsu.)
Relationship with Nobles
In "Kakumeiki," which is the diary of Horin Josho who was the sixth child of Harutoyo KAJUJI (Gon Dainagon, a provisional chief councilor of state) and the chief priest of the Rokuon-ji Temple, he wrote of the exchanges with go players including Sanchi. In the period from 1657 to 1659, he invited Sanchi and held a gokai (go-playing party) with people from the Kitano-tenmangu Shrine and Sanchi accompanied by Shunkai SHIBUKAWA and his son, Kosaburo (Chitetsu) and played go with nobles, priests, etc. In this period, Sanchi lived in Kyoto and had contact with Monnyusai HAYASHIand took on Genetsu, a son of Hokkyo (the third highest rank for Buddhist priests) Genseki NAKANISHI, who was a strong go player living also in Kyoto. During rokubango with Sanetsu, he lived in the mansion of Masayuki HOSHINA, who was Sanchi's sponsor.
In 1669, two years after Monnyusai's death, he made one of his private pupils inherit the position of the family head of the Hayashi family as the second Monnyu HAYASHI and this became the head family for go (Hayashi family).