During the twentieth century the Japanese developed the game of go and the associations that support it to an extent never before seen. That resulted in an astoundingly creative evolution of go and great numbers of thrilling matches and stupendous games.
Kido magazine was the flagstaff publication of the Nihon Ki-in (Japanese Go Association) that chronicled these events, from its founding in 1924 to its termination in 1999. The highlights of that 75 year period are contained in this work.
There are chapters that cover the great matches that were played over the decades, astounding games that seem to defy logic, tremendous rivalries, unforgettable personalities and unique twists of events. All of this is fascinating, but Kido also published a series of instructional articles, cultural and artistic reports, go problems, and analysis and group discussions, among other things. It also published the work of top writers in Japan visiting exotic playing sites. (One of those sites is the city of Obama in Nagasaki Prefecture!) All of this and more may be found here. Plus dozens of photographs to show graphically where everything took place.
When a Ko Was Not a Ko is packed with material that has rarely been seen in the West. It is part almanac, part teaching manual, part travelogue, part cultural treatise and part game collection. It contains more than 30 games, with 15 fully annotated.
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