My very first post on a blog.

Hi,

I'm Pericles. Just as old as the very game I want to tell you about, in fact. I started playing Go more than a decade ago, and am still on the go. I've found myself to have a particular interest in "odd" games. Odd as how, you are certainly already wondering ? Odd as in unique. Odd as in unusual. As in unexpected. So, as a first " post", let me show you a game that is a piece of a collectable. It was played between Yasui Sanchi- 7d - the 9th Head of the "House of Yasui" and Ito Mastujiro (more famous as "Ito Showa"), also 7d. Both were among the ten strongest players of that time. And this game does not just show how unique their skills were, but it's a collectable in the sense, that it reached 405 moves ! The record, I believe is 406 or 411. But they are quite recent. The amazing thing is that such a "long game" kifu has been preserved over the centuries and came to us. So, it is not, indeed, the longest game ever, but it should be what one calls "the longest historical game ever".

Please enjoy. (and click the bold names to be redirected to more information / opens in a new tab)

Pericles

(;SZ[19]FF[3] PW[Yasui Sanchi] PB[Ito Matsujiro] DT[1839-05-15 {Tenpo 10 IV 3}] KM[0] OH[B-W-B] RE[B+2 (B connects the ko)] GC[Longest historical game] ;B[qd];W[dc];B[cp];W[oc];B[ce];W[eq];B[oq];W[po];B[qp];W[qo];B[rp];W[pf] ;B[qe];W[oe];B[qg];W[cd];B[de];W[ed];B[gq];W[ci];B[eh];W[cl];B[dq];W[jd] ;B[np];W[ff];B[dg];W[gh];B[ej];W[ep];B[cn];W[el];B[en];W[gp];B[hq];W[er] ;B[cr];W[fn];B[fm];W[em];B[fo];W[dn];B[gn];W[do];B[co];W[cm];B[gk];W[bn] ;B[bo];W[fp];B[io];W[qb];B[pk];W[qk];B[qj];W[pl];B[ql];W[rk];B[rl];W[rj] ;B[qi];W[pp];B[pq];W[ri];B[rh];W[qm];B[rm];W[ol];B[ro];W[pj];B[pi];W[ok] ;B[oi];W[rn];B[sn];W[qn];B[sm];W[qq];B[rq];W[no];B[mo];W[nn];B[mc];W[kc] ;B[me];W[rc];B[ob];W[pc];B[nf];W[nb];B[nc];W[oa];B[mb];W[pb];B[hg];W[fh] ;B[he];W[gd];B[hd];W[gc];B[bi];W[di];B[ei];W[bh];B[hc];W[gf];B[bj];W[ch] ;B[hf];W[kf];B[hh];W[hi];B[ii];W[gj];B[fk];W[ij];B[jh];W[lg];B[lf];W[kg] ;B[jj];W[ki];B[ik];W[og];B[ng];W[nh];B[oh];W[hj];B[ld];W[ji];B[je];W[ke] ;B[kd];W[jc];B[ib];W[ih];B[jf];W[of];B[mh];W[ni];B[nj];W[mi];B[oj];W[nd] ;B[md];W[ka];B[kb];W[lb];B[jb];W[ma];B[lc];W[ne];B[la];W[im];B[jm];W[lb] ;B[id];W[jl];B[km];W[hk];B[ho];W[hm];B[gl];W[ko];B[ln];W[ll];B[pk];W[mf] ;B[mg];W[pj];B[mj];W[li];B[pk];W[so];B[sp];W[pj];B[kl];W[kk];B[pk];W[qr] ;B[rr];W[pj];B[lk];W[lj];B[pk];W[jn];B[mp];W[pj];B[mk];W[ml];B[pk];W[kq] ;B[in];W[pj];B[pg];W[rf];B[qf];W[re];B[pk];W[iq];B[hp];W[pj];B[rd];W[sd] ;B[pk];W[jp];B[lr];W[pj];B[nl];W[mm];B[pk];W[hr];B[gr];W[pj];B[se];W[sf] ;B[rg];W[sc];B[pk];W[jr];B[lp];W[pj];B[bg];W[ag];B[pk];W[lq];B[mr];W[pj] ;B[af];W[ah];B[pk];W[kr];B[hs];W[pj];B[dk];W[ck];B[pk];W[ek];B[fj];W[pj] ;B[dj];W[cj];B[pk];W[is];B[gs];W[pj];B[sg];W[se];B[pk];W[go];B[hn];W[pj] ;B[pe];W[od];B[pk];W[mq];B[nq];W[pj];B[bd];W[am];B[pk];W[nr];B[or];W[pj] ;B[jk];W[il];B[pk];W[ns];B[os];W[pj];B[kj];W[kk];B[pk];W[gm];B[pj];W[eo] ;B[bc];W[nk];B[ir];W[bf];B[ae];W[hr];B[pm];W[om];B[ir];W[cg];B[cf];W[hr] ;B[oo];W[on];B[ir];W[cb];B[bb];W[hr];B[op];W[pn];B[ir];W[ba];B[cc];W[hr] ;B[db];W[eb];B[ca];W[sj];B[ir];W[rs];B[sl];W[hr];B[jk];W[kj];B[ir];W[bq] ;B[br];W[hr];B[hl];W[ik];B[ir];W[dr];B[aq];W[hr];B[gg];W[fg];B[ir];W[ap] ;B[ar];W[hr];B[fi];W[gi];B[ir];W[ad];B[be];W[hr];B[sh];W[kn];B[lm];W[mn] ;B[lo];W[kp];B[ir];W[ph];B[qh];W[hr];B[ds];W[fr];B[ir];W[sk];B[si];W[hr] ;B[qc];W[rb];B[ir];W[js];B[ip];W[hr];B[jo];W[fn];B[ir];W[da];B[ea];W[hr] ;B[bm];W[ir];B[bl];W[bk];B[an];W[lh];B[fb];W[mf];B[la];W[gb];B[ec];W[lb] ;B[ic];W[la];B[dd];W[jg];B[ge];W[ef];B[df];W[fd];B[ig];W[kh];B[ak];W[aj] ;B[al];W[dp];B[cq];W[ga];B[dl];W[dm];B[le];W[fl];B[bg];W[fa];B[fc];W[bf] ;B[ja];W[na];B[bg];W[cs];B[bs];W[bf];B[pa];W[qa];B[bg] )