Yasunari Kawabata (1899–1972) is one of the greatest Japanese writers, whose work has been recognized by many prestigious awards, as well as the Nobel Prize in Literature. The book includes his most famous novel, “The Master of the Game of Go,” which the author himself considered the key with his work. (back cover) “The Master of Go” is the most famous novel by the outstanding Japanese writer, Nobel Prize winner in literature Yasunari Kawabata. As in Nabokov’s “The Defense of Luzhin,” here real characters and events lie behind the passion for the game. In this unexpected and profound book, the author talks about the legendary game of Go, which took place in 1938 and was described by him in newspaper reports. For the invincible master Shusai Honinobo XXI, this game was the last... The game of Go, like many other things, came to Japan from China. In China, it was considered a game of the celestials; something divine was hidden in it. But the conjecture that the three hundred and sixty-one intersections of lines on the board encompasses all the laws of the Universe, divine and human, was born in Japan. Like the Noh theater and the tea ceremony, this game has become part of the Japanese tradition and has become a real art. I envy those who play Go. After all, the game of Go, if you consider it a useless trifle, is useless like nothing else, but if you value it highly, then nothing can compare with it in value.

Naoki Sanjugo, Japanese writer and critic