Oskar Korschelt

Oskar Korschelt ( born September 18, 1853 in Berthelsdorf / Upper Lusatia; † July 4, 1940 in Leipzig ) was a German chemist and engineer who is credited with the introduction of the Japanese board game Go in Europe.

Life and go activities

Oscar or Oscar Korschelt (in some sources is his first name incorrectly given as Otto, Otto, however, is his older brother) came to Japan in 1876, where he accepted a teaching position at the Medical University in Tokyo. In October 1879 he gave up this position and was responsible for the Japanese government in many areas, such as the geological analysis of the soil but also in the improvement of Japanese rice wine brewery. For his services he was awarded in May 1884 by the Japanese government with a medal. The grave stone of his second daughter († 1882) can be seen in Aliens district of the famous Aoyama Cemetery in Tokyo. In November 1884, when his contract expired, he returned briefly to Europe, where he arrived in Marseille on January 2, 1885. While his wife Marie ( * August 4, 1852 ) with the children Oskar ( born April 15, 1878), Marie ( born August 11, 1881) and Johanna ( born April 5, 1885) remained in Zittau, he traveled in September after again Hong Kong from. There he intended to produce rice wine and to export to Japan. However, since the company could not be realized, he finally returned to Germany.

During his stay in Japan he learned Go know. It is said he had played against the ( later ) Hon'inbō Murase Shuho with six stones specifications (which would mean that he was a very strong amateur player. ) Using Shuhos 1880 he published a series of articles The Japanese - Chinese game "Go". A Concurrent of chess in the communications of the German Society for Nature and People of Eastern Asia. In it, the game was first described in detail in the Western world. The book contained twelve annotated master games, 155 Tsumego tasks, as well as introductions to Fuseki and endgame theory. He introduces the still used today, marking the lines with Latin characters and European figures. In its implications for the development of Go in Europe and North America can hardly be overestimated the book. In its English version, it is laid today.

Mid-1880s Korschelt returned to Germany and settled in Leipzig. About his future go activities is not much known, but visited him Bruno Rüger, another early Go- enthusiast and supporter, yet in 1924, to play with him Go.

Korschelt lived on the distribution of the invented and patented by him sun- ether -beam apparatus. The instrument should, so the assertion coming from the Sun " aether particles " for humans to be harnessed. The underlying theory assumes ideas that were later developed by Wilhelm Reich with the orgone therapy, anticipate.

Chess composition

Korschelt also emerged as a collector of chess compositions. He has also composed some pieces. According to Herbert Grasemann he built up a collection of around 100 000 tasks. An obituary in the German chess magazine gave in 1940 to the number 85 000.

Writings

• The Theory and Practice of Go. C. E. Tuttle, 1966, ISBN 0-8048-3225-0. (Translation of: ., The Go game in: German Society for Nature and People of Eastern Asia, Messages, Vol 3, 1880-84 ).
• The purified Alexander. Published by the German Chess Federation, Coburg, 1913.