The National Go Center has posted video from its June 3 celebration of the life and work of Haskell
"Hal" Small, the renowned pianist, composer, educator, and longtime American Go leader who passed away in 2024.
Held on what would have been Small's 78th birthday, the event focused on one of his most distinctive creations, A Game of Go, a musical interpretation of a celebrated 1853 game between Ota Yuzo and Honinbo Shusaku.
The program opens with remarks by National Go Center Executive Director Gurujeet Khalsa and Hal's wife, Betsy Small. Justin Teng 6-dan then reviews the historic game before Betsy discusses the origins of the composition.
The highlight of the video is a performance of A Game of Go, in which two pianos represent Black and White as the game unfolds move by move on screen, bringing one of Go's most famous games to life through music.
Small organized the first U.S. Go Congress in 1985 and was a founding member of the National Go Center. The video offers both a tribute to his contributions to American Go and a chance to experience one of the most unusual intersections of Go and music ever created.