Kiseido’s Richard Bozulich reflects on his journey
By Marianne Diederen
In the heart of Chigasaki, Japan, at the crossroads of passion and destiny, I sat down with Richard Bozulich, the man behind Kiseido Publishing Company, for an intimate reflection on his extraordinary journey in the world of Go.
Bozulich's love affair with the game began on a pivotal day in 1958, the same day he discovered he was unfit for the U.S. armed forces. Fate, it seemed, had laid out a different path for him. "This is Go. It is the most profound and difficult game in the world," proclaimed a stranger in a Berkeley cafe that evening, forever altering the course of Bozulich's life. Determined, he declared, "I will beat them."
His journey through the game led him to the hallowed halls of the Nihon Ki-in in Japan, where he forged friendships with dan-level players, including Nagahara Yoshiaki. Through dedication and collaboration, Bozulich swiftly climbed the ranks, earning a 4-dan diploma within a year.
In 1968, armed with a passion for the game and a desire to share its nuances, Bozulich co-founded The Ishi Press with Stuart Dowsey. Modern Joseki and Fuseki, a translation of booklets by Sakata, marked the beginning of a publishing legacy.
As the go community thrived, so did Ishi Press, until a brush with vulture capitalists in the '80s led to a restructuring in 1995. The phoenix that rose from those ashes was Kiseido Publishing 
Company, with Bozulich at the helm.
Bozulich's vision extended beyond the board, delving into the realm of AI and its impact on go. His recent releases, "Fuseki Revolution" and "Joseki Revolution" by Shibano Toramaru, explore the profound changes brought about by artificial intelligence in the world of Go.
As we pondered the future of Go, Bozulich, with a twinkle in his eye, shared his dream of making go as popular as chess. To achieve this, he envisions a foundation, endowed with substantial funds, igniting the passion for Go in children worldwide.
"Go needs someone like an Elon Musk," he mused, proposing tournaments with lucrative prizes for young players. With a chuckle, he teased about spreading Go throughout the universe, a nod to his irrepressible spirit.
As Bozulich reflects on his journey, he attributes his success to surrounding himself with brilliance, conceding, "I am not very smart, but I have always surrounded myself with people much smarter than me."
The stones on the board tell the tale of Richard Bozulich, a man whose love for Go transcends the game itself, leaving an indelible mark on the black and white universe he has helped shape.