the 1st honinbo was the first ever professional go tournament. eight players competed for the title. the tournament utilized a makeshift league system where players would play four knockout rounds. at the end of each round, the winning player would receive six points. the runner-up would receive five, and the losing semi-finalists would have a playoff to decide who finished in third (four points) and fourth (three points). players knocked out in the first round received one point.