My goal is to play games that will stay in the memories of Go fans. It would be nice if a game became a memorable game that remained important for me, but I would rather create games that became good memories for the spectators. As a professional player, I live every day with this thought inside me.

However, when I look back at the two decades of my long, long professional career . . . unfortunately, I can remember only one game. This was an unfortunate game.

Game Two, the Women's Honinbo title match, 2007. I had black.

I had started the series with a half-point loss, but I think I wasn't bothered, as in content the game had been a close contest . . . (I'm sorry. To be honest, I don't remember my feelings at the time well. It's too long ago.) The only thing I remember is the atmosphere just before the end of the game.

The game ended on the 218th move, when White blocked at the top (or should have ended). As I was filling in the liberties after this, I thought that my aji in the centre was bad, but that perhaps it was one-eye vs. no-eye . . . The bamboo joint on the final move was the only thing I hadn't seen. It's strange.

That's why there was a strange atmosphere when the game finished (it was all my fault).

No matter how bad I may be at counting, I knew that I had a win if the game finished smoothly, so I became quite absent-minded. Takemiya sensei, the referee, tried to smooth over the awkward atmosphere and recommended us to review the game, but I have no memory at all of what I said.

The only thing that sticks in my memory is the embarrassed look on Xie's face as she played the last move. I got the feeling that, while we were filling in the liberties, she was silently urging me to 'hurry up and add a stone'. The problem is that I didn't realize there was any need, so why would I defend . . .?

Because of my stupidity, I caused trouble to those around me. I'm really sorry. But I did think a bit that if only my opponent had resigned, as the game wasn't so close, I would have avoided this embarrassment. (Laughter)

This incident is completely something of the past, but even now I occasionally meet fans who make a regretful reference to 'that upset'. While I'm grateful they remember my career, I do have mixed feelings, and I'm going to do my best to write over this memory.