Hikaru no Go

I wish I knew how to write so short and neat a piece and still achieve a complete story.

'There's no physical strength required other than the endurance of maintaining concentration for a long match'

I was surprised when we saw girls and boys playing separately at the junior high in Hikago, but I guess I’d have been happier in a single sex team at that age.

But then, as there are also adult women’s championships, I wondered if there was another reason for the continuation of this separation (I learn there are also women’s championships for chess). I wouldn’t know if this is about giving equal chances or about gender separation. Was it once considered improper/humiliating to win/lose against a member of the opposite sex?