contest held before a lord; match in the presence of a daimyo, shogun, or emperor
Historical term for a formal match or competition performed in front of a high-ranking feudal lord or the emperor.
In the Edo period, gozen-jiai were held in front of the shogun.
match attended by the team owner; game with the owner present
Modern extended use, especially in sports, for a match that the team's owner or top executive attends.
Since the owner is coming today, the players are giving their all as if it were a gozen-jiai.