Book Review

BGJ 173 Autumn 2015, Reviewer: Roger Huyshe

by James Davies

This book is an old favourite, first published in 1975 but showing its age with the omission of modern variations. That said, it is a useful introduction for kyu players, and short enough that one can attempt to treat this as a study book as well as a reference book. The main variations of each joseki are covered in a few pages and, importantly, the reasons for them.

BGJ 173 Autumn 2015, Reviewer: Roger Huyshe

by William Cobb

A slim book, 40 pages of A6, which provides a manageable start to the subject of joseki, aimed perhaps at 18- 12 kyu. The first half outlines common 4-4 joseki, important for both even and handicap games. There follow a number of simple problems to test your understanding of how to use these joseki in the context of their surroundings.

BGJ 172 Summer 2015, Author: Roger Huyshe

by Yoda Norimoto

Only when you have understood the meaning of light and heavy formations, is it time to move on to the more subtle concept of sabaki. Sabaki is the result where weak or invading stones emerge with some eyeshape or a palatable position from an unpromising base line. It may be much easier to appreciate than to implement.

This is in essence a problem book. Seventy-eight problems, each presented in a nice clear diagram. The reader is asked to select between two or three given choices. In the following two to six pages, the correct answer is shown, with a full explanation of why it is right, and the other choices wrong.

The early problems are pitched at high SDK and they get harder through the book. Few of the problems relate directly to moyos, but many of them could have arisen from an invasion and counterattack by the opponent.

BGJ 172 Summer 2015, Reviewer: Roger Huyshe

by Richard Bozulich

This is a volume consisting of 171 problems about invading. It’s divided up into sections on invasions on the side, invasions in the corner, and invading large territories, which is a lot to cover in a single volume. Complicated situations are often broken up into multiple problems on consecutive pages, so a systematic approach to study is needed. This 3 kyu found many of the problems quite difficult and would disagree with the statement in the preface that the first two parts are accessible to 20-kyu players. In fact dan players may well benefit.

[Review adapted from David Carlton’s bibliography]

BGJ 172 Summer 2015, Reviewer: Roger Huyshe

by von Zeist and Bozulich

This is Volume 7 of the Mastering the Basics series and is further confirmation that the word ‘basics’ is not to be taken too literally. The book starts with an interesting discussion of general principles then gives examples from professional games which focus on the decisions on how to handle moyos. The bulk of the book is taken up with 151 problems in the usual Kiseido format.

These I found quite eye-opening in the variety of techniques and ideas discussed. We move beyond the simple binary choices of: invade — to live or run out; versus reduce – and build an outside position. Many problems address the messy situation where there are more than two areas of interest and the flow of moves needs careful evaluation. While the ideas would likely give 8-10 kyu players a greater awareness, most of the text and problems would be challenging to low SDK and probably low dan too.

BGJ 172 Summer 2015, Reviewer: Roger Huyshe

by Iwamoto Kaoru

Published in 2014, these two books are a rewrite of a single earlier book on the same subjects. They are presented as an encyclopedia of some 20 common formations, typically based on a corner with one or more extending stones. This encyclopedia approach put me off initially, but on reading a bit further I saw certain key points and tesuji being repeated and began to see some useful learning points.

There is no full board discussion in either of these books, but alternative lines are discussed, both from the point of view of reading and in relation to nearby stones.

BGJ 172 Summer 2015, Reviewer: Roger Huyshe

by Shuko Fujisawa

There is more to this slim 1980 volume of 200 pages of A5 than meets the eye. The book starts with a section expounding and illustrating principles and side benefits of reduction. The middle half of the book goes systematically through a large number of middle-game joseki for reducing the side, the corner and the Chinese formation.

This may not be exciting reading but for those with the perseverance to examine these formations, it is possibly more useful than studying a similar number of corner joseki. And to be fair, the various formations are examined in the context of the surroundings. There follows examples from professional games and 30 fairly challenging problems, all of which address the choices in a full board context. The beginning is readable from 6 or 8 kyu, but there is also material to interest many dan players.

BGJ 171 Spring 2015, Reviewer: Roger Huyshe

by Shirae Haruhiko

The first section, ”Basic Problems”, contains 100 problems of a fairly didactic bent, introducing common endgame tesujis, with variations of the same tesuji appearing in several problems in a row to hammer it in. The second section, ”Application Problems”, is both harder and wider-ranging: the tesujis are more complex, life-and-death plays a much larger role, and there are groups of problems on various broad themes (exactly when can you force a seki in the corner, a few counting problems thrown in out of the blue, etc.). There are also three interludes, giving instances from games and counting examples.

The first half is suitable for single-digit kyu players, and is nicely focused.

BGJ 171 Spring 2015, Reviewer: Roger Huyshe

by Richard Hunter

The Workshop begins with the monkey jump at its simplest: a basic reduction against a solid territory. The standard counter-moves are analysed before moving on to explore how things change when the surrounding position is altered.

Coverage continues with the monkey jump in the context of life-and-death situations and finally ends with a presentation of several uncommented professional games which don’t really provide any learning points. Also, there is little guidance as to when not to use the monkey-jump.

Otherwise a great book, which has distributed throughout an impressive collection of monkey-jump problems, both of the yose and life-and-death variety.

BGJ 171 Spring 2015, Reviewer: Roger Huyshe

by Richard Bozulich

The book opens with 42 whole-board 11x11 problems which one is invited to try at the beginning then again after studying the body of the book. This is a novel approach which will well-reward readers who have the discipline to follow the suggested way and see how much they have improved.

The main part of the book has two problem sections, the first on tesuji and the second on counting. Then there’s another 28 whole-board 11x11 problems to test one’s understanding of tesuji, sente and counting in real-life combination.

The book is moderately difficult and a suggested range is 8 kyu to low dan.