In the Beginning: The Opening in the Game of Go

by Ikuro Ishigure

Overview

The opening is theoretically the hardest part of the game of go. To professional players, it is the hardest part in practice, as well; in championship games that last two days, for instance, the first day is usually spent playing and thinking about the first 50 moves, and the second day is spent finishing all the rest. Such is the consistency of professional play in the middle game and endgame that if a player comes out of the opening with a bad position, it is almost impossible for him to catch up. Amateurs sometimes rush through their initial moves, saving their powers for the fighting later, but this is more an indication that they do not understand the opening than a sign of talent.
The number of possibilities in any opening position is so vast that a player must rely on his feeling for the game rather than on rigorous analysis for guidance. Here he has the greatest chance to use his imagination, play creatively, and develop a personal style. This is the one phase of go that has shown any significant evolution during the past few centuries, and it still defies absolute comprehension.
No book can develop a person's imagination or personal style, and this one does not make the attempt. In a sense, therefore, it is very incomplete: the reader will not find a prescription for every situation and in actual play he will have to make his own choices most of the time. What we have tried to give him is a basis to start from: some sound moves, some useful ideas, some good examples. If we have succeeded, the following pages will help him to increase both his skill at and enjoyment of the game.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9784906574100
Publisher:	Kiseido Publishing Company
Publication date:	06/09/2017
Series:	Elementary Go Series , #1
Edition description:	Revised Edition
Pages:	158
Sales rank:	603,980
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.00(h) x 0.34(d)

About the Author

Ikuro Ishiguro was born in 1942 in Gifu, Japan. In 1955 he entered the go school of Minoru Kitani, 9-dan and lived there for the next five years, becoming a professional shodan at the age of seventeen and 9-dan in 1984. In 1968 he gained a place in the 24th Honinbo League, and in 1974 he won the upper division of the Nihon Ki-in Oteai (ranking) tournament. His hobbies include skiing, table-tennis, and sports in general.

Table of Contents

Preface iv

About the Author v

Glossary of Japanese terms vi

Chapter One. Opening Basics 1

(1) The First Moves of the Game 1

(2) The 3–4 Point 4

(3) The 3–3 Point 6

(4) The 4–4 Point 7

(5) The 3–5 Point 10

(6) The 4–5 Point 11

(7) Example Opening 12

(8) Extending Along the Side 14

(9) Pincer Attacks 26

(10) Invasions 29

(11) Extending into the Center 33

(12) Pushing and Crawling 41

Chapter Two. Nine Concepts 52

(1) Make Your Stones Work Together 52

(2) Efficiency 54

(3) Play Away from Strength 57

(4) Thickness and Walls 60

(5) Open at the Bottom 67

(6) The Third Line and the Fourth 70

(7) Reverse Strategy 75

(8) Light and Heavy 80

(9) Attack and Defense 92

Chapter Three. Ten Problems 104