Nihon Ki-in's Dictionary Series DICTIONARY of BASIC FUSEKI Rin Kaiho Volume 1 Star Point Openings Yutopian Enterprises CaliforniaPublished by Yutopian Enterprises 2255 29th Street, Suite #3 Santa Monica, CA 90405 1-800-YUTOGO-3 yutopian@netcom.com, yutopian@aol.com http://www. webwind.com/go Volume ISBN: 1-889554-87-1 Copyright 2003 in the U.S.A. by Yutopian Enterprises Allrights reserved according to international law. This book or any parts thereof may not be reproduced in any printed form, nor stored in any electronic retrieval system, nor recorded in any other medium without written permission from the publishers, except for short excerpts as part of a written review. ‘Translated by Robert Terry Editing, Diagrams, and Layout by Craig R. Hutchinson Proof Assistance by Anthony Blagrove, James Bonomo, and Larry Gross First English Printing July 2004 Printed in Japan Cover: The Four Accomplishments Among the Gods of Good Fortune An ink and watercolors sketch on paper by Seiko, late 19th century. Awell-executed sketch with fresh colors, possibly a preliminary study for a painting.FOREWORD The moves in a game of go follow a natural flow to the ultimate degree. The opening establishes a game’s basic structure, and the individual character of that game appears as an intrinsic element at that point, truly exhibiting the flowing nature of its moves. Each person has a unique face. Some players like to occupy the 3-4 point on the first play, others like to play on the star point. If one player likes to extend down the side from this stone, another might disagree, saying that no, here a one-space jump is the only move. Just as facial features vary from person to person, there is an infinite variety of ways of thinking. In contrast to moves made in the middle game or in life- and-death situations, there are many ways of playing in the opening, and each in its own way is correct. To amalgamate these elements, to consolidate them into a uniform menu, is close to impossible, and this work does not bring together everything possible about the opening and does not catalogue all that information. The principal forms of opening patterns have been classified, and games that can be considered representative types have been selected and analyzed. We have made a point of including as many examples of actual games as possible and adding appropriate variations and applications in order to clarify the nature of the pattern. If the reader can grasp the players' initial conceptions and struggles to find the best moves, as well as the experience and efforts to that end that have been accumulated, the value of this opening dictionary will have been greatly enhanced, and nothing could be more gratifying to the author. The basis of this volume is openings that start with the star point, and those patterns have been classified here. Generally speaking, Volume I deals with star point openings and Volume II with 3-4 point openings, and the first volume covers openings that proceed from the first move on the star point, such as the two parallel corer star points on a side, or the Chinese Opening. In the same way, the various permutations of the Shusaku-style opening, which starts with a combination of three 3-4 point moves, are covered in a number of chapters in the second volume. First moves that differ from ones on the star point or the 3-4 point, such as on the center star point, or first moves on the side of the board or moves on the high points in the corner (such as on the fifth line above the star point on the side, or the 6-5 or 5-5 points, etc.) are covered in Volume I, while 5-3, 5-4 and 3-3 point moves, etc., are dealt with in Volume II.Whether speaking of an opening as a whole or a joseki in the corner, moves in the early stages of a game truly follow a natural flow. When one examines the history over the past fifty years, the tumultuous changes and the rapidity with which go evolved have been nothing less than stunning. Speaking of the opening, the old style of play which prevailed in the first three decades of the twentieth century was transformed by the revolution in the opening that occurred in the autumn of 1933, and then a synthesis of the old and new styles took the stage, only to be eclipsed by the second new opening era that began in 1955. One might view the period that followed as one in which the trend was for fighting power to be consistently directed towards the strategy of solidly taking territory. Next, the Chinese Opening and the two and three star points in a row (nirensei and sanrensei) openings put the greatest value on influence, and this became the new wave that swept the scene, giving rise to the third era of the new opening. Accurately illustrating these changing trends has also been an important aim of this work. In producing this work I have been grateful to receive the invaluable cooperation of Mr. Hotta Mamoru and Mr. Sakamaki Tadao. Due to their efforts, unique subject matter has been assembled, and the reader should be as glad as the author that all of this material regarding the opening has been compiled in dictionary format. February 1978 Rin Kaiho This work, Dictionary of Basic Fuseki, Volume 1, published by the Nihon Ki-in in February 1978, was revised and enlarged upon the occasion of being reprinted. March 1996 Nihon Ki-in Editorial DivisionTRANSLATOR'S NOTES Amateur players are often told that the way to improve is to develop full-board perception. They are criticized for focusing too much on local situations. But the size of the whole board can be overwhelming, and, anyway, how does one go about studying full-board strategy? Well, here the reader has a guide, one that has been noticeably lacking in the English-language go literature up to now. It has been written by a master of full-board perception, the inimitable Rin Kaiho, enhanced with the scholarship of top writers, and supplemented with detailed analysis of myriad positions. One can scarcely conceive of a better overall guide to the game of go. But a note on the text. The trend in English language go literature has been to eliminate technical jargon and Japanese terms. This translation continues along that line. Except for very specific words for which there can hardly be substitutes, such as sente, hane, etc., English words have been used as far as possible. This has made for some awkward constructions sometimes, but the reader should understand that in a similar way the original text may seem awkward to the average reader in Japan. Then there were words that caused much contemplation. "Honte" is an example of one word that defies adequate translation. "Proper move" is traditionally given as the English equivalent, but what does it mean?! (And strong go players might be stymied by a request to define the word themselves!) Finally, the conclusion was reached that the expression "proper move" sounded closer to the original. Other words are translated as they have been in the past, Tesuji has been retained in English, but suji has been translated as tactic. It is hoped that the reader will sympathize with what must be done to accomplish the leap of interpretation that accompanies a translation such as this. Thickness is another difficult word to translate. Not so much because of the word itself, but in the nuances in its meaning. For many players, especially at the kyu level, the idea of playing for thickness, rather than for territory or capturing stones, is difficult to understand. For the sake of such players it has been thought worthy to use the terms "thickness and strength" together, or to say that one side or another makes a "thick and strong" play. Two words must take the place of the single Japanese word, but this concept is so important in go that it must be conveyed to the reader. Stronger players might shrug, but weaker ones can always use the helpful reminder that the extra word gives. (It should also be understood that the word "influence" is often used in a synonymous sense with thickness.) Go is not an easy game to understand. One needs the help of experienced players to advance. I have been lucky to gain access to brilliant minds such as Rin Kaiho's, and I try to pass on the insightful analysis of such minds whenever J can. Bob Terry, Long Beach, 2002 iiiEDITOR’S NOTES The traditional Japanese word “nirensei” will be used to identify the occupation of two comer star points on one side of the board. The traditional Japanese word “sanrensei” will be used to identify the occupation of three star points on one side of the board. Due to the large number of pages of Volumes 1 and 2 of the original work, Vol- ume 1 is separated into Volumes 1 and 2 in the English translation, and Volume 2 is separated into Volumes 3 and 4. I take full responsibility for the final result. Please send any comments or sugges- tions to Yutopian Enterprises. Your critique will be much appreciated. Enjoy! Craig R. HutchinsonStar Point Openings Table of Contents and Index Foreword . Translator’s Notes . Editor’s Note ..... Conventions Used In This Work . Volume 1 Section 1 Nirensei and Sanrensei Patterns . . Section 2 Diagonal Patterns .......... 00.2 see ee eee e ee ee rene 127 Volume 2 Section 3 Star Point and 3-4 Point Combinations ..............+ 217 Section 4 Chinese Opening .........2-..0e0eeeeeeeeee eee eee 31 Section 5 Special Strategies ...... 2.6... 02sec eee eee eres 461Section 1 Nirensei (Two Star Points in a Row) Sanrensei (Three Star Points in a Row) Nirensei (6) (20) (26) Nirensei Nirensei (12) (36) (42) Nirensei Nirensei (50) (60) viSanrensei Sanrensei (68) (116) (Followed by black A) (76) Sanrensei Sanrensei (Followed by black A) (84) (92) (102) (110) Section 2 Diagonal Patterns Diagonal Star Points (132) (152) viiDiagonal Star Points Diagonal Star Points (142) (158) (170) Diagonal Star Points Diagonal Star Points (164) (178) Diagonal Star and 3-4 Points Diagonal Star and 3-4 Points (190) (196) viiiDiagonal Star and 3-4 Points Diagonal Star Point and Other Moves (202) (208) Section 3 Star Point and 3-4 Point Combinations Star and 3-4 Points (1) (220) Star and 3-4 Points (1) Star and 3-4 Points (1) (228) (236) (250)Star and 3-4 Points (1) Star and 3-4 Points (2) (242) (256) Star and 3-4 Points (2) Star and 3-4 Points (2) (262) (270) Star and 3-4 Points (2) Star and 3-4 Points (2) (278) (286)Star Point and Other Moves Star Point and Other Moves (294) (304) Section 4 Chinese Opening Chinese Opening (Followed by black A) (316) Chinese Opening Chinese Opening (330) (344) (366) (354) xiNew Chinese Opening New Chinese Opening (380) (390) New Chinese Opening New Chinese Opening (398) (406) (414) (424) (432) New Chinese Opening New Chinese Opening (440) (448) xiiSection 5 Special Strategies Center Star Point (464) Center Star Point Special Pattern on the Side (470) (478) Special Pattern on the Side Special Pattern in the Corner (484) (490) xiiiSpecial Pattern in the Corner Special Pattern in the Corner (498) (504) CONVENTIONS FOLLOWED IN THIS WORK Depending upon black’s first move, openings are arranged and classified in Volume Lor Volume II. Volume I contains the Star-Point Section and covers star-point openings, as well as special strategies (such as moves on the center star point, the point on the fifth line above the star point on the side, or the 6-5 or 5-5 points, etc.) Volume II contains the 3-4 Point Section and covers 3-4 point openings, as well as 5- 3, 5-4 and 3-3 point openings, etc. Principal games in each section are supplemented by reference games of similar openings, including analysis and research notes. ‘Numbers in the index refer to page numbers. Principal games, as well as reference games, give the ranks, titles, personal names or honorary designations that the players held at the time. In the body of the text, honorary forms of address have been omitted. xivSECTION 1 NIRENSEI and SANRENSEISection 1. Nirensei and Sanrensei PLAYING ON THE STAR POINT AND STAR POINTS IN A ROW In regards to the history of the evolution of star-point strategy, one can say that the idea was originally conceived and schemes devised utilizing this strategy for developing white's opening. It is not clear who first started playing on the star point. According to extant game records, the oldest examples are found in the games of Jowa. Games commencing with black's first move on the star point did not come into general practice until a later period. Reference Figure 1. [1821; White: Honinbo Jowa (Meijin, 12" hereditary Honinbo); Black: Inoue Ansetsu] In this game, white’s 12th move is on the star point in the lower left comer, so naturally this is not the first move or even the second. It seems that this move’s strategy was to maintain balance in the opening as a whole. Other than this, few examples of star-point moves can be found in Jowa's games. The first player to aggressively use the star point in his games was Shuwa Reference Figure 1 when he was young. Around 1837-38, whether playing black or white, he ex- perimented playing on the star point in the opening, although not with the first or second moves, and compiled satisfactory results. One cannot overlook the fact that the undercurrent of thought was equivalent to the present age which strives for speed in the opening and the ability to deal with the corner in one stroke. Reference Figure 2 - [1838; White: Tsuchiya Shuwa (14" hereditary Honinbo); Black: Yasui Sanchi (9" hereditary Yasui] White plays on the 5-3 point with 2, then, when black makes a corner enclosure with 3, white chooses to play at the star point in the upper left corner with 4. Following this, the joseki with black 5 through white 8 is played, after which white heads for the star point in the lower left with 10, producing an unusual nirensei opening. In those days, when the standard opening utilized 3-4, 5-3 and 5-4 points, playing on the star point in two comers in the opening without a doubt must have appeared strange. The new way of thinking behind white's playing a nirensei opening like this could not be appreciated until the 1930s. Shuwa's star-point strategy was adopted by his cherished disciple, Shusaku. As related in Volume II, Shusaku perfected his sure-fire winning strategy for black based -2-Reference Figure 2 Reference Figure 3 on 3-4 point moves, an acclaimed achievement that established the founda- tion of modern opening theory. He died of cholera at the age of 34, but a few years before that he set about studying his teacher's tactics by playing on the star point as white on the second or else on the fourth move. One example of this is shown in Reference Figure 1 on page 128, his opponent being Murase Shuho, who was 5-dan at the time. That same Shuho was himself also a great devotee of the large-scale star- point strategy. Reference Figure 3 - [1854; White: Kishimoto Saichiro; Black: Murase Yakichi (18 hereditary Honinbo Shuho)} For a first move in this period, the star point move of black 1 was an ep- ochal experiment. Combined with the 3- 4 point occupied by 3, this is similar to the contemporary method of playing a star point and a 3-4 point, shown in Pattern 1 on page 220. After assuming the position of Honinbo just two and a half months earlier, Shoho died at the age of 49, but earlier in the 1880s, he enjoyed playing white 2 on the star point and compiled good results doing so. For three genera- tions in a row, the Honinbo was re- nowned for its skill at using the star point - it was as if the star point was their secret weapon. But while fundamentally there was an appreciation of the importance of speed in the opening, placing importance on influence as much as is done in present-day go was an alien concept. In regards to playing on the star point with white, Shuei was famous for possessing exceptional skill. He received his baptism in star-point strategy at the hands of Shuho, and aggressively used the star point in his games, fully utilizing speed in the opening to bowl over his opponents. At times he would also use diagonal star-point openings (page 128, Reference Figure 2), but most often he would follow eaeSection 1. Nirensei and Sanrensei Reference Figure 4 Reference Figure 5 up a star-point move with an attack on a comer, or else take an overall lead with a star point, 3-4 point or other combina- tion. Shuei never lost his way in compli- cated fighting, but was gifted with the whole-board perception and masterly tactical skill, dominating the scene with his star-point strategy. Reference Figure 4. [Honinbo Shisokai Game; 1898; White: Honinbo Shuei (Meijin, 17th and 19th Honinbo); Black: Tamura Hoju (Meijin, 21* hereditary Honinbo Shusai)]} With white 2 played on the star point, white plays two approach moves with 4 and 6, then heads off to play at 8 in the lower left. Through 14, white can be said to have initiated an effective opening strategy. Shusai dominated the era which began in the 1910s, but his talent with playing on the star points did not, after all, surpass the boundaries established by Shuei. Starting in the middle of the 1920s, star-point strategy once again was high- lighted. What is more, in contrast to the single star-point move played in the opening up to the Shuei period, the value of the nirensei and the sanrensei open- ings was universally investigated. Reference Figure 5. [Young Blades versus Brilliant Go"; 1929; White: Kojima Shunichi 3 dan; Black: Go Seigen 3 dan] Here is an example of a white star-point strategy played in the 1920s. After settling the shape with 4 through 9, white 10 establishes a nirensei formation at the bottom. As opposed to the star-point strategy played up to the turn of the century, it is clear that the intention here is to create influence. With 12 at 21 at the bottom, white could play three stones in a row, but such a conception had yet to be realized.