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FUSEKI
the whole whole board opening opening in Igo.
KINDS OF FUSEKI
1. Shusaku Fuseki – limits enemy’s territorial advantages by taking the corners. 2.
Chinese Chinese Fuseki Fuseki – aims aims for both both terri territory tory and and influen influence. ce. Fuseki (“two star points points in a row”) row”) – aims to create create moyo. 3. Nirensei Fuseki 4. Sanrensei Fuseki (“three star points in a row”) – aims for influence. 5. Tengen Tengen Fuseki Fuseki (“centr (“central al point”) point”) – aims aims for a large large scale scale fighting fighting game. game. BASIC FUSEKI MANEUVERS
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Shimari Shimari (encl (enclosure osure)) – buildin building g blocks blocks for corne cornerr territo territory. ry. Kakari Kakari (appro (approach) ach) – basic basic attacki attacking ng move move in the the corner. corner. Hiraki Hiraki (exten (extension sion)) – basic basic defen defense se for for weak weak stones. stones. Hasami Hasami (pinc (pincer) er) – basic basic counter counter against against an an approa approach. ch. Uchikom Uchikomii (invasio (invasion) n) – basic basic maneuv maneuver er for disruptin disrupting g moyo. moyo. Oshi (push) (push) – basic basic maneuver maneuver for for build building ing thickn thickness. ess. DIRECTION OF PLAY
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Corner
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Side
3.
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Shimari and Kakari – big moves for Komoku, Takamoku, and Mokuhazushi
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Hiraki Priorities base fo for weak st stones - extensions in front of shimari tsum tsumee (c (check heckin ing g ext exten ensi sion ons) s)
Center • • •
4.
Ikken tobi (one space jump) – average Kosumi (diagonal move) – slow but strong Kogeima (small knight’s move) – fast but weak
Pincer • •
A good defense is a good offense. A move which is both hiraki and hasami is ideal.
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Invasion
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Invade before moyo becomes territory. If invasion looks grim, reduce. Pushi ushing ng and and Cra Craw wling ling Don’t push along the fifth line. Don’t crawl along the second line. • •
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FUSEKI CONCEPTS
1.
Rela Relati tion onsh ship ip betw betwee een n stone stoness Make stones work together. Each move must heighten the value of the others. • •
2.
Efficiency •
Make the maximum of territory with the minimum of stones.
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Take all advantages from own’s strong positions and opponent’s weak ones. Always search the board for the area where the largest play is possible.
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3.
Play Play away away from from stre streng ngth th • •
4.
Playing near enemy’s strong position is ineffective and dangerous. Playing near own’s strong position is inefficient.
Thick hickne ness ss and and Walls alls Play away from thickness. •
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6.
Take full advantage of own wall by extending from it at a distance that does full justice to the wall’s power (about three to five points away).
Open Open at the bott bottom om •
Don’t defend at the area facing enemy position that has an open bottom.
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Don’t make territory in the area where the enemy can easily slip into.
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Playing in areas with open bottoms are inefficient during fuseki.
Third hird and and Fo Fourth urth Lin Lines es The third line invites pressure from above, while the fourth line invites invasion below. During fuseki, it is not good to string all stones along the third line. • •
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Rever everse se stra strate tegy gy If you want to play on the right, push first on the left. •
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Strengthen the weak position on the left first before attacking to the right.
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Move in the reverse direction, and when the enemy follows, shot ahead towards your real aim.
Light and and He Heavy avy •
Heavy is a stubborn slow-witted play that makes a group of weak stones bigger without strengthening strengthening it or counterattacking in any significant way.
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Light is a fast and slippery style that gives the enemy no big targets to hit.
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When the enemy is strong, play lightly.
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Reduce large areas the enemy is building up by playing lightly.
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Make the enemy heavy by forcing him into a bad shape.
Atta Attack ck and and Def Defen ense se •
Making corner territory and living shapes are extremely important important defensive strategies.
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Katatsugi (solid connection) connection) is one of the most basic defensive maneuvers. Urgent points before big points. If one group is weak, do not create another weak group. Do not confront strong stones.
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Do not invade when the enemy have a strong and solid position. Forming territory while attacking is profitable profitable and efficient. Putting cutting points in the enemy position to aim at in future fighting is one of the attacking techniques of the opening.
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CHUBAN
the middle middle game in in Igo which which typically typically starts starts when when one part part of the board is heavily conteste contested d by both player playerss and a fight fight occurs. occurs.
FUNDAMENTALS OF MIDGAME STRATEGY
1. Balance of of Te Territory
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primary fa factor in in planning mi midgame st strategy, an and ca can be be estimated simply by matching both sides’ areas against each other directly.
The one who leads in the balance of territory should try to avoid fighting, and stabilize the game by playing safe and simple. The one who is behind behind in the balance balance of territory territory should create confusions confusions through invasions and skirmishes.
2. Balance of Power
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the factor that governs the way the balance of territory shifts, and provides the key for reaching the goal of the game, which is to control more territory than the enemy at the end of the game.
The one who leads in the balance of power, the one whose groups are thick or exert more influence, should play aggressively, looking for weaknesses in the enemy positions and striking before the enemy has a chance to defend. The one who is behind in the balance of power should play with caution and restraint until by so doing he has restored the power equilibrium. equilibrium. One must learn to evaluate moves, not only in terms of the territory they create or destroy, but also in terms of what they do to the balance of power.
USES OF POWER
1. 2. 3.
Attac Attack k and push push the the enemy enemy agai against nst thic thickne kness. ss. Invad Invadee in the the midst midst of of enemy enemy’s ’s thin thin group groups. s. Cut and and fight fight to build build up influ influence ence,, or even up up the balan balance ce of power. power. 4. Thickness often yield profit, not in its own immediate vicinity, vicinity, but in other parts of the board. 5. Power Power advanta advantage ge is often often conver converted ted to territor territorial ial advant advantage. age.
ATTACKING
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trying to to capture capture stones stones and kill groups, groups, but not always always true, true, since the destruction of enemy stones is not the sole purpose purpose of midgame midgame fighting fighting.. a much more more correct correct meaning meaning would would be to gain gain territory territory and/or power.
ATTACKING STRATEGIES
1. Attacking to Gain Territory
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the idea is not to kill enemy stones, but to expand one’s own area by threatening threatening the enemy group.
Keeping the enemy from getting two eyes when there is no real chance of capturing him may lead to the destruction of one’s own territorial potential. The ability to see in two directions at once is all it takes to master the technique of building up a territorial framework in one part of the board by attacking a group that lies in another part.
2. Attacking to Gain Power
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crucial in a running battle between two weak groups.
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This strategy can be used to maintain the balance of territory by creating a power base for invasions and running battles.
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A running battle is a struggle for supremacy between two opposing groups, and do not always have to be waged by running into the center, but rather is basically a struggle for eye space. Territory Territory tends to fall naturally to the side who holds the balance of power.
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3. Le Leaning Attack
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leaning against an enemy group to reinforce one’s own group in preparation for an attack on another enemy group.
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The technique is not to attack directly, but rather to circle around or away from an enemy group, and to force the enemy to concede stones and territory territory while trying to protect it.
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Two common leaning moves are contact moves (tsuke), and shoulder hits (katatsuki).
4. Splitting Attack
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5. Cu C ut (kiri)
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playing be between tw two en enemy gr groups, an and ke keeping them divided.
The divide and conquer strategy is one of the most devastating attack maneuver since it may create two weak groups for the enemy, but it does not guarantee the capture of the enemy groups; rather, by playing this way, one can easily keep the initiative and control the game. When the two enemy groups are farther apart that one stone can no longer attack them both, the trick is to chase them toward each other, and split between them when the gap has sufficiently narrowed. Leaning moves can also be a severe splitting attack when the two enemy groups are farther apart. –
the ultimate form of splitting attack, when the two enemy
groups are as close together as possible, and the resulting double attack takes on maximum force. •
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Cutting something the enemy can afford to give up is not good, as it may help strengthen the enemy’s own position. position. Capturing small points by cutting is not worthwhile. worthwhile. Sometimes it is more effective to herd the enemy stones together than to hack them apart, and this can be done by pushing the enemy stones together before undermining his eye space and chasing him out into the center.
ATTACKING TACTICS
1. Make non-contact non-contact moves moves •
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Contact moves tend to backfire because the enemy usually answer them by stretching, making the attacked stone stronger in the process, which will eventually lead to a backand-forth fight with both sides attacking and defending simultaneously. simultaneously. A basic principle of the game when it comes to attacking is the proverb “do not touch what you are attacking”.
2. Seek severity •
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An attacking move, even non-contact ones, must be severe and hit the enemy where it hurts. The purpose of severity is to deprive the enemy of good defensive responses so that he cannot live easily; otherwise, the attack is meaningless. If you have have no good respon response se to an attac attack, k, it is much much bette betterr to ignore ignore it and play play elsewhere.
ATTACKING MOVES
1. Eye-St -Stealing Tesuji uji •
another move that strikes at the enemy’s eye shape.
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an atta attack ck that that can can be used used to push push the the enem enemy y tow towar ard d or or aga again inst st something, or to build a framework framework while attacking, or both.
This move is useful for the dragging the battle to other parts of the board, or to chase the enemy towards a wall.
4. Capp Cappin ing g Atta Attack ck (bous boushi hi)) •
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The key point is the same as the hanging connection (kaketsugi), forming an angular Vshape with the two enemy stones.
3. Knig Knight ht’s ’s Atta Attack ck (kei (keima ma))
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the stronges gest attacking move that ruins the enemy’s eye shape.
The key point in this move is the place where you can make a false eye for the enemy’s position.
2. Angle Tesuji •
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an atta attack ck that that aims aims to stop stop the the enem enemy’ y’ss move moveme ment nt head head-o -on. n.
This attack can be used against isolated enemy stones, and is also effective even when it does not completely contain the enemy.
5. Peepin eping g At Attac tack (n (nozoki zoki))
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an att attaack th that ca can be be us used for for a varie ariety ty of pur purpo posses. es.
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By peeping at cutting points, this can be used to spoil the enemy’s eye shape. When the enemy has the three-stone formation consisting of a two-space extension and a one-space jump, this attack can be used as a probe to see how the enemy connects. Another common form of attack is a combination in which the first move is a peep and the second is something else, like peeping to contain the enemy first before extending and attacking to build a territorial territorial framework.
