The Road Map to Shodan, Volume One

Handicap-Go Strategy and the Sanrensei Opening

Making the Transition from Handicap to Even Games

by Rob van Zeijst & Richard Bozulich

Kiseido Publishing Company
Chigasaki, Japan

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Preface

Go is played on a board with a square grid of 361 playing points. For the beginner, such a large playing field can be overwhelming and it is understandable that he or she might feel lost. For this reason, many professionals recommended that beginners play their first games on a 9x9 board. With only 81 playing points to consider, the game becomes conceptually manageable and the beginner can start learning the most elementary tactics and how territory is formed.

After a few games on a small board, the beginner will graduate to playing games on a 13x13 board and eventually to games on the standard 19x19 board. Again the novice is faced with a conceptual problem. He may be instructed to play his first moves in the corners, but with such a vast number of playing points to consider, he has no idea how to proceed strategically.

By starting with nine of his stones placed on the star points, the beginner occupies the main strategic points. However, the game is not trivial. White still has a lot of room to maneuver. It takes many games and a lot of study for the beginner to be able to defeat a dan-level player at a nine-stone handicap.

The lessons learned in playing with a nine-stone handicap are more than tactical. A lot of strategic principles are learned, such as the importance of separating and confining your opponent’s stones, making sure that you own stones are linked up and not confined to the corners or the sides, and the value of building thick walls that project influence into the center and along the side. As the novice improves and the handicap is reduced, these principles can be put to use and other principles can be learned in lower handicap games. In this process, the most important thing that a beginner learns by playing handicap games is how to use their stones on the star points to build thick positions, then turning the influence of these positions into territory.

By learning the Sanrensei Opening, where the black player starts out by occupying the three star points on one side of the board, the novice can then use the principles and sequences learned in handicap games. Moreover, the basic strategy of playing for outside influence used in handicap games is the same strategy a player uses in the Sanrensei Opening. This is the natural way to make the transition from handicap games to even games and we recommend that inexperienced players adopt this opening, at least initially, in all of their games. By studying the opening as outlined in this book, the kyu-level player can lay a solid foundation for the study of other opening systems and opening theory in general.

Richard Bozulich
Rob van Zeijst

Copyright Page

The Road Map to Shodan, Volume One
Handicap-Go Strategy and the Sanrensei Opening

by Rob van Zeijst & Richard Bozulich

Copyright © 2014 by Rob van Zeijst and Richard Bozulich

All rights reserved according to international law. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic, or electronic process, nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise copied for public or private use without the written permission from Kiseido Publishing Company.

Published by
Kiseido Publishing Company
Kagawa 4–48–32
Chigasaki-shi, Kanagawa-ken
Japan 253–0082

ISBN of the printed version: 978–4–906574–82–7

Converted for SmartGo Books by John Mifsud.

Contents

Handicap-Go Strategy and the Sanrensei Opening
The Road Map to Shodan, Volume One

Preface

Copyright Page

A Brief Glossary of Go Terms and Concepts

Part One: Handicap Go Strategy

1. The Basic Principles of Extensions

The chapters in gray are included only in the full book.

2. Utilizing the Synergy of a Nine-Stone Handicap

Problems 1 to 4

3. Separate Your Opponent’s Stones and Get Your Own Stones out into the Center.

4. Build a Box-Shaped Framework of Territory

5. Don’t Be Afraid of Corner Invasions

Problems 5 to 9

6. Play for Outside Influence

Problems 10 to 15

7. Seven-Stone Handicap

8. Five-Stone Handicap

9. Reinforcing Your Box-Shaped Moyo

Problems 16 to 21

Part Two: The Sanrensei Opening

Introduction

1. The One-Space Pincer: The 3–3 Point Invasion

Problems 1 to 8

2. The One-Space Pincer: Preventing a Black Moyo

3. The Invasion and Defense of Black’s Moyo

Problems 9 to 22

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A Brief Glossary of Go Terms and Concepts

Aji — Aji in Japanese means ‘taste’ in the sense that ‘food tastes good’. However, what this word really implies when used in a go context is ‘aftertaste’. It refers to the possibilities that remain in a position after a local skirmish has been played.

Atari — When all the intersections except one directly adjacent to a stone or a group of stones are occupied by the opponent, the stone or group is said to be in ‘atari’.

Dan — A ranking scale running from shodan (1-dan) up to 9-dan.

Gote — A move that your opponent can ignore. A gote move is usually defensive, so it will pose little or no threat to your opponent.

Hane — A hane is a diagonal move that bends (literally ‘springs’) around an opposing stone.

Kyu — An amateur ranking scale running from about 35-kyu (a complete beginner) up to 1-kyu, the highest rank before shodan.

Miai — Points in a position that are of equal value. If one player occupies one of them, the other player takes the other.

Moyo — A large framework of potential territory.

Sabaki — The technique of securing or settling an endangered group.

Sente — A move that your opponent cannot ignore, otherwise he will suffer an unacceptable loss.

Shodan — 1-dan. The lowest dan ranking. The first level of an expert player.

Some English terms

Heavy — A group of stones is said to be heavy if it lacks eye shape and is vulnerable to an attack, while being too big or important to sacrifice. By attacking a heavy group, a player can gain profit while his opponent struggles to escape or make two eyes. Omoi in Japanese.

Light — Stones are called light when they can be sacrificed after having served some purpose. Karui in Japanese.

Proper move — The correct move, although it may sometimes appear to be slow. It leaves no weaknesses or bad aji behind. Honte in Japanese.

Thick — A group that is absolutely alive is called thick. Atsui in Japanese.

Thin — A group that has trouble making two eyes is thin. Usui in Japanese.

Part One: Handicap Go Strategy

1. The Basic Principles of Extensions

Go is a game in which two players vie to control territory. The player who places his stones more efficiently will gain the advantage. Examples of efficiency can be illustrated by extensions. The examples below illustrate efficiency when making extensions.

For extensions to work efficiently they should be neither too narrow nor too wide. If they are too narrow, they are not mapping out enough territory and the stones will become overconcentrated. If they are too wide, the territory they are mapping out risks being erased by an invasion.

The following three principles can serve as a guide when making extensions along the third line.

1. From a single stone, extend two spaces.

2. From a two-stone wall, extend three spaces.

3. From a three-stone wall, extend four spaces.

Dia. 1

＞＜

White can apply Principle 1 in Dia. 1. From the single marked stone, extending two spaces to White 1 is an ideal extension.

Dia. 2

＞＜

In Dia. 2, Black has made a two-stone wall with the marked stones, so, following Principle 2, Black extends three spaces to 1.

Dia. 3

＞＜

Black has made a three-stone wall with the marked stones in Dia. 3, so he can extend four spaces to 1, based on Principle 3.

This is the theory, but these principles should not be taken as ironclad rules. In the course of a game, a certain amount of flexibility is necessary and a player should always pay attention to the overall position. Sometimes it will be prudent to play tightly, at other times you might want to play loosely.

2. Utilizing the Synergy of a Nine-Stone Handicap

Dia. 4

In a nine-stone handicap game, where the handicap stones are placed on the star-points, as in Dia. 4, the distance between any two stones is much wider than the above principles advise. However, because of the number of stones on the board, a synergy is created in which the strength of each stone increases the strength of the others. More importantly, the presence of so many stones limits the space in which White can maneuver, so White can’t make any of the extensions that those same principles advise. Therefore, White’s stones should end up being placed inefficiently, provided Black plays correctly.

Dia. 5

＞＜

Against the marked stone on the 4–4 point, the small knight’s approach of White 1 in Dia. 5 is the standard move. In a four-stone handicap game, the small knight’s move of Black 2 is the usual response. White will now exchange 3 for Black 4, then extend two spaces to 5. These moves are a basic joseki and both the black and white stones are working to maximum efficiency. Instead of 2, jumping to ‘a’ is also possible.

Dia. 6

＞＜

In a nine-stone game as well, White usually starts with the small knight’s approach of 1 in Dia. 6. After exchanging 3 for Black 4, White can extend only one space to 5 instead of two spaces because of the marked stone. White’s stones are a bit overconcentrated and are not working as efficiently as in Dia. 5. Still, these stones are quite resilient. They are staking out some territory at the top and, if attacked, they can escape into the center with ‘a’ or secure life by sliding to ‘b’ or extending to ‘c’.

However, Black has an even stronger way of playing, using the synergy of his nine handicap stones to the greatest effect.

Dia. 7

＞＜

When White approaches with 1, Black should attach with 2 in Dia. 7, forcing White to extend to 3. After Black jumps to 4, White must prudently extend to either 5 or ‘a’. This extension is even more inefficient than the extension to 5 in Dia. 6 because White is extending only one space from two stones. Black now descends to 6, which is a severe attack against White’s three stones, as it restricts their potential eye space. Therefore, White has to pull his stones out into the center with 7. Black jumps to 8, continuing to put pressure on White’s four stones.

Evaluating this result, Black has staked out territory on the upper right side and has reinforced his marked stones with 6 and 8 to build a moyo (framework of potential territory) in the upper left part of the board. On the other hand, White has struggled just to secure a foothold for his stones, without gaining any territory.

Dia. 8

＞＜

After Black has reinforced the upper left quadrant of the board with the marked stones in Dia. 8, a white invasion there becomes difficult. If White makes an approach from the left side with 1, Black defends the corner territory by extending solidly to 2. If White jumps to 3, Black plays 4, turning the top left into secure territory that is worth about 30 points.

Dia. 9

＞＜

If White approaches from the other side with 1 in Dia. 9, Black again defends the corner with an extension to 2. If White jumps to 3, Black 4 secures territory in the upper left corner. Moreover, White still has to find a way to secure his two stones on the top left.

In both Dias. 8 and 9, White will have a hard time securing life for his two weak stones, and Black can profit even more by attacking them.

Dia. 10

＞＜

If White wants to establish a secure group in this area, another strategy that he can employ is to invade the corner at the 3–3 point with 1 in Dia. 10. The sequence to Black 12 is a basic joseki. White secures about ten points of territory in the corner, but Black has staked out almost 30 points of territory on the top left.

As the last three diagrams show, White’s prospects in the upper left part of the board are not promising.

Problem 1

Black to play

＞＜

After the exchange of White 1 for Black 2, White invades the top with 3. How should Black respond?

Answer 1

Dia. 1. Correct

＞＜

The moves from Black 4 to 8 in Dia. 1 accomplish a number of things. First, Black 4 secures the territory in the corner. Second, it forces White to extend to 5, making his two stones heavy — it will now be more difficult to sacrifice them. Third, Black 6 separates the two stones on the top left from the one on the left side. Fourth, Black 6 gets his stones in the corner out into the center. Fifth, Black 8 reinforces the marked stones and doubles their efficiency — they increase the pressure on White’s groups on the left and the right.

Problem 1-A

Black to play

＞＜

Next, how should Black play if White attaches at 9?

Answer 1-A

Dia. 2 Continuation 1

＞＜

If White tries to encircle Black’s stones in the corner by attaching with 9 in Dia. 2, Black will sacrifice a stone with 10 in order to get outside influence with 12 and 14. He now plays 16, making it impossible for White to make eyes for his three marked stones. These stones are now dead. Note that Black ‘a’ is sente — it forces White to defend at ‘b’, otherwise the stone at 10 can escape.

Black 16 is a safe move. Instead of playing it, Black could turn at ‘c’, threatening to confine White’s stones on the left with ‘d’. However, after 16, White has no chance of reviving his marked stones. If White plays ‘a’ after 16, Black should turn at ‘c’.

Problem 1-B

Black to play

＞＜

How should Black play if White attaches on the other side at 9 here?

Answer 1-B

Dia. 3 Continuation 2

＞＜

Instead of 9 in Dia. 2, White might attach on the inside with 9 in Dia. 3. After Black 10, White cuts with 11. Black extends to 12 to keep the two groups of white stones separated. Even if Black plays passively with 14 and 20 and answers White ‘a’ with ‘b’, Black can be more than satisfied after playing 22, which threatens White’s group on the left. If White defends with ‘c’, Black jumps to ‘d’, and a box-shape formation starts to form in the lower left quadrant. Actually, Black can play 22 at ‘c’, but you need considerable fighting strength to follow up on that move — we don’t recommend it for a player who has to take a nine-stone handicap.

Evaluating the position, White’s group on the top left is almost dead while Black’s stones are safe and strong everywhere. On the other hand, because of Black 8 in Dia. 1 (the marked stone), White’s stones on the top right are weaker than before and White has made only minimal territory on the upper left side.

Go Books Published by Kiseido

➤ Books available in SmartGo Books.

Introductory and General

➤ K39: How to Play Go: A Concise Introduction by Richard Bozulich and James Davies

➤ K50: Go – A Complete Introduction to the Game by Cho Chikun

➤ K31: The Second Book of Go by Richard Bozulich

K40: The Go Player’s Almanac 2001 edited by Richard Bozulich

K30: Japanese Prints and the World of Go by William Pinckard and Kitagawa Akiko

Problem Books for Beginners

Graded Go Problems for Beginners by Kano Yoshinori

➤ K46: Volume 1, Introductory Problems (35-kyu to 25-kyu)

➤ K47: Volume 2, Elementary Problems (25-kyu to 20-kyu)

➤ K48: Volume 3, Intermediate Problems (20-kyu to 15-kyu)

➤ K49: Volume 4, Advanced Problems (15-kyu to 1-kyu)

Elementary Go Series

For more than 30 years, the Elementary Go Series has been the standard texts for go players who want to get a firm grasp of the fundamentals of go. Not only is the theory of go elaborated on, the reader is also given problems to show how these theoretical concepts are applied in actual games.

➤ K10: Volume 1: In the Beginning – The Opening in the Game of Go by Ishigure Ikuro

➤ K11: Volume 2: 38 Basic Joseki by Kosugi Kiyoshi and James Davies

➤ K12: Volume 3: Tesuji by James Davies

➤ K13: Volume 4: Life and Death by James Davies

➤ K14: Volume 5: Attack and Defense by Ishida Akira and James Davies

➤ K15: Volume 6: The Endgame by Ogawa Tomoko and James Davies

➤ K16: Volume 7: Handicap Go by Yoshiaki Nagahara and Richard Bozulich

Get Strong at Go Series

A series of problem books covering every phase of the game from the opening to the endgame. Each book contains 170 or more problems ranging in difficulty from elementary to advanced. Thus, they can be used by players ranging in strength from 20-kyu to dan-level. By studying go in this problem format, you will not only learn basic principles as to why moves are made but also train yourself in thinking through and analyzing positions. You will encounter a great many of the same or similar patterns that will arise in your own games. We guarantee that diligent study of this entire series will lay the foundation for becoming a truly strong player.

K51: Volume 1: Get Strong at the Opening

K52-K54: Volumes 2–4: Get Strong at Joseki I, II, III

➤ K55: Volume 5: Get Strong at Invading

K56: Volume 6: Get Strong at Tesuji

➤ K57: Volume 7: Get Strong at the Endgame

➤ K58: Volume 8: Get Strong at Life and Death

K59: Volume 9: Get Strong at Handicap Go

➤ K60: Volume 10: Get Strong at Attacking

Mastering the Basics

A series of books, especially written for high-kyu players, for mastering the basic techniques of Go. Each book in this series consists of hundreds of problems designed to hammer home the fundamental concepts of go theory and technique. A thorough and patient study of this series is the fastest way to go through the kyu ranks.

➤ K71: Volume 1: 501 Opening Problems by Richard Bozulich and Rob van Zeijst

K72: Volume 2: 1001 Life-and-Death Problems by Richard Bozulich

➤ K73: Volume 3: Making Good Shape by van Zeijst and Bozulich

➤ K74: Volume 4: 501 Tesuji Problems by Richard Bozulich

➤ K75: Volume 5: The Basics of Go Strategy by Richard Bozulich

➤ K76: Volume 6: All About Ko by van Zeijst and Bozulich

➤ K77: Volume 7: Attacking and Defending Moyos by van Zeijst and Bozulich

➤ K78: Volume 8: Fight Like a Pro – The Secrets of Kiai by van Zeijst and Bozulich

➤ K79: Volume 9: An Encyclopedia of Go Principles by Richard Bozulich

K80: Volume 10: Close Encounters with the Middle Game by Michiel Eijkhout

➤ K87: Volume 11: Sabaki – The Art of Settling Stones by Richard Bozulich

➤ K88: Volume 12: Attacking and Defending Weak Groups by Richard Bozulich

Elementary Books

➤ K02: Basic Techniques of Go by Nagahara Yoshiaki and Haruyama Isamu

K28: Lessons in the Fundamentals of Go by Kageyama Toshiro

K36: Opening Theory Made Easy by Otake Hideo

➤ K82: Handicap Go Strategy and the Sanrensei Opening by van Zeijst and Bozulich

K83: The Basic Principles of the Opening and Middle Game by van Zeijst and Bozulich

➤ K84: The Basics of Life and Death by van Zeijst and Bozulich

K85: A Survey of Basic Tesujis by Richard Bozulich

Advanced Books

Graded Go Problems for Dan Players

K61: Volume 1: 300 Life-and-Death Problems (5-kyu to 3-dan)

K62: Volume 2: 300 Tesuji Problems (5-kyu to 3-dan)

K63: Volume 3: 300 Joseki Problems (1-dan to 3-dan)

K64: Volume 4: 300 Life-and-Death Problems (4-dan to 7-dan)

K65: Volume 5: 300 Tesuji Problems (4-dan to 7-dan)

K66: Volume 6: 300 Joseki Problems (4-dan to 7-dan)

K67: Volume 7: 256 Opening and Middle Game Problems (1-dan to 7-dan)

K81: A Dictionary of Modern Fuseki: The Korean Style

K29: Reducing Territorial Frameworks by Fujisawa Shuko

Game Collections

➤ K01: Invincible: The Games of Shusaku edited and compiled by John Power

K07: The 1971 Honinbo Tournament by Iwamoto Kaoru

➤ K91: Modern Master Games, Vol. 1: The Dawn of Tournament Go by Rob van Zeijst and Richard Bozulich, with historical notes by John Power

K92: Modern Master Games, Vol. 2: The 2014 Ten-Game Match between Gu Li and Lee Sedol, Part One: Games One to Five by Rob van Zeijst

K93: Modern Master Games, Vol. 3: The 2014 Ten-Game Match between Gu Li and Lee Sedol, Part Two: Games Six to Eight by Michael Redmond 9-dan and Rob van Zeijst

PP01: Tournament Go 1992 edited and compiled by John Power

Refining Your Go Technique

K69: Cosmic Go – A Guide to Four-Stone Handicap Games by Sangit Chatterjee and Yang Huiren

K26: The Direction of Play by Kajiwara Takeo

K33: The Chinese Opening – The Sure-Win Strategy by Kato Masao

K45: Positional Judgment – High-Speed Game Analysis by Cho Chikun

Dictionary of Basic Joseki by Ishida Yoshio

K21: Volume 1: 3–4 Point Josekis

K22: Volume 2: 3–5 Point Josekis

K23: Volume 3: 5–4 and 4–4 Point Josekis

The 21st Century Dictionary of Basic Joseki by Takao Shinji

K41: Volume One

K42: Volume Two

Go World

Go World was a quarterly magazine that covered the Japanese and international tournament scene. Analysis of games from tournaments and instructional articles for players of all levels.

A complete set of Go World from the first issue to issue #129 is available on three DVDs from Kiseido Digital. To order, go to www.kiseidodigital.com.

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Copyright © 2014 by Rob van Zeijst and Richard Bozulich

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