Dictionary of Basic Tesuji Volume I: Tesuji for Attacking
By Fujisawa Shuko 9d
Cover show/hide
Details show/hide
| Title | Dictionary of Basic Tesuji Volume I: Tesuji for Attacking |
|---|---|
| Author | Fujisawa Shuko 9d |
| Translator | Steven Bretherick |
| Publisher | Slate & Shell |
| Code | ssfs001 |
| Date | 2004 |
| ISBN | 1-932001-19-0 |
| Pages | 253 |
| Dimensions | 8 3/4. x 6. - 224mm x 152mm |
| Sample pages | ssfs001.pdf |
| Publisher's URL | http://www.slateandshell.com/ssfs001.html |
Blurb show/hide
Tesuji are moves that make the most effective use of stones. While they are typically techniques for close combat fighting, tesuji play a crucial role in all aspects of the game, from the opening to the endgame. In this famous dictionary, translated into English in four volumes, Fujisawa provides a thorough and systematic survey of key tesuji, arranging them in accordance with the purpose they serve. This first volume covers tesuji that are useful for attacking, including things like creating weaknesses, separating, ruining an opponent's shape, creating a ko, and taking away the opponent's base. The other three volumes will deal with tesuji used in defense, in the opening, in capturing races, and in the endgame. In all these areas, tesuji are closely involved with fighting, and knowledge of them is essential for becoming stronger. Fujisawa also points out that tesuji are part of what makes go an elegant and fascinating game and in this way they contribute to the beauty of go.
Contents show/hide
| Volume I: Tesuji for Attacking | |
| Separating | ...1 |
| Pressing Down | ...23 |
| Sealing In | ...45 |
| Spoiling Shape | ...71 |
| Probing | ...98 |
| Making Heavy | ...120 |
| Creating Weaknesses | ...138 |
| Making Double Threats | ...157 |
| Taking Away the Base | ...181 |
| Capturing | ...207 |
| Intimidating with Ko | ...230 |
Reviews show/hide
Review by MichelAnge show/hide 16/12/05
| Review Author | MichelAnge | Reviewer Strength | 3k IGS |
| Diagram/Text Ratio | 10 | Layout | None |
| Editing | None |
I find this book a lot harder than Davies's Tesuji. It requires a lot of reading and I would not recommend it before 7/8 kyu.
Review by Richard Malaschitz show/hide 15/12/05
| Review Author | Richard Malaschitz | Reviewer Strength | 8 kyu |
| Diagram/Text Ratio | 10 |
It is my best book in my go library.
Review by Michael Heinich (AGA) show/hide 18/03/2005
| Review Author | Michael Heinich (AGA) | Reviewer Strength | n/a |
Shuko's Dictionary of Basic Tesuji is published across four volumes, the first one concentrating on tesuji for attacking. I really enjoyed this book and found the format useful for my style of studying. Each chapter is dedicated to a type of attacking tesuji; instead of using chapter numbers, the table contents lists the types such as Separating, Pressing Down and Probing, along with an example diagram and a diagram with the primary answer. I like the tesuji type category concept but I am unsure about the usefulness of the example diagrams in the Table of Contents, especially the initial diagram.
Each chapter starts with a basic introduction to the concept along with simple examples that even a 20k would understand. A couple times Shuko mentions that his examples are not exactly tesuji, but provide a simpler demonstration of the idea. The rest of the chapter is dedicated to problems or professional game examples, on average 15-20 per chapter, each page containing one problem or example. The pages have an initial diagram with a brief introduction, then three diagrams below that show common wrong answers, a close answer and the best answer along with some possible var iations by the use of letters. This method works for me.
This is really a learning dictionary, as the title suggests, rather then a problem book. At the same time though, you could block the bottom portion of the page with a piece of paper if you wanted to try and figure out the problem yourself first. This book seems to be aimed toward to high double digit kyu's to middle single digit kyu level players, 13k - 5k. Players below 13k would benefit as well from this book. The only problem I had was the book cover. The lettering style is hard on the eyes and it's use on the binding is worse. The first couple times I had to look at it for a second before the words focused. Overall this is an wonderful book and I will be waiting for the other volumes with high hopes. These should be coming out 4-6 months apart. Vol 2 covers defensive tesuji and volumes 3 and 4 cover openings, capturing races and yose.