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200 Endgame Problems

By Shirae Haruhiko 7d

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Title 200 Endgame Problems
Author Shirae Haruhiko 7d
Translator Steven Bretherick
Publisher Slate & Shell
Code sssh001
Date 2003
ISBN 1-932001-05-X
Pages 213
Dimensions 7 5/8. x 4 11/16. - 195mm x 120m
Series Info Nihon Kiin Pocket Series
Sample pages sssh001.pdf
Publisher's URL http://www.slateandshell.com/sssh001.html

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The work of one of the most popular teaching professionals in Japan, Shirae Haruhiko 7 Dan, this collection is a systematic presentation of the endgame tesuji that will make virtually any player stronger. The original book is part of the Nihon Kiin series of poketto books especially designed for kyu players, but many dan players will find useful and innovative ideas in this volume. All of the problems are based on realistic situations that regularly occur in games.

Becoming stronger at the endgame is one of the easiest ways to improve your playing and gain ground on your usual opponents.

Contents show/hide

BASIC PROBLEMS 1 - 50 ...1
  YOSE TESUJI IN ACTUAL GAMES ...51
BASIC PROBLEMS 51 - 100 ...55
  THE VALUE OF MOVES ...105
APPLICATION PROBLEMS 1 - 50 ...109
  THE VALUE OF MOVES ...159
APPLICATION PROBLEMS 51 - 100 ...163

Reviews show/hide

Review by David Carlton show/hide

Review Author David Carlton Reviewer Strength 1 kyu
Author's Email carlton@bactrian.org website http://www.bactrian.org/~carlton/

This is, obviously, a collection of problems. The first section, "Basic Problems", contains 100 problems of a fairly didactic bent, introducing common endgame tesujis, with variations of the same tesuji appearing in several problems in a row to hammer it in. The second section, "Application Problems", is both harder and wider-ranging: the tesujis are more complex, life- and-death plays a much larger role, and there are groups of problems on various broad themes (exactly when can you force a seki in the corner, a few counting problems thrown in out of the blue, etc.). There are also three interludes, giving examples from games and counting examples.

It's pretty good, and certainly we need more endgame books in English. The first half is suitable for single-digit kyu players, and is nicely focused. The second half gets into the low dan level (though strong kyu-level players would also get something out of it), and its lack of organization and the way it tried to shoehorn everything into a problem format bothered me at times. (Don't get me wrong, though: there lots of good problems in the second half.) It complements The Endgame well enough, if my dim memories of that book are to be trusted; I still prefer Get Strong at the Endgame, though that book isn't directly comparable to this one, either.



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