Compendium of Trick Plays, A
By The Nihon Kiin
Cover show/hide
Details show/hide
| Title | Compendium of Trick Plays, A |
|---|---|
| Author | The Nihon Kiin |
| Publisher | Yutopian Enterprises |
| Codes | y2, PAY02 |
| Date | Feb-95 |
| ISBN | 0-9641847-1-0 |
| Pages | 190 |
| Dimensions | 8 3/8. x 6 1/2. - 213mm x 166mm |
| In print status | Out of Print |
Blurb show/hide
In this unique anthology, the reader will ding the subject of trick plays in the game of go dealt with in a thorough manner. Practically anything one could wish to know about the subject is examined from multiple perspectives in this remarkable volume. Vital points in common patterns, skillful finesse [tesuji] and ordinary matters of good technique are discussed, as well as the pitfalls that are concealed in seemingly innocuous positions. This is a gem of a handbook that belongs on the bookshelf of every go player.
Chapter 1 was written by Ishida Yoshio, former Meijin-Honinbo, who intimates that ifjoseki can be said to be the highway, trick plays may be called a back alley. When one masters the alleyways, one is on course to master joseki.Thirty-five model trick plays are presented in this chapter, and exhaustively analyzed in the style of a dictionary.
Kageyama Toshiro 7 dan, one of the most popular go writers, examines the subject in Chapter 2 from the standpoint of full board strategy.
Chapter 3 is written by Mihori Sho, who collaborated with Sakata Eio to produce Killer of Go. Anecdotes from the history of go, famous sayings by Sun Tzu on The Art of Warfare and contemporary examples of trickery are woven together to produce an entertaining dialogue.
The final chapter presents twenty-five problems for the reader to solve, using the knowledge gained in the preceding sections. Do not be surprised to find some unexpected booby traps lurking here also.
An extra feature is a four page cartoon taken from a Japanese magazine. A translation guide offers a fascinating glimpse into the structure of the language.
""Contents show/hide
| Chapter 1: Essential Knowledge of Trick Plays...Ishida Yoshio | ...5 |
| Chapter 2: The Larger Strategy of Trick Plays...Kageyame Toshiro | ...77 |
| Chapter 3: Introducing Trick Plays...Mihori Sho | ...119 |
| "Hamete"/"Trick Moves"...Fujii Reo (Cartoon/Japanese Language Translation Guide) | ...136 |
| Chapter 4: Caution! Trick Play Ahead!...Meada Nobuaki (Being a Primer Comprised of 25 Problems) | ...145 |
| Glossary and Index | ...197 |
Reviews show/hide
Review by Lon Atkins (AGA) show/hide 16/12/2002
| Review Author | Lon Atkins (AGA) | Reviewer Strength | 12k |
Don't buy this book if you think it will arm you with dozens of dazzling swindles with which to win games quickly. Buy this book if you are a student of joseki, tesuji and shape - in other words, a student of go!
If you study joseki, you'll find here many trick plays that could foil your joseki efforts if you were to face them for the first time in a real game. If you study tesuji, then you'll see plenty of them here - trick plays are all about setting up tesuji. And if you study shape, you'll see how adhering to the principles of good shape can save you from trick plays and how mindlessly reacting with "natural" moves can sometimes destroy your shape.
There's a mixture of material here: basic trick models, historical examples, theory of trick play, pop psychology, slippery places in joseki, and even some cartoons. The crown of the book is a section of 25 problems by Maeda Nobuaki 9 dan. Solving them will enhance your practical skills.
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 book has chapters on Essential Knowledge of Trick Plays, by Ishida Yoshio, on The Larger Strategy of Trick Plays, by Kageyama Toshiro, on Introducing Trick Plays, by Mihori Sho, and on Caution! Trick Play Ahead!, by Maeda Nobuaki. The first chapter is a compilation of famous trick plays, the second chapter has trick plays that don't hurt you even if your opponent doesn't fall for them, the third chapter is perhaps somewhat more theoretical, and the fourth chapter contains problems.
I've read through this book quite quickly. I didn't care too much for the first and last chapters: I realize that if I don't read out sequences far enough ahead then I may be surprised and dismayed by what happens to me, but I'm not sure that seeing a book present sequence after sequence is the way that I want to learn how to solve that. The middle two chapters I liked somewhat more: they were at a bit more abstract level of discussion, so I it was easier to get something out of them without worrying too much about the details of the sequences. Even so, I think that it will be a long time before I read this book again; I just don't care that much about the topic, and I don't think that reading it would be a particularly efficient way to improve my game right now