Positional Judgment: High-Speed Game Analysis

by Cho Chikun

English (translation)
Original Japanese

Genres: Go

182 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1989

Reviews

[Liedzeit Liedzeit · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book promises more than it can keep. It goes without saying, you have to know the score of the game to choose your strategy - and your next move. But how to really judge profit vs. thickness you are not any wiser after reading this book. A lot of the examples do not present you a move followed from game analysis but just the locally correct shape move. Or an end-game sequence. Of course, it is better to read the book than not, but do not expect too much.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

technical and useful.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is written by Cho Chikun, the first player to have won all of Japan's top 7 Go titles.

It is a short, focused book covering the rudiments of counting territory, estimating thickness, and estimating frameworks, and then moving through several different positions in real games and discussing how the principles expounded apply to them.

While I'm far from understanding the details of the moves recommended, I can very clearly understand the concepts. Counting not only tells you who is ahead and whether you need to play conservatively or aggressively, but also where you and your opponent will be trying to score points. This leads to strategic issues about whether you should be banking territory or going on the offensive, and there are many problems presented and later explained on these points.

Among the interesting points:
* Cho assesses point value of opening on a star point
* an even endgame is preserved by ignoring sente moves and aggressing back
* thickness is not just used for fighting, but for building frameworks and scoring territory
* thickness is assessed against the territory it gives up
* how to extend and erase frameworks

Most important for me is the insight into a how a top player approaches the game strategically, with real examples. Many times I've been adrift in a game with no idea what to do next; now I understand better how to assess strategic goals. This is a book to come back to when I have better understanding of the game, but it has helped me win games despite being tactically routed.

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes. One wonders, when reading a book authored by a world-famous master, how much of the text was written by Chikun and how much was ghost-written by a hack like Kaz?

Regardless, I found this book worth reading.

[joepr · Rating 4 out of 5]

muy instructivo

[Curran · Rating 3 out of 5]

a book worth re-reading in the future for a better/revised understanding of game analysis