FUSEKI

the whole board opening in Igo.

KINDS OF FUSEKI

1. Shusaku Fuseki limits enemys territorial advantages by taking the corners.

3. Nirensei Fuseki (two star points in a row) aims to create moyo. 4. Sanrensei Fuseki (three star points in a row) aims for influence.
5. Tengen Fuseki (central point) aims for a large scale fighting game. BASIC FUSEKI MANEUVERS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Shimari (enclosure) building blocks for corner territory. Kakari (approach) basic attacking move in the corner. Hiraki (extension) basic defense for weak stones. Hasami (pincer) basic counter against an approach. Uchikomi (invasion) basic maneuver for disrupting moyo. Oshi (push) basic maneuver for building thickness. DIRECTION OF PLAY 1. 2. Corner Shimari and Kakari big moves for Komoku, Takamoku, and Mokuhazushi Side Hiraki Priorities - base for weak stones - extensions in front of shimari - tsume (checking extensions) Center Ikken tobi (one space jump) average Kosumi (diagonal move) slow but strong Kogeima (small knights move) fast but weak Pincer A good defense is a good offense. A move which is both hiraki and hasami is ideal. Invasion Invade before moyo becomes territory. If invasion looks grim, reduce. Pushing and Crawling Dont push along the fifth line. Dont crawl along the second line. FUSEKI CONCEPTS 1. Relationship between stones Make stones work together. Each move must heighten the value of the others. Efficiency Make the maximum of territory with the minimum of stones. Take all advantages from owns strong positions and opponents weak ones. Always search the board for the area where the largest play is possible.

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Play away from strength Playing near enemys strong position is ineffective and dangerous. Playing near owns strong position is inefficient. Thickness and Walls Play away from thickness. Take full advantage of own wall by extending from it at a distance that does full justice to the walls power (about three to five points away). Open at the bottom Dont defend at the area facing enemy position that has an open bottom. Dont make territory in the area where the enemy can easily slip into. Playing in areas with open bottoms are inefficient during fuseki. Third and Fourth Lines The third line invites pressure from above, while the fourth line invites invasion below. During fuseki, it is not good to string all stones along the third line. Reverse strategy If you want to play on the right, push first on the left. Strengthen the weak position on the left first before attacking to the right. Move in the reverse direction, and when the enemy follows, shot ahead towards your real aim. Light and Heavy Heavy is a stubborn slow-witted play that makes a group of weak stones bigger without strengthening it or counterattacking in any significant way. Light is a fast and slippery style that gives the enemy no big targets to hit. When the enemy is strong, play lightly. Reduce large areas the enemy is building up by playing lightly. Make the enemy heavy by forcing him into a bad shape. Attack and Defense Making corner territory and living shapes are extremely important defensive strategies. Katatsugi (solid connection) is one of the most basic defensive maneuvers. Urgent points before big points. If one group is weak, do not create another weak group. Do not confront strong stones. Do not invade when the enemy have a strong and solid position. Forming territory while attacking is profitable and efficient. Putting cutting points in the enemy position to aim at in future fighting is one of the attacking techniques of the opening.

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CHUBAN

the middle game in Igo which typically starts when one part of the board is heavily contested by both players and a fight occurs.

FUNDAMENTALS OF MIDGAME STRATEGY 1. Balance of Territory primary factor in planning midgame strategy, and can be estimated simply by matching both sides areas against each other directly.

The one who leads in the balance of territory should try to avoid fighting, and stabilize the game by playing safe and simple. The one who is behind in the balance of territory should create confusions through invasions and skirmishes. the factor that governs the way the balance of territory shifts, and provides the key for reaching the goal of the game, which is to control more territory than the enemy at the end of the game.

2. Balance of Power

The one who leads in the balance of power, the one whose groups are thick or exert more influence, should play aggressively, looking for weaknesses in the enemy positions and striking before the enemy has a chance to defend. The one who is behind in the balance of power should play with caution and restraint until by so doing he has restored the power equilibrium. One must learn to evaluate moves, not only in terms of the territory they create or destroy, but also in terms of what they do to the balance of power.

USES OF POWER 1. 2. 3. Attack and push the enemy against thickness. Invade in the midst of enemys thin groups. Cut and fight to build up influence, or even up the balance of power. Thickness often yield profit, not in its own immediate vicinity, but in other parts of the board. Power advantage is often converted to territorial advantage.

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ATTACKING

trying to capture stones and kill groups, but not always true, since the destruction of enemy stones is not the sole purpose of midgame fighting. a much more correct meaning would be to gain territory and/or power.

ATTACKING STRATEGIES 1. Attacking to Gain Territory the idea is not to kill enemy stones, but to expand ones own area by threatening the enemy group.

Keeping the enemy from getting two eyes when there is no real chance of capturing him may lead to the destruction of ones own territorial potential. The ability to see in two directions at once is all it takes to master the technique of building up a territorial framework in one part of the board by attacking a group that lies in another part. crucial in a running battle between two weak groups.

2. Attacking to Gain Power

This strategy can be used to maintain the balance of territory by creating a power base for invasions and running battles. A running battle is a struggle for supremacy between two opposing groups, and do not always have to be waged by running into the center, but rather is basically a struggle for eye space. Territory tends to fall naturally to the side who holds the balance of power. leaning against an enemy group to reinforce ones own group in preparation for an attack on another enemy group.

3. Leaning Attack

The technique is not to attack directly, but rather to circle around or away from an enemy group, and to force the enemy to concede stones and territory while trying to protect it. Two common leaning moves are contact moves (tsuke), and shoulder hits (katatsuki). playing between two enemy groups, and keeping them divided.

4. Splitting Attack

5. Cut (kiri)

The divide and conquer strategy is one of the most devastating attack maneuver since it may create two weak groups for the enemy, but it does not guarantee the capture of the enemy groups; rather, by playing this way, one can easily keep the initiative and control the game. When the two enemy groups are farther apart that one stone can no longer attack them both, the trick is to chase them toward each other, and split between them when the gap has sufficiently narrowed. Leaning moves can also be a severe splitting attack when the two enemy groups are farther apart. the ultimate form of splitting attack, when the two enemy

groups are as close together as possible, and the resulting double attack takes on maximum force. Cutting something the enemy can afford to give up is not good, as it may help strengthen the enemys own position. Capturing small points by cutting is not worthwhile. Sometimes it is more effective to herd the enemy stones together than to hack them apart, and this can be done by pushing the enemy stones together before undermining his eye space and chasing him out into the center.

ATTACKING TACTICS 1. Make non-contact moves

Contact moves tend to backfire because the enemy usually answer them by stretching, making the attacked stone stronger in the process, which will eventually lead to a backand-forth fight with both sides attacking and defending simultaneously. A basic principle of the game when it comes to attacking is the proverb do not touch what you are attacking.

2. Seek severity An attacking move, even non-contact ones, must be severe and hit the enemy where it hurts. The purpose of severity is to deprive the enemy of good defensive responses so that he cannot live easily; otherwise, the attack is meaningless. If you have no good response to an attack, it is much better to ignore it and play elsewhere.

ATTACKING MOVES 1. Eye-Stealing Tesuji the strongest attacking move that ruins the enemys eye shape.

The key point in this move is the place where you can make a false eye for the enemys position. another move that strikes at the enemys eye shape.

2. Angle Tesuji

The key point is the same as the hanging connection (kaketsugi), forming an angular Vshape with the two enemy stones. an attack that can be used to push the enemy toward or against something, or to build a framework while attacking, or both.

3. Knights Attack (keima)

This move is useful for the dragging the battle to other parts of the board, or to chase the enemy towards a wall. an attack that aims to stop the enemys movement head-on.

4. Capping Attack (boushi)

This attack can be used against isolated enemy stones, and is also effective even when it does not completely contain the enemy. an attack that can be used for a variety of purposes.

5. Peeping Attack (nozoki)

By peeping at cutting points, this can be used to spoil the enemys eye shape. When the enemy has the three-stone formation consisting of a two-space extension and a one-space jump, this attack can be used as a probe to see how the enemy connects. Another common form of attack is a combination in which the first move is a peep and the second is something else, like peeping to contain the enemy first before extending and attacking to build a territorial framework.