Method of Teaching: principles, classification, methods,
examples
Read when EGF: 18k - 7d
Subjective Rank Improvement: +
Subjective Topic Coverage: +
Subjective Aims' Achievement: ++
Description
The book Capturing Races 1 / Two Basic Groups
can be read as a textbook or used as a reference dictionary. A textbook
reading is supported by introducing the terms and basic theory before
applying it and by preceding every central chapter with problems and
concluding it with their answers. Thereby the reader can verify whether
he has understood and can apply the theory correctly. The book serves
also as a dictionary because the classification of capturing
races
with two basic groups is complete and many chapters have overview
or summary of the principles.
Most
of the 272 pages carry these five chapters or groups of chapters: Terms
and Basic Theory (43 pages), Class 1: Two Basic Groups, No
Kos, No
Approach Defects (132 pages), New Semeai Formula (7 pages), Classes 2
to 6, which are variants of Class 1 (54 pages), Correcting Mistakes in
Literature (16 pages). Introduction,
literature list and index round off the book. A semeai class refers to
all capturing races with the same general properties.
The basic
theory chapter defines all the necessary terms such as 'semeai
eye', 'stable', 'strong' and 'favourite'. Only due to this very
careful preparation, completeness of the case classification
could
be achieved and players can know in general which principles apply and
which don't. Otherwise application of the same popular mistakes found
in literature would continue. Now they are revealed and a weak result
of earlier research is replaced by one of the book's highlights: The
'new semeai formula' expresses the elegance and power everybody desires
because of being easily applicable to all the 24 cases of Class 1
semeais. Recognition of a new concept different from approach
liberty and invention of the term 'fighting liberty' make this possible.
While
the five basic semeai types 'no eyes', 'each side has a small eye',
'each side has a big eye of the same size', 'only one side has an eye'
and 'one side has big eye and the other side has a smaller eye' are
known in earlier literature, this book goes one level deeper and
describes all the 93 possible cases. For a semeai class and type, every
case distinguishes different conditions such as numbers of exclusive
approach liberties and some of the over 200 principles state which to
count to determine status and outcome. The applied illustration uses
simple and clear examples to assist fast learning of the theory.
Together with a meticulously carefully chosen order and structure of
the types and cases and textual and tabular summaries at the chapters'
ends, the reader is motivated to absorb everything and keep it in
memory permanently.
The book combines refined earlier knowledge
and many new discoveries and presents everything with such a great
clarity that players from beginner to top level will get a good
understanding of the basic capturing races. Even the author doubled his
related knowledge while writing the book.
Principles don't attract you, you solve each basic
semeai correctly within a few seconds and you are interested only in
complicated kos? Then reading some dan player's problem collection
might be a better choice. Everybody else gets the capturing races'
state of the art as a solid fundament for his games.
Future Volumes
Volume
1 misses all those topics that will be studied in detail in later
volumes of this Capturing Races series. Several further volumes can be
expected but only later research can reveal their necessary number. The
author's tentative schedule envisions these volumes:
timing & values
approach defects & shape defects & weak eyes
tesujis & typical capturing races at the edge
one ko
two kos
several kos
strange kos and sekis
It
is, e.g., possible though that outside and inside approach defects need
to
be split in two volumes or one ko on the outside, on the inside or in
an eye requires more than one volume. Since the plan is an essentially
complete study of all capturing races and a great advancement of Go
theory, there will be as many volumes as necessary and research and
writing them all can take a couple of years.
* = These are the endconsumer prices in EUR according to UStG
§19 (small business exempted from VAT).
