Vital Points and Skillful Finesse for Sabaki
The Japanese term 'sabaki' is one of the more difficult Go concepts to understand. It's usually explained as something like 'playing lightly' or 'managing weak stones', but what does it actually mean? In this book, Yoda Norimoto 9 dan shows that sabaki involves much more than just the tactical plays that are frequently given in vague attempts to explain the concept. It's about sound judgement based on the whole board position, and knowing which stones are important and which are not.
$19.99
Reviews
Book Description:
Sabaki is one of the most intriguing techniques of go. In the hands of accomplished players it can seem like pure sorcery. At times the stones can appear to dance with life. While playing lightly hither and yon, the opponent’s forces can end up ineffective, over-concentrated and misdirected.
Yoda Norimoto has been one of the leading players on the go scene for more than ten years. In this landmark volume he uses a question and answer format to explore a variety of the aspects of go regarding sabaki from each player’s view.
78 model problems, each with limited responses, are posed for the reader to solve. Despite this narrow focus, finding the correct solution can be surprisingly difficult. But Yoda clearly explains all of the possibilities, so the reader can cultivate judgement to find the key line of play in such positions.
This is a book that all go players will treasure.
- Level:
- Intermediate
- Author:
- Yoda Norimoto
- Translator:
- Robert Terry
- Publisher:
- Hinoki Press
- Pages:
- 253
- ISBN10:
- 0-9788874-0-9
- ISBN13:
- 978-0-9788874-0-7
- Dimensions (mm):
- 210 x 137
- Dimensions (inches):
- 8.3 x 5.4
Yoda Norimoto sensei’s book on sabaki is one of a very limited number of titles available in English on the subject. Despite the fact that sabaki is generally considered a high level technique Yoda makes it approachable for most intermediate players as well. I read this book as a 6 kyu and it pushed me past the block that I had at that point. There are several problems at the end to reinforce the lessons. This book is a value to anyone but specifically if you want to know how to fight in enemy areas. One flaw of the book though is the use of the term “skillful finesse” it is very tedious and the Japanese term tesuji is in wide enough use in the English speaking go community that the need for translation is minimal at best. Otherwise the book is well written and enjoyable.