Classical Go Problem Books at Sensei's Library

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Classical Go Problem booksKeywords: Culture & History, Books & Publications

Year Title Author/Editor# of

ProblemsOrigin

Other

Names

Availabl

on SL?

c.

1100

Wangyou

Qingle Ji

()

Li Yimin 34 China

ENG:Carefree &

Innocent

Pastime

Collection

JPN:

Gengen

Gokyo ()KOR:

Hyeon

Hyeon Gi

Gyeong

(

)

No

1347

Xuanxuan

Qijing

()

Yan Defu, Yan

Tianzhang347 China

ENG:

Gateway to

All

Marvels

JPN:

KOR:

Yes

1629

Xian Ji Wu

Ku

()

Lu Xuanyu, Lu

Xuanyu's Son419 China

ENG:Arsenal of

Immortal

Devices

JPN:

KOR:

Yes

(Partial)

ical Go Problem books at Sensei's Library http://senseis.xmp.net/?ClassicalGoProbl

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1634

Wanhui

Xianji

((

))

Zhuchang Fang 490 China

ENG:

JPN:

KOR:

No

1660Guanzi Pu

()Guo Bailing,

Tao Shiyu1473 China

ENG:

Endgame

Collection

JPN:

Kanzufu

()

KOR:Gwan Ja

Bo (

)

No

1710Yi Kuo

()Huang Longshi 361 China

ENG:

JPN:

KOR:

No

1713

Igo

Hatsuyoron

()

Inoue Dosetsu

Inseki183 Japan

CHN:Fayanglun

()ENG:

Analysis of

Generating

Yang

KOR: WikiBalyangron

(

)

Yes

1812

Gokyo

Shumyo

()Hayashi Genbi 520 Japan

CHN:

Qijing

ZhongmiaoYes


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()ENG:

Brilliancies

from Go

ClassicsKOR: Ki

Kyeung

Joong Myo

(

)

1833Genran

()Akaboshi

Intetsu69 Japan

CHN:

Xuanlan()ENG:

Mysterious

Vision

KOR:

No

1835

Gokyo

Seimyo

()Hayashi Genbi 297 Japan

CHN:

QijingJingmiao

()ENG: Best

of the Go

Classics

KOR: KiKyeung

Jeung Myo

(

)

Yes

(Partial)


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1848

Katsugo

Shinpyo

()

Kishimoto

Saichiro130 Japan

CHN:

ENG:

KOR:

No

1910

Shikatsu

Myoki

()

Honinbo

Shusai168 Japan

CHN: (

)ENG: New

Life &

Death

Brilliant

Stratagems

KOR:

Yes

Notes

Overview of the better known "Classic" works, list compiled by Harry

Fearnley and John Fairbairn

Bill: (Shiqing-lu) by (Lin Yinlong), 1525

This book came in 20 volumes. It contains some problems, as well assome opening positions. (See this site for some of the openings.) It

contains 384 diagrams by a Japanese monk, Kyochu. The openings

suggest that there was an initial position where, aside from the Black

and White stones on diagonally opposite 4-4 points, Black had a stone

on tengen. (See Sunjang Badukfor a different prescribed opening

setup.)

John F. Without being wrong, this statement needs to be

treated with care, especially as regards tengen. The

Shiqing-lu of 1525 by Lin Yinlong is notorious for adding

stones on tengen and/or reversing colours in games that are

known from earlier texts. Lin was a very weak player and

was mocked accordingly. This was a time when go polemics


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were in fashion and writers slagged each other off. As the

famous Wang Shizhen said around this time, "Even if a

person has made a name in expositions, poems or essays on

go, it does not necessarily mean this is a proof of the writer's

go ability." Lin was mocked because he was weak but also

because of the title of his book. Shiqing is a made-up word.He indicated he plucked the two characters from a poem by

Wang Anshi, but as Wang Anshi was known as one of the

great weakies in go history, Lin's peers took the title to mean

it was a collection of trivia (and in some senses it is - at

times it belongs more to astrology than go). Lin defended

himself by pointing out that the bulk of the content (8 of the

20 volumes) was by the Japanese monk Xuzhong, resident inHangzhou and perhaps the most esteemed player of the

early Ming. But Lin had lost many papers of Xuzhong's

original works and reconstructed them from memory for

Shiqinglu - we do not know how reliably.

The title can perhaps be best rendered as "Records of doing

as the heart pleases". It is believed the poem by Wang that

inspired it runs (in part): "When I play go I am in the moodto forget the hardships of travelling on horseback round the

garrison forts of far-off regions, and I end up rushing about

eagerly trying to catch the beautiful butterflies I saw in my

dreams." Rather nice!

Maybe Lin can be said to have had the last laugh, as his

book, errors and all, is now considered one of the most

important documents for go history.

Bill: Thanks, John. :-) That Lin was a weak player makes

sense. My impression of a number of the openings shown on

the site is that the play is weak and the style is generally

heavy.


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Anonymous: Could some players please list the suggested strength for

the problem collection listed here. This would be very great. Thank you

very much in advance.

John F. I had no part in compiling this list as it happens. I

only answered a few queries from Harry, But I can tell you

that generally the problems in the above list range from hard

to very hard (5-dan plus), and in the case of Hatsuyoron to

very, very, very, very hard (i.e. tough for pros). But every

now and then a very easy problem will be found in some

cases, which can create a misleading impression.

The easiest is the Gokyo Shumyo. The above makes it look

like a Chinese book, but it's Japanese, and it's the book thatgoes by the name ofKanazawa Tesuji Series elsewhere on

SL. The Guanzipu problems are mostly a kind of endgame

problem (a type I call encroachment problems - the task is to

encroach as much as possible into the enemy territory. In

each case you need to exercise great care in getting a

version that is correct in terms of both starting position and

solutions. In the main, Internet versions have many defects,partly because the originals are also defective. An edited

modern printed version is much the best bet.

There are quite a lot of other classic collections. If you

tackle Gokyo Shumyo first you might find it sensible to

move onto Gokyo Seimyo. Shikatsu Myoki and then

Hatsuyoron you should leave until you are studying to be a

pro.

Imagist: Some of these problem sets can be found here.

tderz: This is the first time for me to hear about a Gokyo Seimyo. Does

someone know the Hanzi/Kanji for it?


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Classical Go Problem Books at Sensei's Library