Suji
Suji 筋 means line of play.
Examples:
- The cutting suji
- The placement suji
- The tsuke (attach) hiki (draw back) suji: together tsukehiki
- The belly attachment suji
- The race to capture in the corner suji
- The eye stealing suji
The effective use of a suji is called tesuji.
Ineffective use of a suji, or playing in a way which spoils the tesuji is called zokusuji (see also bad style).
To translate this into terms of reading, to see suji in a position is only to imagine that certain techniques might apply, with results that one must then evaluate. Good knowledge of suji indicates how to carry out basic operations: such as blocking off the opponent or escaping with one's own group. It can answer questions about how to connect.
It is said that the strength of players is apparent to an expert at the level of suji.
BobMcGuigan (moved from zokusuji): I've seen the term suji used in a generalized way somewhat equivalent to "style", with a definite subjective aesthetic connotation. For example, I've heard Japanese pros describe an amateur's go as totemo suji ga ii (definitely good suji). I think this refers to such things as good shape, refinement, efficiency, elegance and other aesthetic descriptors. It doesn't necessarily mean the same as "strong".
See also