Gokyo Shumyo
Gokyo Shumyo, meaning Brilliancies from Go Classics[1], is a reference standard of tsumego containing 520 problems, written by Hayashi Genbi and published in 1812.
In Killer of Go, Sakata Eio emphasizes the importance of studying tsumego. His statement goes like this: It is necessary to cultivate one's skill at solving questions at a glance, in other words, life and death problems (tsumego). It is recommended that amateurs assimilate the "Gokyo Shumyo" (...). It was published more than 150 years ago, but it contains basic life and death shapes, and is invaluable in game situations. Unless one first fixes the complete Shumyo collection in mind, one will not attain the qualifications to make one feared as a "killer". However, even a fairly strong amateur will have trouble solving all of the problems in the Shumyo correctly on the spot. If not, that's quite all right. After some days pass, one must take up the challenge again, and then yet again later, until in the end one masters the whole anthology.
Jang Bi, a former Korean insei and 9d on KGS, states that Gokyo Shumyo is perfect for low to mid-dan ranked players (as related by Solomon Choe).
- Hashimoto Utaro's version of the Gokyo Shumyo is discussed at SL under the title Gokyo Shumyo Tsumego Series.
- Go Seigen's version (several problems are slightly or completely different) can be found on several Chinese websites. Ulrich Görtz has a web page for these classics, converted to SGF, at
http://www.u-go.net/classic.
- Here is a
Japanese web site.
- You can solve the problems interactively at
this Japanese site.
- A printable version (pdf) of the problems can be downloaded from
tasuki's web site.
- In April 2004, a Chinese edition was published: (ISBN: 7-80548-916-5). The book is one of a set of three entitled 世界围棋死活经典名着 (Shi4 jie4 Wei2 qi2 Si3 huo2 Jing1 dian3 Ming2 zhu4 (World Weiqi Masterpieces of Life and Death). The other two being 《围棋发阳论》新解,程晓流解说 Weiqi FaYangLun, New Solutions/Interpretations(?) and 《围棋技巧大全》 (即 《官子谱》) Weiqi ji4 qiao3 da4 quan2 (Guanzi Pu).
- Contents of the April 2004 World Weiqi Masterpieces of Life and Death edition [2]:
- 生之部 (life) 103 problems
- 死之部 (death) 71 problems
- 劫之部 (ko) 90 problems
- 攻之部 (attack) 96 problems
- 追杀之部 (attack to kill) 40 problems
- 盘渡之部 (connect underneath) 74 problems
- 挖,点,刺,断,征之部 (wedge, placement, peep, cut, ladder) 46 problems
Availability of print versions of Gokyo Shumyo
Available from Yellow Mountain Imports at http://www.ymimports.com/p-236-brilliancies-from-go-classics-gokyo-shumyo.aspx
The Hashimoto edition is available from amazon.co.jp
tchan001: Pictures of the original volumes from my collection can be viewed at my blog post.
Photocopies of the original volumes may be viewed online at the Japanese National Diet Library:
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4
[1] tderz: 棋经众妙 = Qíjīng zhòngmiào
(棋 經眾妙) = chess(Go) // classics /(sacred book) // multitude clever/wonderful => sacred WeiQi-book of the multitude of wonderful (moves) = above "Brilliancies from Go Classics"
[2] unkx80: 之部 omitted from English translations. Basically 部 means section/part/chapter.