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Fuseki Study Group
I created this page to study some fuseki problems I was studying in a book I am reading. I found the problems very challenging and rewarding and wanted to share them with a small study group. So bookmark this page and hopefully we can have a good discussion here. I will post some problems. You guys can post your suggested answers, then I will post the answer from the book. Then we can discuss what is interesting.
-Ken P-S
Fuseki Problems
Fuseki problems require you to analyze the whole board early in the game and make important decisions that can frankly determine how the rest of the game is going to go. The following problems are all presented in the book with the simple instructions: "Black to play." The goal is to find the best move. I will put up a few problems and you determine what Black's best play is. Make a move on the board by editing the board and putting a B in the place on the board you want your stone to appear. If you want to explain why you think that is the move, add a comment below the board. Then we can discuss your move and the correct move from the book.
Problem 1
![[Diagram]](diagrams/25/0c8587e5cd735cda65c4c1fc96c13388.png)
Reason?
Perhaps conducting a large knight's move here will sufficiently enclose more space along with the corner.
KP-S: Actually the move is at (1). While the large white knight is not bad, the lower left corner is currently stable and can expand either up to the left side or across the bottom. There is no urgent move here. (1) is critical because it stabilizes the upper left corner for black, with profit, and keeping sente. White now has to answer this with a protective move to stabilize the white position in the upper left.
Problem 2
![[Diagram]](diagrams/37/a88a449240e7ab5a0f0ac5e9a5a63bcd.png)
Reason?
With B invading here, depending on W response, the cut can be deep and still allow for escape to the center.
KP-S: The best move is at (1). This is an example of how sometimes playing first makes a big difference. If Black plays (1) first, then Black forms a large framework on the left side that White will have difficulty invading. Likewise, White's stones at the top are in very bad shape and very vulnerable. If White plays first:
![[Diagram]](diagrams/14/92e82527e5d802c78e617c351277273f.png)
White can drive Black down, compressing and minimizing Black's position, cutting Black off from the middle.
Problem 3
![[Diagram]](diagrams/24/2e19b3f28e242385d9ea117f59db823f.png)
Reason?
Would it be prudent to make a two point jump here before W does?
KP-S: Yes. The idea is to attack a weak stone and map out territory.
Problem 4
![[Diagram]](diagrams/43/8253a2f2e961e9a4d604ca27ee798b4a.png)
Reason?
If W responds, B should be able to kill this group by disallowing life?
KP-S: True you could kill the white stones this way. But look how over-concentrated black is there. Also, in terms of points, this is small profit at this stage. The upper group creates a strong wall to build toward. The three stones in the lower left are very weak. Extending them toward the thick wall at the top claims the whole left side and makes an invasion by white very difficult. 1 is the appropriate and safe distance to extend.
![[Diagram]](diagrams/39/d99aa5be88f7c857217c899b417f068b.png)
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