Suji

Table of contents Definition Relation to other Go terms Relation to tactics Relation to style Examples See also

Definition

Suji is a Japanese Go Term, 筋. It can have the following usages:

• Flow (development) of the stones, when referring to a stage of the game
• Line of play or relationship of moves to each other, when applied to a local position
• Style, when applied to a player.

The consensus among translators seems to be that it has a strong dynamic flavour and not merely refers to one single move. A possible word covering it all is technique.

Relation to other Go terms

• A good line of play is called tesuji, a bad one zokusuji.
• The Korean Go Term haengma covers practically the same meanings.

Relation to tactics

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.

Relation to style

With respect to style there is a definite subjective aesthetic connotation. Japanese pros are heard to describe an amateur's go as totemo suji ga ii (definitely good suji). This probably refers to such things as good shape, refinement, efficiency, elegance and other aesthetic descriptors. It doesn't necessarily mean the same as "strong".

Examples

• The cutting suji
• The placement suji
• The tsuke (attach) hiki (draw back) suji: together tsukehiki
• The belly attachment suji
• The Two Stone Corner Squeeze suji
• The eye stealing suji

See also

• Technique
• Nine sorts of suji
• What actions the stones are doing
• Haengma
• Maek.