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WedgeVariants

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Shuho
TheTheoryAndPract...

 

Shuho's Opening Theory
Path: WedgeVariants   · Prev: OtakeFusekiChapOneAnswer   · Next:
    Keywords: Opening, Culture & History, Books & Publications

The book The Theory and Practice of Go contains sample whole-board openings by Honinbo Shuho. These represent the "Shusaku style" as it was formulated about 20 years after Shusaku's death. The interest of these openings today is in relation to the discussion about the roots of shin fuseki, and more generally the rise of modern opening theory. The phrase "Shusaku style" surely means more than the 1-3-5 Shusaku fuseki pattern and the Shusaku kosumi. It relates to the full development of patterns based on 3-4 points, as a thick style for Black. That was of course in the days before komi.

Presumably the material in Hoen Shinpo, Shuho's book mentioned on the shin fuseki page, was comparable. O. Korschelt says the openings he has were taken from manuscript writings. There are handicap openings there, too.

[Diagram]
Plays 1 to 10

This example is with B5 the Shusaku kosumi before occupying the third corner (B5 at W6 is the orthodox play). Therefore this is bound to look slow by modern standards. On the other hand W8, rather than a, is a looser enclosure. It is White who is making the pace.


[Diagram]
Plays 11 to 20

W12 avoids complicated taisha variations, transposing after B15 into a line of the press 3-5 joseki. W16 one to the left (footsweep), to take sente? Is Black going to ignore that, equally?

B19 is of course severe on White in the upper right. White responds with a wedge when the approach lower right was possible. This is very much like handicap Go, from White.

-- Charles Matthews



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This is a copy of the living page "Shuho's Opening Theory" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2003 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.