People at home will be a little jaded, I expect. I am. So I thought something tasty - different but not too heavy - might be a welcome change.

The above is just a tsumego problem. What's different is simply the source. Very few people will have seen the Ekisei Tsubiho, a Japanese book published by some Buddhist priests in 1773. It was written by a Chinese, however, Chen Jiru. Chen apparently spent some time in Japan. His work in turn was based on the Ming-dynasty book Yi Zheng of 1583. That book's name is Ekisei in Japanese, and the Tsubiho portion indicates detailed help is being provided for the reader. There's actually not much of that help on show in the problems section. My main intent is simply to offer a problem that, I hope, because of the unusual source, is new to you, and one that is not too hard.

But a secondary aim is to encourage readers to post not just solutions but also a brief note on the way they thought about it.

The problem has the name "Nine stones turning into a dragon." If you are familiar with old Chinese names for problems, you'll realise there's a clue in there. But I'll leave the actual solution for another day.

If this appeals (and some spark of life is shown on L19 ), I'll post some more from various classics.

_________________
A good system naturally covers all corner cases without further effort.

Let's make a diagram

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ . . . X . X . X . . |
$$ , . X . . . , . X . |
$$ . . X O O O O O O X |
$$ . . X O . X . O X . |
$$ . . X O X . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------[/go]

Thoughts:


Attempt (without peaking anywhere)

_________________
My "guide" to become stronger in Go

Yes, this appeals. I read out the same variations as SoDesuNe, after some struggle. So I guess this is a good level of difficulty for me (unless this isn't actually the solution, in which case -- too hard!)

I don't need to post a solution as SoDesuNe has done an exemplary job. Better even than the original, which only gives moves up to 7. However, the original sees that as the special move, because 7 on the other side, at O2, as SDN points out, allows Black to kill (although it doesn't show the subsequent moves). This intricacy is the Tsubiho "assistant that goes into the intricacies" part of the book's name.

As to difficulty, there is a system used in Japan which grades problems as easy, intermediate, hard on the basis if whether it includes one, two or three themes. On the whole it seems to work very well, though normally, it seems as if that categorisation is meant to apply to problems that use the themes sequentially, but there are many problems that have, say, two themes=two steps but there is a third, or even a fourth in a variation line, which is also two steps.

There are also question marks over overlapping themes. For example, this problem could be said to have various themes, some in sequence, some in variations: throw-in, damezumari, ko, under-the-stones, connect-and-die. Personally I count it as a two-themer sequentially because damezumari is implied for either under-the-stones or connect-and-die. And not only is ko is in a variation line, it's a yose-ko. Maybe this problem was even the origin of the proverb that a yose-ko requiring two or more approach moves is no ko.

There is also the question of hints. Far from all old classics use names for problems, but many do, and I think for two reasons. One is as an aid to remembering: "Nine stones turning into a dragon" reminds you it has nine white stones in a sort of cloud shape. "Turning/changing into" usually has the Daoist connotation of immortality or coming back to life, as in under-the=stones. The dragon as a cloud suggests also swirling changes at the base of the cloud - black and white stones intermingling.

As to why hints and reminders are used, it is my conjecture - but one based on references in the many hundreds of Chinese poems that mention go - that gentlemen or priests would invite friends rounds for social mingling (remember that concept? - I find it hard) and, aided by wine and sweetmeats, would discuss an objet d'art: a vase, a piece of calligraphy, or even a poem, or better yet a tsumego problem. A name as enigmatic as a cryptic crossword clue would add to the elegance.

Ad these gentlemen would discuss the problem, as SDN and others did here, and thereby thoroughly learn something from their pals, especially about how to think about problems. In that vein, I will give another problem because it raises a perplexing issue that I would love to see discussed.

The following problem (White to play) is one of a fairly common type in the old classics. But it is a type I find extraordinarily hard. My question is: why?



The type I am referring to is a tightly enclosed corner group where the enclosed stones are spaced apart higgledy-piggedly. My reasons as to why the are hard start with the observation that these problems tend to look artificial and do not appear in real games. So I lack familiarity with these sorts of positions. A second reason must be that the openness means there are several possible starting points. More life-like problems can share a multiplicity of starting moves and they are generally classed as hard. But I think there is a deeper reason to be teased out, and I sense it's something to do with lack of a strategy for choosing a candidate move to explore first (maybe that's just my Reason 1 restated in a different way?).

This particular problem may actually be familiar to you as it appears in Gateway To All Marvels under the title ‘New cicada comes out of its shell’ (wherein, as above, lies a strong clue), but with the first few moves played out, and in the form as here i.e. with six black stones) but with the name ‘The Six Dings’ (Dings were Daoist gods, so you know Daoist immortality comes in). It actually appears also in the even older Carefree and Innocent Pastime where it has a graphic name, ‘Six fish-hawks flying backwards,’ referring to a historical event when a great storm literally put the wind up six naughty birds who were not practising social distancing.

But I chose this problem by looking at the Chinese classic Bequest of the Autumn Hermit, from the Ming dynasty. Author Zhu Keming presumably chose his autumnal sobriquet as an allusion to the go master mentioned disapprovingly by Mencius a thousand years earlier. Mencius was a Conficianist. Daoists often liked poking Confucianists in the eye and one way of doing that was by liking go. In his book the problem has the name 'Hard to fathom'. Which may be true enough, but raises another topic for discussion. Certain names can give strong hints, and then problem becomes easy (or easier). That surely raises the question of whether we should be teaching life & death by using hints more liberally, as a way of teaching solving strategies rather than expecting the solver to glare at a problem and trying to read out everything tactically.

So get out your wine and sweetmeats - or a pint and some pork scratchings if you prefer - think about this problem, then DISCUSS. This is L19, after all, a forum for gentlemen. It is not Reddit.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc
$$ | . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . .
$$ | . O O O O . . .
$$ | . . X X . O . .
$$ | X . . , X O . .
$$ | . . . X . O . .
$$ | . X . O O . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . .
$$ +-----------------[/go]

Thoughts and attempt:


TL;DR

_________________
My "guide" to become stronger in Go

Problems with a bunch of stones scattered into an enclosed corner also give me fits. I think it's because I can't guess what the tesuji will be, which means I have to prune branches manually instead of skipping steps. This problem is tame for one of those; there are only two or three reasonable first moves, and their followups are relatively branchless.

I also find these problems difficult.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc
$$ | . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . .
$$ | . O O O O . . .
$$ | . . X X . O . .
$$ | X . . , X O . .
$$ | . . . X . O . .
$$ | . X . O O . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . .
$$ +-----------------[/go]

FWIW:

_________________
The Adkins Principle:
At some point, doesn't thinking have to go on?
— Winona Adkins

Visualize whirled peas.

Everything with love. Stay safe.

On average, real game problems differ from invented problems. The latter more often allow application of techniques / themes, solving strategies or finding the first move being the major effort. During the last half of a year, I have studied hundreds of real game problems involving tactical reading and found that solving of only 11% is accelerated by techniques, solving strategies and the like. (There are a few other aspects occurring due to a restricted study purpose.)

By far most real game problems must be solved by disciplined tactical reading of all mandatory variations and decisions. Only methods of tactical reading itself may decrease the numbers of mandatory variations, such as creation of a position with a known result not requiring reading beyond it or verifying at least one next move with the optimal result. Instead of reading all variations, this can mean to read "only" all mandatory variations.

Therefore, number of themes or first moves are very weak measures of difficulty. Much more relevant is the minimum number of variations whose reading is mandatory (because they cannot be pruned) together with their numbers of moves and necessary decisions among the variations to be related.

Compromise results are difficult because they can require reading "all" alternatives to possibly find a better result and consideration of finer details, such as comparing different types of kos, excess numbers of local ko threats, capture-first and other aspects up to optimising endgame counts (the latter in 4% of ordinary real game tactical problems with a middle game flair).

It's no good, John, the name "Ekisei Tsubiho" is just too hard to remember. The first word keeps reminding me of another fighting technique I heard about many years ago, and I'm getting them mixed up. From now on, I think I'll call them the Ecky-Thump Tsumego.

Here is the solution to the second probem as given by Ecky Thump.



It's evidently pointless trying to get a discussion going on L19 nowadays. I've tried quote a few times and am now giving up totally. I will only post here to make announcements, or maybe answer the odd question. I will become a selfish lurker - although there's nothing to lurk about....

For non-Brits, Ecky Thump was mainly a Lancashire martial art introduced by the Goodies. It just so happened that the only good Goodie, Tim Brooke-Taylor, became a covid victim yesterday.

The problems are too difficult for me, I don't even understand the official solution to this tsubiho tsumego.

If is at A3, is the black group alive by ko or can White still kill unconditionally?

That's a beautiful sequence. Although I did "read" the clamp I would have never guessed this order of moves afterwards.

Thanks for showing and a real pity losing you as a regular contributor...

@jlt Seems ko, yes. But I guess White has local threats so this is really hard for Black.

_________________
My "guide" to become stronger in Go

What kind of discussion would you expect in this case?

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wc
$$ | . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . .
$$ | . O O O O . . .
$$ | 4 2 X X . O . .
$$ | X 1 . , X O . .
$$ | 3 5 . X . O . .
$$ | . X . O O . . .
$$ | . . . . . . . .
$$ +-----------------[/go]

If you start reading this way, you might be able to visualize the under the stones position.

_________________
The Adkins Principle:
At some point, doesn't thinking have to go on?
— Winona Adkins

Visualize whirled peas.

Everything with love. Stay safe.

A little late, but my process for the first one:



The solution is... er... to be announced at a later date.

I'm still a bit behind on the First one, although I do get the feeling that capturing-stones-captured stones puzzles .

It's interesting that this particular tsumego from china was a tsuhibo. Given that hints are often given Chinese names I wonder if assisted puzzles were more common in China than Japan during that time period (and maybe Japan later adopted it more?)

_________________
On Go proverbs:
"A fine Gotation is a diamond in the hand of a dan of wit and a pebble in the hand of a kyu" —Joseph Raux misquoted.

Second attempt at the first problem. I think I've got it!

Process:



Solution:



Now I can finally check my answer! That really was a fun problem... but I don't think I'll move on to the next one immediately.

Edit: It seems I missed some important lines but I at least got the gist, which is a big improvement from the other day. I'm still reasonably content.

Edit 2: Haha since John described it as "not too hard" I assumed everyone who had posted hide tags had solved it quickly and easily in their heads. I would have given up sooner if I new dan players found it difficult!

My thinking so far--thank you for the diagram jlt!

My First written foray will focus on the many captures black can make . . .

_________________
On Go proverbs:
"A fine Gotation is a diamond in the hand of a dan of wit and a pebble in the hand of a kyu" —Joseph Raux misquoted.