638 pages - Nihon Kiin

1st edition August 2014

基本死活事典 by 張 栩

ISBN 9784818205970

Price Yen 3024 (inc Japanese tax)

Page size 181mm x 126mm



This book is highly recommended, it contains some 400 or so reference positions - in the corner and on the side. Each position consists of a white group surrounded by Black and the status is then given - i.e. white can't be killed, white can't live, white can live, white can get seki, black can get ko, white can get a 3 step ko, yose-ko etc. Each reference position takes 1,2 or 3 pages. The level of Japanese needed is slight, it's fairly easy to read the captions for each figure and reference diagram; although the explanation for each diagram is harder.

example from Corner Life and Death



Position 11 - White to play and live

Diagram 1 - Correct answer. White lives
Diagram 2 - Failure. White is dead
Diagram 3 - Reference. White is dead

The book is divided into 7 sections

- Introduction (8 pages)
- Life and Death basics (24 pages)
- Corner life and death (262 pages)
- Side life and death (118 pages)
- Star point - 3-3 invasion and attachment positions (70 pages)
- Already have one eye on the side (50 pages)
- Suji (100 pages) - This section consists of problems grouped by suji - eg throw-in. The answer follows the problem on the same page, so you can't try and solve the problem and then look at the answer - it's a reference book after all. However even with the answer directly below the reference position, you should be able to look at the position and instantly see the suji; if you can't do that with the book, you probably won't be able to do it in a real game.

example suji - throw-in.



Position 5 - Black to play White is dead
Position 6 - Black to play White is dead

All the standard life and positions are there - "on the second line 6 die, 8 live" - "the L shaped group is dead" and so on. Once you realise that there are 38 reference positions for the L shaped group, you begin to realise that maybe there is more to the L shaped group than you had realised. Note that Cho calls the L shaped group "the 6 point key reference"

There are 36 reference positions for the carpenter's square and 14 positions for related positions - don't let this put you off buying the book though - it's only 77 pages after all..... The section that I have used the most is the one on standard positions that arise from the 3-3 invasion of the star-point and the 3-4 attach to the star-point.

Anyway as I said, highly recommended. Maybe one day I will work through the carpenter's square, but maybe not today.

Hi John,

Thanks. Did you order it from amazon.co.jp and how much was the shipping ( which destination country ) ?

Hi Ed - I did order from Amazon Japan - but it was one of 4 books - so those shipping costs are maybe not so useful. A better example might be another order of two books in UK pounds:-

2 books each £11.39 = £22.78
Shipping/handling = £9.96
Import fees deposit = £6.56

Weight of these two books was 631 grammes, the Life and Death Encyclopaedia weighs 477 grammes - so I would go with £9.96 as shipping cost for Cho U book or US $13.

Books came well packed by air.

This order was back in December 2016, so the pound-yen rate was almost what it is today.

In the UK there are no import taxes on books or VAT, so after a few weeks you will get a refund on the deposit. You might win a little if the exchange rate varies.....

Best Wishes - John

Hi John,

Thanks. Too bad I visited Tokyo just a few years before they were published!