It is currently Tue Mar 19, 2024 12:04 am

All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 4 posts ] 
Author Message
Offline
 Post subject: Review - Cho U Life and Death Encyclopaedia
Post #1 Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 11:06 am 
Dies with sente

Posts: 83
Liked others: 6
Was liked: 65
Rank: now 1kyu-ish
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

Attachment:
Cho U - Life and Death cover-50%.jpg
Cho U - Life and Death cover-50%.jpg [ 79.18 KiB | Viewed 11386 times ]


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

Attachment:
Cho U - Sample - pages 48 and 49-50%.jpg
Cho U - Sample - pages 48 and 49-50%.jpg [ 120.59 KiB | Viewed 11386 times ]


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.

Attachment:
Cho U - Sample - pages 552 and 553-50%.jpg
Cho U - Sample - pages 552 and 553-50%.jpg [ 307.14 KiB | Viewed 11386 times ]


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.


This post by John Tilley was liked by 2 people: EdLee, Waylon
Top
 Profile  
 
Offline
 Post subject:
Post #2 Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 2:20 pm 
Honinbo
User avatar

Posts: 8859
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Liked others: 349
Was liked: 2076
GD Posts: 312
Hi John,

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

Top
 Profile  
 
Offline
 Post subject: Re: Review - Cho U Life and Death Encyclopaedia
Post #3 Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 2:42 am 
Dies with sente

Posts: 83
Liked others: 6
Was liked: 65
Rank: now 1kyu-ish
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

Top
 Profile  
 
Offline
 Post subject:
Post #4 Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 4:05 am 
Honinbo
User avatar

Posts: 8859
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Liked others: 349
Was liked: 2076
GD Posts: 312
Hi John,

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

Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 4 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group