Tsumego Hero
  • Tsumego Dictionary Volume II

    Tsumego is the Japanese term for a type of go problem based on life-and-death. The term likely comes from tsumeshogi, as tsumeru means checkmating in shogi but has no meaning in go. Tsumego problems range from situations that occur quite commonly, to deliberately difficult puzzles.

    Several conventions are used in these problems. The objective is to kill a group or prevent it from being killed. Problems do not specify how many plays are in the solution. As soon as the correct first move is played, the threatened group can be considered alive or dead. Solution diagrams will either show the most tenacious resistance that the opponent can offer, or lines that require interesting or tricky tactics. The modern convention is that well composed problems do not allow the threatened group to escape into empty areas of the board. Most professional players and top amateur players agree that solving tsumego is the best way to improve.

    The Tsumego Dictionary is divided into three volumes that contain 400 problems each. The second volume continues with intermediate tsumego problems. In all problems, the player must either live or kill unconditionally. An answer that leads to a ko is a failure. If the player lives in a seki, it is a success. Occasionally, there may be more than one correct answer. You are to choose the answer that gains the most points.

    200 Problems

    Difficulty: 2