# The Game of Go/Chapter VI

This replicates the text as originally published. Several of the illustrations are missing and a version with these is available at The Game of Go/Chapter VI (annotated)
VI
“JOSEKI” AND OPENINGS
From the earliest times the Japanese have studied the opening of the game. Especially since the foundation of the Go Academy there have been systematic treatises on this subject, and for keen and thorough analysis, these treatises have nothing to fear from a comparison with the analogous works on Chess openings. There is, however, a difference between the opening of the game in Chess and the opening in Go, because in the latter case the play can commence in each of the four corners successively, and therefore, instead of having one opening, it might be said that there are four.
The Japanese masters usually overcome this difficulty by treating a corner separately, as if it were uninfluenced by the position or the possibility of playing in the adjacent corners, and in their treatises they have indicated where the first stones in such an isolated corner can advantageously be played. These stones are called “Joseki.” As a matter of fact, these separate analyses or “Joseki” differ slightly from the opening of the game as actually played, because it is customary in opening the game to skip from one corner to another, and the moment a few stones are played in any corner the situation in the adjacent corners is thereby influenced. It is due to this fact also that in their treatises on the “Joseki” the Japanese writers do not continue the ​analysis as far as we are accustomed to in our works on Chess. While this method of studying the openings persists to the present time, one of the greatest of the Japanese masters, Murase Shuho, compiled a series of openings which correspond more closely to our Chess openings; that is to say, the game is commenced, as in actual play, all over the board, and is not confined to the study of one corner as in the case of the conventional "Joseki." Korschelt, in his work on the game, inserts about fifty of these openings by Murase Shuho, with notes that were prepared by the Japanese master especially for the use of foreigners, and I have selected a few of these in addition to the collection of "Joseki" which we will first consider.
The work from which my "Joseki" have been selected was compiled by Inouye Hoshin, and published in November, 1905. It was originally written for the "Nippon Shimbun," a newspaper published in Tokio. Of course, the annotations accompanying these "Joseki" are not the original ones from the Japanese text. Many of the things which I point out would be regarded as trite and obvious to a good player, and my annotations are intended solely to aid beginners in understanding some of the reasons for the moves given. It must also be understood that the series of "Joseki" which I have inserted falls far short of completeness. In a Japanese work on the game there would be at least five times as many.
Although the "Joseki" have been studied by the Japanese masters from the earliest times, it does not mean that the ordinary player in Japan is familiar with them; just as in this country we find a majority of Chess players have a very limited acquaintance with the Chess openings, so in ​Japan many players attain a fair degree of skill without a thorough acquaintance with the "Joseki." It would certainly very greatly aid the beginner in attaining proficiency if he were to study these examples, and follow them as nearly as possible in actual play.
It would seem to us that in compiling a work on "Joseki," or openings, we would commence with the openings where no handicap is given, and later study those where there were handicaps; it is another instance of the divergent way in which the Japanese do things that they do just the opposite, and commence their treatises with the study of openings where handicaps are given. Inasmuch as this is a book on a Japanese subject, I shall follow their example and shall commence the study of "Joseki" in games where Black has a handicap.
As we have already seen, the handicap stone is always placed on a certain fixed point, which is the fourth intersection from the edge of the board in each direction, and White has five recognized methods of playing his first stone in relation to such handicap stone. These are called "Kogeima kakari," "Ogeima kakari," "Daidaigeima kakari," "Ikken taka kakari," "Nikken taka kakari." We shall take up examples of these in their order.
I
Handicap
Plate 19 (A)
Plate 19
II
Handicap
| White | Black |
| 1. R 14. | 2. N 17. |
| 3. R 17. | 4. R 16. |
| 5. Q 17. In place of trying to connect as before, White threatens to extend in the other direction. | 6. P 16. Black prevents White from getting out. |
| 7. S 16. Threatens to connect again. | 8. S 15. Black stops it again. |
| 9. S 17. | 10. R 15. |
| 11. O 18. White again must form "Me" in the corner. | 12. O 17. |
| 13. N 18. White extends as far as possible. | 14. M 18. Black stops the advance. |
| 15. P 17. White must look out for the safety of the stones at N and O 18. | 16. M 17. Black must connect. |
| 17. P 14. To prevent Black's extension and form a basis for territory on right side. | 18. O 14. Black extends as far as he can. |
| 19. O 13. | 20. N 14. |
Again White has the corner and Black has better opportunities for expansion.
III
Handicap
Plate 19 (B)
In this opening the corner is about evenly divided.
IV
Handicap
| White | Black |
| 1. R 14. | 2. N 17. |
| 3. P 14. Preparing for "Kiri Kaeshi" on the other side of handicap stone. | 4. R 11. Called "Tenuki." Not necessarily played at R 11. The word means that Black "draws out" and plays in another part of the board. |
| 5. P 16. | 6. P 17. |
| 7. Q 17. "Kiri Kaeshi." The effect of this move is generally to divide the territory. | 8. R 17. |
| 9. Q 18. | 10. R 18. ​ |
| 11. P 18. | 12. O 17. |
| 13. R 16. | 14. Q 15. |
| 15. S 18. | 16. R 15. |
| 17. S 16. | 18. S 15. |
| 19. S 17. | 20. P 15. |
White has the corner, but Black has better chances to make territory later.
V
Handicap
Black is supposed to have another handicap stone at D 4.
Plate 19 (C)
This opening might be continued as follows:
or
VI
Handicap
Black is supposed to have stones at O 4 and Q 4 also; these are called "Shiki ishi."
Black has much the best of this variation.
VII
Handicap
Black is supposed to have a handicap stone at Q 4 also.
Plate 19 (D)
Black has the better position.
VIII
Handicap
Plate 20 (A)
White has the corner, but Black has practically secured a large territory on the right.
IX
Handicap
Black has the corner. White has a chance on both sides.
X
Handicap
Black has the corner and also an outlet to the center. White has a chance to form territory on both sides. Black's position is preferable.
Plate 20
XI
Handicap
Black is supposed to have a stone at D 4 also.
Plate 20 (B)
Black has the better game.
XII
Handicap
Plate 20 (C)
The game is about even; if White does not play at C 17 on the fifth move, Black gets much the better of it.
XIII
Handicap
XIV
Handicap
Plate 20 (D)
Suppose Black does not play No. 4, E 2, but plays elsewhere, then the following continuation might occur:
White has the better of it.
XV
Handicap
Even game.
XVI
Handicap
Plate 21 (A)
Black has the better of it.
XVII
Handicap
Plate 21
XVIII
Handicap
Black has the better of it.
XIX
Handicap
Plate 21 (B)
White must now play at O 6 to save his stones on the left side.
This "Joseki" is very much spread out; it is difficult to say who has the better of it.
XX
Handicap
Black has the better game.
XXI
Handicap
Plate 21 (C)
Black has the corner and White has commenced to envelop his stones. The following continuation might occur:
Black's last move in this continuation is interesting, ​because it will make "Kake tsugu" no matter which way White tries to break through. If he should play at D 17, White could get through at E 16.
XXII
Handicap
Black has the better of it.
XXIII
Handicap
The corner is divided, but Black has better prospects.
XXIV
Handicap
White has entered the corner and still his stones will live.
XXV
Handicap
Plate 21 (D)
Black has a good game.
We now come to the "Joseki" where no handicaps are given. In such cases, of course, Black has the first move. The first stone is generally played on an intersection adjacent to the point on which the handicap stone is placed when given. There are, therefore, eight intersections on which the first stone might be played. In the lower left-hand corner, for instance, these would be C 3, C 4, C 5, D 3, D 5, E 3, E 4, E 5. By common consent C 3 has been rejected as disadvantageous for the first player, because the territory obtained thereby is too small. E 5 has been rejected because it allows the adversary to play behind it and take the corner. D 4, or the handicap point, is also not used. The other six points may be divided into duplicate sets of three each, and, therefore, there are only three well-recognized methods of playing the first stone. These are: in the lower left-hand corner, C 4 or D 3, the most usual and conservative, which is called "Komoku," or the "little 'Me' "; E 4 or D 5 which is ​bolder, called "Takamoku," or the "high 'Me' "; and E 3 or C 5 which is not so much used as either of the others, called "Moku hadzushi," or the "detached 'Me.' " We shall give about an equal number of examples of each of these methods of opening the game, commencing, as is customary in the Japanese works, with "Takamoku."
I
No Handicap
Plate 22 (D)
Even game.
II
No Handicap
Even game.
Suppose Black neglects P 14 on his thirteenth move, we would then have the following continuation:
White has the better of it.
III
No Handicap
Plate 22 (A)
Even game. White has the corner, but Black has better possibilities.
IV
No Handicap
Plate 22
This is an old "Joseki" which used to be popular; it fell into disuse and was revived by Murase Shuho. It is good enough for White if he has an outlying stone or two in the neighborhood, otherwise it is bad play for White.
V
No Handicap
The following stones are supposed to be on the board: Black, Q 13, R 13, R 15; White, Q 14, P 16, Q 17.
White has the better of it.
Variation commencing at White's sixteenth move:
Black now has secured territory at the bottom of the board and confined White to the corner with the better game.
VI
No Handicap
Plate 22 (B)
White has the corner; Black can afford "Tenuki" at move nine because if White cuts at Q 6 Black can still get a good game. In fact Q 15 indirectly defends the connection at Q 6.
VII
No Handicap
Plate 22 (C)
Black has the better of it.
VIII
No Handicap
Plate 23 (A)
Plate 23
Even game.
IX
No Handicap
The corner is evenly divided, and neither side has an advantage.
X
No Handicap
White has much the better game.
XI
No Handicap
Plate 23 (B)
White has the better position.
XII
No Handicap
Plate 23 (C)
Black has the better position. This is an old "Joseki." It is not much liked at the present time.
XIII
No Handicap
Even game.
XIV
No Handicap
Plate 23 (D)
Even game; the corner is divided.
XV
No Handicap
Plate 24 (A)
Black has the better position.
Plate 24
XVI
No Handicap
Black has the better position.
XVII
No Handicap
Even game.
XVIII
No Handicap
Plate 24 (B)
The game is about even.
XIX
No Handicap
Black's third stone at H 3 is now called "Uke ishi," or a "floating stone." White has the better position.
XX
No Handicap
Plate 24 (C)
Even game.
XXI
No Handicap
This "Joseki" really deals with two corners.
XXII
No Handicap
Plate 24 (D)
We will now insert ten examples of openings, as distinguished from "Joseki." As already stated, these are by Murase Shuho. In these examples Black is supposed to make the best possible moves, and therefore White always finds himself at a disadvantage.
I
Plate 25
Black has a handicap of four stones.
Plate 25
II
Plate 26
Black has a handicap of four stones.
III
Plate 27
Black has a handicap of three stones.
Plate 26
Plate 27
IV
Plate 28
Black has a handicap of three stones.
Plate 28
V
Plate 29
Black has a handicap of two stones.
Plate 29
VI
Plate 30
Black has a handicap of two stones.
Plate 30
VII
No Handicap
Plate 31
Plate 31
VIII
No Handicap
Plate 32
Plate 32
IX
No Handicap
Plate 33
Plate 33
X
No Handicap
Plate 34
Plate 34