The 1996 Seminars

During 1996, a series of 10 Seminars were held, mostly in Leamington Spa. The subjects were:

1 Kyu and Stronger:

Focusing on the finish.

Theory and practical techniques for counting positions and counting the game; How to organise the late middlegame; Why answering defensive moves is taboo.

Jungle Law.

Running fights; objectives and priorities in busy positions; turning points in the direction of the game and how to read the signposts.

Firewalking.

Fighting in your opponent's sphere of influence. Virtual groups and how to breathe life into them. Regarding your opponent's moyo as a source of opportunity to create trouble.

Orienteering.

Starting the middlegame; Where to fight, where to build your weak group (you want exactly one); punishing some common mistakes in direction; appreciating Go Seigen at his peak.

5 Kyu to 1 kyu:

Fighting without Fear.

Semeais, simple in theory but very hard to read or play accurately, and how to remedy this; Ko, types of ko threats and how to make the most of them, which kos are too big to fight and which too small.

Hare or Tortoise.

Two caricatures; slow, solid, patient moves versus fast, light, whole board Go; Why professionals do one or other of these things rather than play in between; how to play like Kitani.

Feel the Width.

Moyos and how to handle them; the 1978 Kisei match dissected to compile a catalogue of tricks and techniques.

5 Kyu and below:

Racing Start.

A Joseki starter kit for kyu players; some simple lines to keep the game under control and a secret weapon to terrorise your opponents.

A Bird in the Hand.

Life and death; what an eye looks like and why they come in halves; understanding the nakade shapes thoroughly; how to introduce new shapes to your vocabulary.

Keystones.

Why slow moves are sometimes essential, and which types of move can anchor your positions; application of these ideas to some real games.