A Compendium of Trick Plays, Yoshio Ishida et al

In this unique anthology, the reader will find the subject of trick plays in the game of go dealt with in a thorough manner. Practically anything one could wish to know about the subject is examined from multiple perpectives in this remarkable volume. Vital points in common patterns, skillful finesse (tesuji) and ordinary matters of good technique are discussed, as well as the pitfalls that are concealed in seemingly innocuous positions. This is a gem of a handbook that belongs on the bookshelf of every go player.

Chapter 1 was written by Ishida Yoshio, former Meijin-Honinbo, who intimates that if "joseki can be said to be the highway, trick plays may be called a back alley. When one masters the alleyways, one is on course to master joseki." Thirty-five model trick plays are presented in this chapter, and exhaustively analyzed in the style of a dictionary.

Kageyama Toshiro 7 dan, one of the most popular go writers, examines the subject in Chapter 2 from the standpoint of full board strategy. Chapter 3 is written by Mihori Sho, who collaborated with Sakata Eio to produce Killer of Go. Anecdotes from the history of go, famous sayings by Sun Tzu on the Art of Warfare and contemporary examples of trickery are woven together to produce an entertaining dialogue.

The final chapter presents twenty-five problems for the reader to solve, using the knowledge gained in the preceding sections. Do not be surprised to find unexpected booby traps lurking here also.

An extra feature is a four page cartoon taken from a Japanese magazine. A translation guide offers a fascinating glimpse into the structure of the language.

The variations explored in A Compendium of Trick Plays are to be encountered in any go club. They are sequence that have been played since time immemorial, and will continue to be played forever. A Compendium of Trick Plays is jam packed with classic "sleights of hands", cunning trickery and straightforward advice on how to meet these moves effectively. 900 diagrams in 220 pages!

Comments & Reviews

The last and only time I’ve ever read this book was when I, along with good friend Sam Aitken, was in Stockholm during the Jusandan tournament. We were accommodated in the home of a Swedish player who had a VERY extensive library of Go books, and he just happened to have this nice book. It was at least 5 months ago, so I’m posting this review by memory… However, from the two nights that we read through that book, I fell in love with its content, so it’s not too difficult to remember :).

Okay, for one, there just aren’t that many books that cover trick plays (only two I have ever read, this and Lee Chang Ho’s book on "Dealing with Trick Plays", and I believe Yilun Yang published a mini-book on trick plays, but it was very basic when I skimmed over it and lacked depth, in my opinion), and I think books covering the topic of trick plays are invaluable. So firstly, it’s a book that covers a vital topic.

Secondly, even if this was a book covering just joseki, I would still have given it 5 stars. Variations of pitfalls, punishments, equal play, and so on are covered in-depth and with great and easy-to-read commentary, simple as that.

Thirdly, though it only remains a blur in my head, the layout of the book is easy on the eyes, simple enough that it was something I could read right before I sleep, unlike other books…(in my opinion, books like Invincible and Strategic Concepts of Go, while they are great books, just aren’t easy on the eyes and I could never find myself wanting to read it at bedtime), and I think that is very important (was also a big reason why I gave Modern Jungsuk in our Time good ratings as well, for its fantastic, easy-on-the-eyes layout.)

Learning trick plays is very valuable, especially in tournaments and your opponent decides to zip one at you. You can not only play confidently against his play, but you will also know the severest line of punishment for his move. In my eyes, it’s like building immunity to a poison. And, of course, you can always decide to head over to the dark side for a bit and pull trick plays against your opponents, which can be very fun to do, regardless of whether your opponent knows the best path or not. Either way, the best way to sharpen your knowledge of hamete/trick plays is definitely through this book. I highly recommend it :).

---

Similar to "A Compendium of Trick Plays"

Cho Hun-Hyun's Lectures On The Opening, Vol.1

Go Proverbs

Dictionary of Basic Fuseki, Vol.2

Dictionary of Basic Fuseki, Vol.1

Cho Hunhyun - Life and Master Games