K01: Invincible: The Games of Shusaku Return

2nd Edition
By John Power

It has been more than 40 years since Invincible was first published. In the meantime, it has gone through many reprintings without any significant changes. However, over the years researchers have discovered additional moves in a number of games, namely, in Games 11, 26, 37, 92, and 96. As it became necessary to do another reprinting, this was a good time to incorporate these discoveries in a new 2nd edition.Each hard-cover copy is signed, along with a message, by John Power.

Invincible has been widely acclaimed as a masterpiece on one of the greatest go players who ever lived. Shusaku was the leading player of the golden age of go in the mid-19th century. He has become known to later generations as the Saint of Go (kisei) and is recognized by modern players as one of the great geniuses in the history of the game. His victories over his contemporaries in a number of matches contributed to his reputation, but its main foundation is his perfect record, not even approached by any other player, of nineteen successive wins in the annual castle games played in the presence of the shogun.

Shusaku's games are considered the best model for aspiring professional players to study, especially his games with black. He was unexcelled in his complete mastery of the strategic principles and the practical techniques of go. His games are a treasure house of all the varied elements of the game, from the fuseki to the endgame, but in particular they provide amateur players with ideal material for studying the art of fighting in the middle game.

Here are some 20th century views of Shusaku:

`Shusaku simplified the complexity of go, concealing his great strength and profound analysis beneath the smooth surface of his game . . . It is not an exaggeration to say that all the principles and all the techniques of go are embodied in concentrated form in Shusaku's go.' - Segoe Kensaku 9-dan

`The speed and forcefullness of Shusaku's play with black are like lightning striking the go board; his skill at finishing off his opponent once he took the lead is unrivalled.' - Hayashi Yutaka, go historian

`Shusaku would read out all the possible variations, then play straightforwardly, making the simplest move, if he thought it ensured a win. This way of playing is only possible if one has a clear understanding of the principles of go and is blessed with superb positional judgement, and it also requires considerable self-confidence. On those rare occasions when he got into a bad position, he would display tremendous strength in fighting his way back into the lead. The castle game with Ito Showa in 1850 is a good example of a game in which he reveals his latent strength . . . Another feature of his go is his flexibility and willingness to experiment. Modern go is still far from surpassing Shusaku.' - Ishida Yoshio, former Meijin, Honinbo

Contains 143 games, 80 of which are full commentaries by 9-dan professionals players. 18cm x 26cm; 442 pages, soft cover.

PP01: Tournament Go 1992
A Yearbook of Japanese Professional Go Return

Translated and compiled by John Power

Tournament Go 1992, the first-ever yearbook of professional go published in English, presents fascinating, in-depth commentaries on all the top title matches played in Japan in 1992, together with games from international title matches.

1992 was a year of exciting title matches and great encounters on the go board between the top professional players in Japan. This book does full justice to a year of outstanding go with a detailed coverage of all the top title games. Careful, well-researched game analyses, carried out by top professional players, show you the world of Japanese professional go from the inside.

The main title matches covered are:

• 16th Kisei
  
• 30th Judan
  
• 47th Honinbo
  
• 17th Gosei
  
• 17th Meijin
  
• 40th Oza
  
• 18th Tengen
  
• 3rd Tong Yang Securities Cup
  
• 5th Japan-China Tengen Playoff
  
• 5th Japan-China Meijin Playoff
  
  

Tournament Go 1992 is the best introduction to the professional go-playing scene in Japan. It contains 50 game reports, of which 46 are full commentaries. All the commentaries are published in English for the first time.

18cm x 26cm; 266 pages.