• New Book: Capturing Races 2 - Tactical Problems

    From Robert Jasiek@21:1/5 to All on Thu Jul 16 14:04:38 2020
    The new book Capturing Races 2 - Tactical Problems is available.


    Information:
    http://home.snafu.de/jasiek/Capturing_Races.html
    Sample pages:
    http://home.snafu.de/jasiek/Capturing_Races_2_Sample.pdf
    Table of contents:
    http://home.snafu.de/jasiek/Capturing_Races_2_TOC.pdf
    Review by the author:
    http://home.snafu.de/jasiek/Capturing_Races_2_Review.html


    Capturing Races 2 - Tactical Problems

    Review by the Author

    General Specification

    * Title: Capturing Races 2 - Tactical Problems
    * Author: Robert Jasiek
    * Publisher: Robert Jasiek
    * Edition: 2020
    * Language: English
    * Price: EUR 28 (book) or EUR 14 (PDF file)
    * Contents: capturing races
    * ISBN: none
    * Printing: good
    * Layout: good
    * Editing: good
    * Pages: 280
    * Size: 148mm x 210mm
    * Diagrams per Page on Average: 6.5
    * Method of Teaching: principles, decisions, examples, increasing
    difficulty
    * Read when EGF: 9 kyu - 4 dan
    * Subjective Rank Improvement: +
    * Subjective Topic Coverage: o
    * Subjective Aims' Achievement: ++

    Introduction

    Capturing Races 2 - Tactical Problems introduces theory, has 180
    problems of capturing races and their answers. The book concludes with
    indexes referring to methods, concepts of ko and keywords of terms.
    For a decade, I have collected the most interesting capturing races
    from actual games, modified them suitably to create the problems and
    provided their analysis.

    On 10 pages, the theory chapter explains tactical reading, the basic
    types of kos and capturing races (summarising Volume 1), and the most
    frequent techniques. We apply the theory when solving the problems.
    The five chapters with problems and their detailed answers fill the
    other pages.

    Problems

    Since the book avoids basic problems to be solved by only counting
    liberties, all problems require tactical reading. Surprisingly, two
    thirds of them only require tactical reading while only one third also
    requires some of the other methods of counting liberties, techniques
    or endgame points.

    In the first problems, we transform the initial position to a basic
    capturing race. The most difficult problems are divided into
    subproblems. The chapters roughly sort the problems by increasing
    difficulty. In tactical reading, variations are mandatory, alternative
    or optional. We measure the difficulty of a problem by its minimum of variations whose reading is mandatory. From the first to fifth problem
    chapter, the problems' average of mandatory variations increases from
    a few to circa 20. A dozen problems require reading of more than 50
    and three problems more than 100 variations.

    Altogether, there are 119 main problems and 61 subproblems. The fifth
    problem chapter has 12 advanced main problems and 40 subproblems, of
    which quite a few are also demanding.

    Unlike many problem books with only a few random answer diagrams,
    Capturing Races 2 - Tactical Problems always shows as many diagrams
    (up to 47 per problem) and includes as many additional text variations
    (up to hundreds) as necessary to analyse almost all relevant
    variations. The also described decision-making is important in
    ordinary or difficult decisions involving aspects of ko or the
    endgame.

    We cannot circumvent tactical reading because the shapes are as rich
    as in the classics, and unusual moves and move orders occur. As an
    additional difficulty, correct first or later moves might be local or
    imagined plays elsewhere on the board to acknowledge already settled
    statuses or play ko threats. We learn how to fight for more excess
    liberties.

    The theory chapter introduces the ko types including direct ko,
    approach kos characterised by their numbers of excess approach plays,
    flower kos, stage kos and perpetual kos. Starting with the second
    problem chapter, kos occur in results or variations. We apply
    principles to make the correct decisions involving ko types, numbers
    of excess local ko threats, the aspect of who captures a ko first and
    so on.

    Learning

    While reading the book, each reader will hit, and be forced to
    overcome, his current boundary. The book returns as much to the reader
    as he invests effort in solving the problems. With little input, he
    improves only a bit. With the most sincere practice, readers from 9
    kyu to 4 dan can use the book to raise their skill of tactical reading
    for solving capturing races to 5 dan level. This is possible because
    the analyses of the problems are complete so that the reader can
    identify all his mistakes in overlooking mandatory variations or decision-making. Expect to read the book for at least two months.

    Double digit kyus would find the book too difficult because a
    knowledge basic moves (such as throw-ins or snapbacks) is expected but
    trivial variations or obvious final moves are omitted. Problems beyond
    amateur level have been skipped.

    The reader can practise visual imagination of the variations in the
    diagrams and texts. For the most complex problems, however, he might
    prefer to relay the variations on a board.

    Appearance

    The following aspects of layout, text markup or information assist the
    reader. The problems have large diagrams. Captions provide quick
    statements of results or mistakes. Besides ordinary uses of font
    aspects, diagram numbers in captions or at the beginning of paragraphs
    denote mandatory variations by bold italics font, alternative
    mandatory variations by bold font and optional variations by ordinary
    font. Thereby, the book avoids repeating basic statements, such as "It
    is mandatory to read this variation.", thousands of times.

    Some letter from A to H preceding every problem number indicates the difficulty. Discreet markup identifies subproblems. In a resulting
    basic semeai, its simple liberties are marked and a number states the
    remaining approach liberties of an eye. General principles carry bold
    font and text boxes contain quick major guidelines of how to solve
    difficult problems.

    Dense annotation is the price for including thousands of text
    variations. For example, "Black A - B and C - D" abbreviates the two
    variations "Black A - White B and Black C - White D". The texts of the
    answers to the intermediate or advanced problems often begin with
    overviews on what variations to include and what decisions to make in
    tactical reading, and sometimes a reference to occurring techniques. Conclusions summarise the decision-making in detail.

    Conclusion

    Unless we reject the effort of practising problems beyond our current
    level of rest or complain about too many difficult variations, we
    recognise that Capturing Races 2 - Tactical Problems carefully
    enforces tactical reading and thoroughly discusses the solutions to
    the problems. The book is not meant to keep readers lazy by only
    offering them easy problems. Instead, it provides challenges to
    overcome a reader's current level of skill at reading semeais.

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