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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