Cross-Cut Workshop

BGJ 125 Winter 2001

Reviewer: Brian Timmins

ISBN 0-9706193-6-7

Somewhere around 12 kyu I discovered that if I was in trouble against a weaker opponent then one retaliation, where possible, was make a cross-cut. This immediately created four adjacent groups and led to complications from which I sometimes sneaked a victory, sometimes not, and never with any clear strategy. Consequently I read Richard Hunter’s analysis of the cross-cut with much interest when it appeared in instalments in the Journal, and with no less interest now that it is available as a book.

The well known proverb says, ‘Cross-cut? Extend!’ but Richard shows that this is by no means the only advisable response. Using the recommendations of Kiyonari and Ishigura as a starting point, he takes us through a large number of variations, often of course depending on the position of stones near the cross-cut. There is a useful summary of basic patterns, and there are many problems for the reader to tackle.

The book is published by Slate & Shell (www.slateandshell.com), an American company. Concise and clear, it is well worth reading and re-reading.