Fuseki

Fuseki (布石 or 布局 in Chinese) is the whole board opening in the game of Go.

Characteristics

Less systematic

Since each move is typically isolated and unforced (i.e. not a sente move), patterns for play on the whole board have seen much less systematic study than for Joseki, which are often contact moves which require specific and immediate responses. Hence a game of Go may easily explore an unfamiliar path.

Recognised names

Only a proportion of fusekis have recognised or specific names. These include the two-star fuseki ("nirensei fuseki"), three-star fuseki ("sanrensei fuseki"), Chinese fuseki, Kobayashi fuseki, and Shusaku fuseki. To be more precise, these are names for the influential formations which Black makes on one side of the board. Since White has a choice of perhaps two dozen legitimate variations on the other side, these are in fact large complexes of Fusekis.

Go vs chess

This has always meant that the patterns of "fuseki" are not directly analogous to chess openings. It is rather misleading to assume that go players follow set openings in the same way, although they may indeed employ "joseki" and have favourite patterns.

This is shown in the way openings take their names, for the most part, from the strategy or pattern employed by Black (the first player). Typically there are two dozen or more replies for White 2 and White 4, even restricting the scope to ideas played in high-level games. A "fuseki" pattern is therefore more like what a chess player would call a "complex" of openings.

Type of fuseki

Territory approach

As played on a large board (ie. the standard 19x19 line goban), traditional wisdom says priority is to play corner enclosure, and extends to the middle of the sides, finally to the center because it is the easiest to secure territories in corners than side and center. The classical view, particularly for the 3-3, 3-4 or 4-3 point, emphasizes good points to play at the opening because these points ensure larger and/or faster corner enclosure. Higher points are discouraged.

This approach has clearer goals (control territories in the corner) and is easier for beginners to grasp and play.

Influential approach

Unlike the territory-minded playing style, it emphasizes control of the center. The reason behind this is that one should not be so narrow-sighted as to attempt to cash in quickly by occupying the corners first. Although it requires more effort to secure the center, it has the largest part of territory on the board.

The key is to build a good framework in order to control the center of the board. Higher points like 4-4, 4-5 or 5-4 are encouraged. Some may occupy the side very quickly in order to build up a good framework. A few may place stones around the center too.

However this approach is more abstract and harder for beginners to grasp and play.

History

Pre-20th century

The development of fuseki is very limited in the long past since nearly all efforts go for corner plays and enclosure (Joseki). Up till about 1900, professional play only knew of a relatively small selection of the currently established patterns in the opening. The range of possibilities is great, and the number of game records from high-level play that are actually published is not so large (even now a few thousand a year, only).

First half of 20th century

It does not receive significant improvement until a new way to play go is evolved in the 20th century - influential play. Perhaps the most highly regarded pioneer player of the 20th century, Go Seigen, created an uproar when he played his third move (black 5) on the tengen, or center point in a game against the reigning Honinbo Shusai. An unwise move in classical thinking, it was considered an insult against someone of the Honinbo's stature. Go Seigen lost the controversial 4-month game (due to help from one of the Honinbo's students), but proved his ability was competitive, even when employing such an unusual strategy.

econd half of 20th Century

The concept of "influential play" gives birth to many revoluntary fuseki like two-star fuseki ("nirensei fuseki"), three-star fuseki ("sanrensei fuseki") and so on. Many similar patterns have been tried and played in modern games.

The Chinese fuseki, which has an intricate history but was indeed developed by Chinese players, was very popular from about 1970 onwards, and has by go standards a thoroughly-researched theory.

Since around 1990, there has been a succession of fashionable openings, largely a product of Korean professionals, which have been studied and played in a more chess-like manner (that is, with successive refinements hammered out in high-profile games). This style of innovation is actually something new to the go tradition, however; it is not the traditional way, and there is a large part of go strategy that remains unexplored with that intensity.

ee also

*Go opening theory
*Joseki

External links

* [http://gogame.info/samples/12/index.html "Weon Seongjin 7-dan and his thoughts about the role of fuseki in modern Go"]