Dia. 1: The Orthodox Fuseki

I didn’t make time this week to put together a set of problems (I’ll try to get ahead of the game this weekend), so I’ve posted an article about one of my favorite openings — the orthodox fuseki.

Orthodox has been a popular opening throughout the modern era, but has surged in popularity among professionals since about 2001, now appearing in in about one in four professional games. It has also seen a number of recent innovations. Orthodox is a solid, steady opening, balancing influence and territory. It’s also relatively easy to understand — a good choice for novice players who are want to start studying specific openings.

Take a look at the extended entry for a more detailed examination.

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Do you know the six basic killable eye-shapes? They’re one of the first things a beginner must learn. They’re shapes that hover on the line between life and death; whether they live or die depends on who gets the next turn. It’s critical to be able to recognize them at a glance, even when they’re not fully formed, and to know exactly where to strike to kill them or make them live.

I’ve posted some problems in the extended entry so you can quiz yourself.

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