Lesson 102: Back to Basics

By Nam Chi-hyung

The following is a well-known anecdote: a man asked a famous Baduk master if there was a secret method for improving Baduk strength. The master answered, if such a thing exists, he would like to learn it as well.

Like it says in the proverb ``there is no royal road to learning,’’ perhaps the best way to get better in any field is to spend more time and effort. However, you may still want to know where to invest the time and effort, and this is my answer; trust what you already know.

In learning Baduk, if your goal is to have more and more knowledge, you will never be satisfied. Baduk is always changing, and there are an enormous number of moves and variations, far beyond human capacity to master. I’ve never heard it said in Baduk that the winner of a game knows more than the loser. We may say that the winner plays better than the loser, but the amount of their knowledge is incomparable.

Then, what is it that you already know? In short, it is the basics. Let’s look at some representative cases where the use of the basics is the best armor you have.

Diagram 1

White bends at 1. Where should Black answer, A or B?

Diagram 2

You may easily guess that Black 2 and 4 extending along the side are the correct moves, but can you explain why?

Diagram 3

It is one of the fundamentals of Baduk that stones without liberty die, therefore Black 2 lessening his own liberties cannot be a good move. You may feel uncomfortable because this explanation is too simple, and also Black 2 and 4 of this diagram are sente moves while those in Dia.2 are not. However, please look at them carefully, and then you will realize that the latter leaves a weakness to White, while the former leaves a weakness to Black at A.

Diagram 4

Black attacks the white stones in the corner with 1. What should White do then?

Diagram 5

I expect you to also know this answer. Then, can you explain how you know the answer based on basic knowledge?

Diagram 6

In this case, what you should remember is that Baduk is a game of efficiency. You can simply compare the efficiency of the marked stones of Black and White. While black stones are wasted in a small area, white stones are used to build a new and promising wall outside.

I understand that you have experienced many occasions in which the fundamentals betrayed you. However, the basics are where you should begin and end. I’m sure the possibility that the basics will bring you a good result is far higher than not.

Furthermore, coming back to basics will help you refrain from sticking too closely to specific techniques and skills. Baduk is a game where a small amount of fundamentals can make limitless variations, which is the essential beauty of the game.

The writer is a Baduk professor at Myongji University and a professional player of the game.

chihyung@mju.ac.kr