I've recently started working through the problems from the Elementary section of Cho's Encyclopedia of Life & Death found on tsumego.tasuki.org and thought I'd post some of the ones I found interesting here. I'm not so far yet: I'm just past 100 and there are 900 problems in the elementary section alone!

Despite the Study Journal section, this isn't really to hold myself accountable and I don't promise to keep doing them, but it seemed nice to post some of the more interesting ones as I go along (if I keep going along). Feel free to join in and offer solutions. I do "have the answers" for the ones I post (unless I get stuck on one and then I'll mention that), but only in that I've worked them out myself, seeing as there are no solutions given.

As for why I chose these problems: they're very easily portable (being electronic) and the idea of a progressive encyclopedia that introduces all necessary ideas for later tsumego in earlier ones appeals. I don't know to what extent that goes on really, but from the problems I've solved (and glancing further) it seems it does, for example:

Problem 67 comes first, but problem 68 is in some sense a prerequisite or hint. It's a bit funny they come in that order, but perhaps the idea is that if you get stuck on 67, you decide to skip it for a little while and keep going and then see 68. (It seems also that the encyclopedia itself was not just a list of problems, so perhaps the translation into a list of problems has created these peculiarities.)

Problem 67:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|--------
$$|...X.XO.
$$|X.OXXXO.
$$|..XOOOO.
$$|.OO.....
$$|........[/go]

Problem 68:


This next one took me much longer than the surrounding ones for some reason (as always, it looks very simple in retrospect):

Problem 45:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|-------
$$|.....O.
$$|XXOXXO.
$$|..XOOO.
$$|O.XO...
$$|.OO....
$$|.......[/go]

And this next one I put down and came back later to, only to find that in the interim I'd seen and solved a very similar problem on kgs!

Problem 97

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|--------
$$|...XO...
$$|.XO.OXX.
$$|.OXO.OX.
$$|..XOOOX.
$$|..XXXX..
$$|........[/go]

A mild comment/hint:


A few others I marked down as more interesting/challenging than their surroundings: 17, 38, 78, 102.

Yes I love those collections for exactly that reason. I'm currently working through the 2nd.

Glad to hear it from someone who's further along!

Problem 67:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|--------
$$|...X.XO.
$$|X.OXXXO.
$$|..XOOOO.
$$|.OO.....
$$|........[/go]

Problem 68:



Problem 45:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|-------
$$|.....O.
$$|XXOXXO.
$$|..XOOO.
$$|O.XO...
$$|.OO....
$$|.......[/go]

I know this one almost by heart ^^ I spend like one hour on it the time I started doing these problems. But I never managed to go over 300. I found the "Graded Go Problems For Beginners" series much more entertaining.




Problem 97

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|--------
$$|...XO...
$$|.XO.OXX.
$$|.OXO.OX.
$$|..XOOOX.
$$|..XXXX..
$$|........[/go]

_________________
My "guide" to become stronger in Go

Uh oh, a dissenting opinion! I'll see how it goes. So far the problems have been nice. I do like the Graded Go Problems For Beginners series quite a bit too. I remember being rather satisfied when I finished volume 3 a while ago. I made it through maybe half of volume 4 back then, too. I should look again at that book, and maybe start at the beginning again, some time.

I'm up to 141 now. Some good ones:

Problem 104:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|-------
$$|..OOXO.
$$|.OXXXO.
$$|.OX.XO.
$$|.XOXXO.
$$|..O.OO.
$$|..O....
$$|.......[/go]

Problem 127:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|------
$$|.O.XO.
$$|...XO.
$$|XX.XO.
$$|OX.XO.
$$|OOOOO.
$$|......[/go]

And the "it's an encyclopedia" feel is helped by pairs of problems such as:

Problem 135:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|------
$$|.O....
$$|..OOX.
$$|.OXXX.
$$|.OX...
$$|.XX...
$$|......[/go]

Problem 136:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|------
$$|......
$$|..XXO.
$$|.XOOO.
$$|.X....
$$|.OO...
$$|......[/go]

In case you haven't noticed, it's always black to move. This prevents one from treating the problem as "status" problems, but it's not a big deal.

Other nice ones: 105, 121, 125

I'm up to 168 now. Most of this past set of problems, namely 146-161 or so, have been related to the tripod group (blending into weak L+1 group variations toward the end, but of course that's related).

I'm sure the tripod group arises in many contexts, but here's one I've seen:

Tripod group, as arising from a probe against a low shimari:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|--------
$$|........
$$|...1....
$$|.53O2...
$$|..4,....
$$|..O.....
$$|........[/go]

Even though this is quite a few problems, it isn't in any way comprehensive. Both the intermediate and advanced sections have problems on the tripod group in the low-to-mid 100's, it seems.

An example of what one sees in the elementary section:

Problem 151:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|--------
$$|..X.....
$$|.O.XO...
$$|.XXOO.O.
$$|..O,....
$$|..O.....
$$|........
$$|..O.....[/go]

One has to wait until the intermediate section for alternatives to the white 2-2 stone (moving it one space to the left is problem 2.133) as well as to go back one ply:

Problem 2.136

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|--------
$$|........
$$|...XO...
$$|.XXOO...
$$|..O,....
$$|..O.....
$$|........
$$|........[/go]

One does find in the elementary section a "don't do this" follow-up to the above after a descent on the other side as well (147 includes a white stone at 'a' as well):

Problems 146 & 147:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|--------
$$|..O.a...
$$|O..OX...
$$|.OOXX.X.
$$|.XX,....
$$|........
$$|........
$$|........[/go]

(147 includes a white stone at 'a' as well)

And one has to wait until the advanced section for a different white challenge:

Problem 3.128:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|--------
$$|..O.....
$$|...X....
$$|.XXOO.O.
$$|..O,....
$$|..O.....
$$|........[/go]

Also I noticed the advanced section had one that is mentioned in Davies's Life & Death (the "don't play the push along the 2nd line from the tripod group as then you'll need to defend" idea):

Problem 3.144:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|--------
$$|..O.....
$$|...OX...
$$|.OOXX...
$$|.OX,....
$$|.XX.....
$$|........[/go]

Up to 202. Some nice ones:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|-------
$$|..XO...
$$|....O..
$$|.XXO...
$$|XXOO...
$$|OO.....
$$|.......
$$|.......[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|-------
$$|.....O.
$$|X..XXO.
$$|OXXO.O.
$$|OOOO...
$$|.......[/go]

Problem 104:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|-------
$$|..OOXO.
$$|.OXXXO.
$$|.OX.XO.
$$|.XOXXO.
$$|..O.OO.
$$|..O....
$$|.......[/go]

Problem 127:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|------
$$|.O.XO.
$$|...XO.
$$|XX.XO.
$$|OX.XO.
$$|OOOOO.
$$|......[/go]

Problem 135:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|------
$$|.O....
$$|..OOX.
$$|.OXXX.
$$|.OX...
$$|.XX...
$$|......[/go]

Problem 136:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|------
$$|......
$$|..XXO.
$$|.XOOO.
$$|.X....
$$|.OO...
$$|......[/go]

Problem 151:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|--------
$$|..X.....
$$|.O.XO...
$$|.XXOO.O.
$$|..O,....
$$|..O.....
$$|........
$$|..O.....[/go]

Problem 2.136

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|--------
$$|........
$$|...XO...
$$|.XXOO...
$$|..O,....
$$|..O.....
$$|........
$$|........[/go]

Problem 146:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|--------
$$|..O.....
$$|O..OX...
$$|.OOXX.X.
$$|.XX,....
$$|........
$$|........
$$|........[/go]

Problem 147:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|--------
$$|..O.O...
$$|O..OX...
$$|.OOXX.X.
$$|.XX,....
$$|........
$$|........
$$|........[/go]

Rest later, I got to go. Hope I got those right : )



post scriptum:

Problem 3.128:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|--------
$$|..O.....
$$|...X....
$$|.XXOO.O.
$$|..O,....
$$|..O.....
$$|........[/go]

Problem 3.144:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|--------
$$|..O.....
$$|...OX...
$$|.OOXX...
$$|.OX,....
$$|.XX.....
$$|........[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|-------
$$|..XO...
$$|....O..
$$|.XXO...
$$|XXOO...
$$|OO.....
$$|.......
$$|.......[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm1
$$|-------
$$|.....O.
$$|X..XXO.
$$|OXXO.O.
$$|OOOO...
$$|.......[/go]

_________________
My "guide" to become stronger in Go

What about this?

Right, my answer is wrong.

_________________
My "guide" to become stronger in Go

I did try other first moves, but it didn't change the result in favour for Black. At least, so I read this ^^

_________________
My "guide" to become stronger in Go

What is it you read there being for White after:



(Or maybe I misunderstand your "so I read this" )

_________________
My "guide" to become stronger in Go

How about?

_________________
The Adkins Principle:
At some point, doesn't thinking have to go on?
— Winona Adkins

Visualize whirled peas.

Everything with love. Stay safe.

Yeah, it seems you both have a point here : D

White's 4h move in problem 157 is neat, it makes perfect sense, when you see it but I would had never thought of it by myself. So, still blind spots to work on, Black's 3rd move in problem 2.136 was also hidden for me - somehow : /

_________________
My "guide" to become stronger in Go

This is actually a rather interesting shape.

Your hidden sequence is not correct.

_________________
The really most difficult Go problem ever: https://igohatsuyoron120.de/index.htm
Igo Hatsuyōron #120 (really solved by KataGo)