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 Post subject: Hane Naoki: Understanding How to Play Honte
Post #1 Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2011 10:30 pm 
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Hane Naoki: 本手の打ち方が分かるほん (Understanding How to Play Honte) [Literally: The Book to Understand The Way of Playing Honte]
Publisher: MyCom (Mainichi Communications), 2007
ISBN: 978-4-8399-2546-8

Without doubt, this is one of the very best books about go I have ever read. This explains in very easy-to-understand terms both what honte is and what it is not, and illustrates through many examples and carefully chosen problems when and how to play honte.

Basically, according to Hane, "honte" means making necessary moves that have a follow-up (狙い - "nerai" or "aim"). Of course, this is well known. Where this book excels is in helping you to understand what "necessary" really means. For instance, necessity is not only about life and death, but it is also about avoiding a move that destroys your shape, and it also means making your shape truly strong before you go to lay waste a moyo. But, late in the book, you also learn that "necessary" does not mean only defensive moves; it can also mean moves that have to be made before you go on the offensive.

Hane will help you to avoid making "counterfeit honte", which are, for instance, moves that leave behind defects, even though they do keep sente or keep a group alive, or moves that indeed repair a weakness and take aim, but are also not actually essential (remember, if it is not a necessary move, it is not honte!).

If you cannot read Japanese, maybe this one is a "zannen nagara" ("it's too bad") situation. The meaning of the text comes to life (and vividly I might add), only when you read through the examples and study the problems; but you need to know what the text is saying for them to make proper sense. If I can bring my Japanese to a suitable level, I would be willing to undertake the job of translating this, because I truly believe this book would be a classic if made available in English, and would correct a lot of misconceptions.

Here are two samples from the problem section.


Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$c Hane Naoki problem 1
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . # . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . O O . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O X . O . O X . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . X W B . , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]


In this situation, White has played a common sequence in response to the squared Black stone. It is an indirect defence against the marked invasion, and it has the added value of creating a moyo on the lower side.

Black would like to do something about the moyo, but first he has to play the honte move. What did Hane do here? Remember, honte is a necessary move that also takes aim. Therefore, the key to this problem is to ask what Black would like to do, and what he needs to do, and how he can bring these two tasks together.

SOLUTION

Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$c Hane Naoki problem 1, solution
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . . , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . T O O . . . O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . O X . O . O X . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . X O X . , X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . X . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

This calm descent is perfect. It makes the bottom secure, without helping White in any way, and takes aim at the marked cutting point.


The next problem might be rather hard.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$c Hane Naoki problem 2
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X O . . . . . O . . O O X . . . . |
$$ | . O X O . . . O . O . . . X X , X . . |
$$ | . X O O . . . . X X X . . . . O X . . |
$$ | X . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X X O O . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . X . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . X O . . . . . . . O O . . . O . . |
$$ | . . 2 . . . . . . . O X . O . O X . . |
$$ | . . . O 4 . . . . , . X O X . , X . . |
$$ | . . 1 3 . X 5 . . . . X . X . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]


The eagle-eyed among you will doubtless notice that the pattern in the lower right is the same as in the previous example. It is, after all, a joseki. Hane states early in the book that joseki are a "treasure trove" of honte plays.

Anyway, Black has just taken the 3-3 point, and White has responded by taking position on the outside. Now, there are two things Black would like to do in this position, but if he were to do either of them right away, White would be able to deal with it easily. Therefore, Black needs to find a move...

Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$c Hane Naoki problem 2, solution
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . O X O . . . . . O . . O O X . . . . |
$$ | . O X O . . . O . O . . . X X , X . . |
$$ | . X O O . . . . X X X . . . . O X . . |
$$ | X . X O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . X X X O O . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . O . X . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . X , . . . . . , . . . . . , O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . T X O . . . . . . T O O . . . O . . |
$$ | . . O . . . 1 . . . O X . O . O X . . |
$$ | . . . O O . . . . , . X O X . , X . . |
$$ | . . 1 X . X X . . . . X . X . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]


The key is the honte play at 1. Why is it honte? After all, black is more than strong both on the lower right and lower left. It is honte because it is necessary! It is necessary to play here to prepare the ideas marked with triangles. If Black uses either of these possibilities immediately, White can defend adequately, using the space around 1. If, however, Black plays an steel-hard preparatory move at 1, then it very difficult for White to defend (in the game continuation, White finds a way, but that is a good show of pro strength). Put simply, dividing the two interesting areas in White's camp first is a prerequisite for making an effective attack on one of them. This, then, is a fine example of honte that is not defensive at all (i.e., not repairing a defect or saving a group), but purely offensive in nature.


Another good feature of this book is that sometimes there is no honte move per-se in a few problems. The point is that the "honte" move you might chose turns out to be only a counterfeit upon inspection, and that it would be better to get on with something more urgent.

I have spent the last two months suffering because I have misunderstood honte, and have been playing too defensively for much of the time. I am confident that this book will help me to overcome that weakness, and to start playing properly honte moves in my games. Any book that can help you to make fundamental changes in your thinking is worth reading, and at only 1400 Yen it would be cheap at twice the price. As usual with MyCom go books, it is printed on decently thick paper, has sturdy binding and a high-quality paper dustjacket.

My rating of this book: A+
Summary: Concise, clear, particularly well chosen illustrative examples and problems. Helps you to distinguish what is and what is not honte.

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 Post subject: Re: Hane Naoki: Understanding How to Play Honte
Post #2 Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 12:15 am 
Judan

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Tami wrote:
Hane Naoki [...] Understanding How to Play Honte [...] MyCom (Mainichi Communications), 2007
ISBN: 978-4-8399-2546-8
[...] "honte" means making necessary moves that have a follow-up [...] - "nerai" or "aim"


Although this definition points in important directions, I do not quite agree to it. It is also a matter of playing style; what Hane might consider necessary other players might not. Honte is also associated with thick [shape] moves. There can be also other necessary, but not necessarily thick moves. Every move can have an aim, also the non-honte moves.

My definition (Joseki 2 Strategy) is: "A _proper move_ postpones the necessity for yet another local move until much later by eliminating aji and creating thick shape."

"eliminating aji" and "having nerai" talk about related things, viewed from either cause or consequence. In my terminology, I tend to discuss aims as so important that they get their separate treatment but are always relevant; this definition style may explain why my proper move definition does not mention aims explicitly, while Hane's definition does. I would, of course, agree that aims are important (but not just for honte).

So where Hane and I disagree is about necessity and thick. Necessity can come for the sake of preparing achievement of particular aims, but this is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Playing style can suggest such aims and so demand a honte. Different playing style can suggest different aims and so make honte optional. - About thick, I would like to hear whether and why Hane uses honte in a broader sense than only for particular thick moves; so far, in translated literature, I have always seen honte associated with the thick property.

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 Post subject: Re: Hane Naoki: Understanding How to Play Honte
Post #3 Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 11:13 am 
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How hard would it be to understand the book from diagrams alone, without being able to read the Japanese text?

If the first problem has stones marked as in your diagram, that would be sufficient. I understood the problem from the diagram and figured out the solution. How many problems are this self-explanatory?

The second problem, with no marked stones, needed your text clues. From the clues, I figured out what the two aims were, but missed the correct move anyway. (I picked H6 instead of G5, which in retrospect is a silly mistake, given the topic.)

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 Post subject: Re: Hane Naoki: Understanding How to Play Honte
Post #4 Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2012 11:37 pm 
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Hi Mitsun, I`ve kind of glossed the main textual point of this book, which is basically honte means necessary and with an aim, while counterfeit honte fails to accomplish one or more of those tasks. So long as you can distinguish between the kanji 正解 (success) and 失敗 (failure), you should be able to enjoy solving the problems, and be able to understand the solutions in light of my gloss. Except where Hane is explaining what he means by honte, makeshift and counterfeit honte, the text is not much more than a brief introduction to each situation (e.g., page 99, chapter 2, theme 2, "A Defence that Conceals an Aim - It's White to play. On the left, White is trying to break out using the cut at 1. White`s shape is a bit thin, so you`ll want to defend. Where do you play?")

But you`re 5d, I see, so it`s quite possible the book is a little below your strength.

For Robert, I don`t dispute your definition of "proper move", but, even if it is argumentum ad verecundiam I`m inclined to believe Hane Naoki, 9p, when he says a move is "necessary". Also, I think one of the factors that make this book interesting is that it is a top pro saying what he thinks "honte" means. Like all other words, different people might use it with slightly varying shades of meaning and intention, but for me at least it`s helpful to have an authoritative and concise definition to work with. Ultimately, too, there is no compulsion in go, so it`s all relative anyway - Hane might urge me that it`s necessary to save my 90-point group and so may just about everybody else, but I might not consider it necessary and therefore choose to play elsewhere :twisted:

I can see where you`re coming from with regard to moves that are described as "honte" in translated literature, but which don`t appear to contain a follow-up aim. Perhaps Hane would regard them simply as ordinary but necessary moves? At least one virtue of Hane`s definition is that it encourages us to try a bit harder: "hmm, if I play there I make fix my shape...but wait a moment, if I play there I not only fix the shape but get something to look forward to...and Hane-sensei says such moves are honte". This takes us back to an earlier point - before I read this book, I went through a phase of playing passive moves thinking they were honte, and I was wondering why I was losing so much, but after I read this book I became more aggressive in my defending, and a little bit stronger.

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 Post subject: Re: Hane Naoki: Understanding How to Play Honte
Post #5 Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 1:18 am 
Judan

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Tami wrote:
inclined to believe Hane Naoki, 9p, when he says a move is "necessary".


In case of the examples you have cited, the moves are (with standard strategy) necessary (and probably obvious for a 5d). So maybe all his examples in the book are such clear-cut cases?:)

Quote:
it`s necessary to save my 90-point group and so may just about everybody else, but I might not consider it necessary and therefore choose to play elsewhere


Well, I did win one game where I sacrificed a 100 points group to win the game by 2 points:(

Quote:
don`t appear to contain a follow-up aim.


Just to be sure: I agree to the context of considering aims (and consider aims to be fundamentally important, always).

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