This book is the third volume of the series The Road Map to
Shodan. Part One is intended as an introduction to the topic of life and
death, aimed at players who have just learned the rules. However, it should
also be useful for players up to 5-kyu or for any amateur player who needs
to review the basics of life and death. It is also a prerequisite for Part Two
of this book.

The fundamental concept of life and death is that of eye space. Once
this concept is fully grasped and the properties of various eye spaces are
understood, the...

In life-and-death situations and during the sharp skirmishes that arise in the middle game, brute-force analysis is usually required. However, intuition also plays a role in your ability to instantly find the key move that turns the position in your favor. Those key moves are called tesujis. There are about 45 different kinds of tesujis that a dan-ranked go player should be familiar with. If a player has solved many problems that involve a certain kind of tesuji, he or she will immediately recognize -- almost unconsciously -- positions in their games where that tesuji is applicable. This...