Essential

Normally I don't like to post FB memes on this blog, but I love this one:

Tesuji Flash I

Does anyone have any ideas as to what's happening on the left side of the picture? (Click on the image to enlarge.) My guess is that a doctor is removing an arrow fragment from a samurai's arm, and the samurai is using Go as a distraction from pain.

It's also interesting that the samurai is playing White (one might imagine that his opponent was the court master of Go, whose job would be to entertain and teach the samurai; so, the master would take White, being a more skilled player; then again, maybe the opponent is simply another samurai), that they are sitting on chairs, not on the floor, and that they are playing on a table board, not on a traditional floor goban (I guess that ties in well with the chairs).

[Update: see below.]

Also note the samurai's beard. Actually, the guy in the middle also has a beard and looks a little like Rabbi Y.Y. Jacobson.

In any event, on to the main part of this post:

Tesuji (local move combinations) are my favorite aspect of Go games right now. Therefore, I present you with with the following Tesuji Flash from Go World magazine, No. 1, May–June 1977.



Update: Regarding the picture — it turns out, the main character of the picture is Chinese general Guan Yu. From Wikipedia's description of the picture:

A 19th-century Japanese woodcut of Guan Yu by Utagawa Kuniyoshi. In this scene he is being attended to by the physician Hua Tuo while playing Weiqi [Chinese name for Go].

 I guess that explains the table board and the chairs.

Single-convex go stones

Everyone knows the traditional Japanese bi-convex stones for Go:



Fewer people know that another, Chinese, variety of go stones exists — the single-convex stones (compare the one on the right with the rest):


(source)

A bit of information from one of the places one can buy these stones nowadays, Yellow Mountain Imports:

These stones are "single convex." One side is flat with a slight rounding on the edge, the other is fully rounded. Whether to play with single convex or double convex is a matter of personal taste. In general, Chinese Go players prefer these single convex stones for their feel and louder solid "snap" when played on the board.

One can hear this "snap" when viewing this game commentary made by a Chinese professional go player.

In addition to the aesthetic quality, the single-convex shape has three more uses: a) when analyzing game variations, one can put the discussed stones with their flat side up — this way it is easy to see the "side-variation" of the board position vs. the "main version" of the game; b) single-convex stones are less easily dislodged from their position if the board is bumped (or if one accidentally drops a stone from the above or touches stones with his sleeve); c) according to Chinese rules, one must count the stones placed on the board as a part of one's score — turning stones over marks them as already counted.

On the other hand, they are a considered to be a little more difficult to pick up from the board at the end of the game or when removing captured stones — but I have not found it difficult at all; you just need to apply a little leverage with your thumb (although it's true that you can't pick up two or three at a time as with the bi-convex stones). If you watch the video linked above, you'll see that the player picks up the stones quite easily.

Also, here, a boy picks up a large group of captured single-convex stones (at the same time demonstrating the "snap-back" tesuji):



The most famous material for making these stones is yunzi (although nowadays, bi-convex yunzi stones are also available):


(note the greenish glow around the black stone)

When buying single-convex stones, one must make sure he has the appropriate board for them. Only size 3 stones will fit the standard Japanese boards (where the spacing is slightly smaller than on the Chinese boards). Sizes 4 and 5 are for Chinese go boards only. Of course, one can get Chinese go board (or a full set), but some people prefer Japanese shin-kaya or kaya wooden boards to Chinese bamboo ones because of the Japanese boards' beautiful acoustic qualities.

Some more pictures of single-convex stones (source):





Stones from Russia:



(As you can see, Russian single-convex stones are more convex than the modern Chinese оr Japanese ones. I am not sure how easy they are to handle.)






Then again, if you're a fan of bi-convex stones, you can go nuts and get these:

Who’s laughing now?

[via Adam from New Orleans]

The Chinese are coming!

Everyone knows that Chinese are trying to take over the planet. And they are starting by striking into the heart of the Western Civilization — eggs. This web-site shows the steps of Chinese egg counterfeiting, now happening throughout the free French-toast– and omelet-eating world.

Corpse in the living room; a girl’s best friend

Norvezhskiy-Lesnoy says: “Did you ever receive a call from a girl asking you for help with getting rid of a corpse in the living room? I did.”



The text message says: Sweetie, I killed the little fish. I am so sorry :(

This is a second post from the series called “Girl’s Best Friend”. The first one featured this photo:



The sign says: “A girl’s best friend is a fish!” It proceeds to list in a smaller font all the important nutrients found in fish. Just an FYI from Moscow Department of Health (as it says at the top of the sign). Taxpayers’ money put to good use.

Feel the difference

Now I see why people buy iPhone.

What we need to win the war

Click on the image to see in greater detail.

Source (nice collection, if you like this sort of thing).

A museum rarity

(source)

A sock of a Civil War hero, Colonel Sykes. The museum of Kenneso, GA.

In case you’re wondering, it’s not this Colonel Sykes:


(source with some interesting information about Colonel Sykes)

Nice beard, as usual for that time period (beards are another thing that Western society nearly eradicated — although, they’ve made a comeback recently. It’s not clear anymore whether liberals or conservatives are to blame).

Mivtzoim at the front line

Pictures from CrownHeight.info

Ponzi scheme, you say?

Normally, I refrain from posting loshon ha’rah, but I laughed out loud when I saw this (namely, the guy on the right). Plus, Madoff is hardly fresh news.


(source)

By the way, an interview to NPR by my friend, Ari Madoff (no relation).

What we are fighting for

Both spiritually and physically, we are fighting for and are protecting this (full album).