Think like a pro: haengma

Think like a Pro: haengma

Yoon Youngsun

"Haengma is a Korean go term. There is a lot of debate what haengma really is: shape, tesuji, development, sabaki, direction of play? Janice Kim translates it as "the way of the moving horse". (See Learn to play go volume 2) There is no single equivalent in Japanese or Chinese. It is something like the development of stones. Of course the basics of it are treated in books in all languages, there is just no word for it. (see for basic examples Sensei's net) Also part of K14, Attack and Defence, is about haengma.

Now you can see for yourself. The sequences in this book are considerd "haengma" by Korean professionals. This book is intended for dan-level players. A number of wholeboard positions, mostly from recent professional games, are analized. In all of these cases the game is at a critical moment, a sequence has to be found to resolve a problem like breaking out or gain control of the situation. In allmost all sequences in this book there is a tesuji, and after the haengma is carried out you have good shape, and some actions are sabaki. After stuying this book I would tend to translate haengma as "action".