This is the first volume in a four-volume series published in China between 1990 and 1996. The series is designed for "mid-level" players, but there is material in all four volumes that will challenge amateur dan level players.

These books are useful both as lesson-books and as references. The authors are some of the stronges players in the world. They are recognized as having special strength in the areas about which they have written.

The present volume is a handy reference to joseki . it is far more comprehensive than elementary works such as 38 Basic Joseki, but much more accessible than any of the multi-volume "dictionaires". For each variation, the author provides sage advice on when to choose to play that line based on the wholeboard situation. Potential ladders, ko fights, and seki are all explained in detail so the reader can appreciate under what conditions a particular joseki can or cannot be played.