A growing tsumego library
These collections bring together life-and-death problems for study and exploration, whether you prefer solving on paper or reading on screen.
For a steady course of study, start with the volume of Cho Chikun’s Encyclopedia of Life & Death closest to your level. If you’d rather follow your curiosity, dip into one of the classical collections: each has its own character and challenges.
Every collection comes in two PDF formats: a two-column A5 booklet for printing, and a smaller, one-column A6 version for reading on a phone.
A structured progression
Not sure where to begin? Start with Cho Chikun’s Encyclopedia volume closest to your level. These three books form a study sequence.
| Booklet | Mobile | Difficulty | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cho’s Elementary | Mobile | 13 kyu | 900 |
| Build your foundation in life and death. | |||
| Cho’s Intermediate | Mobile | 3 kyu | 861 |
| Develop reading and recognition of familiar shapes. | |||
| Cho’s Advanced | Mobile | 1 dan | 792 |
| Stretch your reading with more demanding problems. | |||
Featured classics
Three favourites, each with a different appeal. Choose what interests you; these aren’t successive levels.
| Booklet | Mobile | Difficulty | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gokyo Shumyo | Mobile | 1 dan | 520 |
| Tsumego patterns that often turn up in real games. | |||
| Xuanxuan Qijing | Mobile | 2 dan | 347 |
| Ingenious shapes, vital points, feel for the unexpected. | |||
| Igo Hatsuyo-ron | Mobile | 7 dan | 183 |
| Here to make you cry. An extreme challenge. | |||
More classical collections
For readers looking to explore further: more shapes, different ideas, and the wider repertoire.
| Booklet | Mobile | Difficulty | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guanzi Pu | Mobile | 3 dan | 1107 |
| A sprawling collection of tsumego and endgame tesuji. | |||
| Shikatsu Myoki | Mobile | 5 dan | 120 |
| Practical problems in killing, living, ko, and semeai. | |||
| Wangyou Qingle Ji | Mobile | 4 dan | 37 |
| Compact 12th c. anthology with quirky problem names. | |||
| Gokyo Seimyo | Mobile | 3 dan | 142 |
| Gokyo Shumyo sequel: tesuji, connections, ladders, etc. | |||
November 2026 updates
Four more classics join the library: Guanzi Pu, Shikatsu Myoki, Wangyou Qingle Ji, and Gokyo Seimyo. Everything’s been redone, for both booklet and mobile formats:
- everything is aligned to the grid
- problems are padded so the columns are equal height
- many other minor visual improvements