The ear-reddening move

In 1846 a seventeen-year-old named Shusaku, playing Black, faced Inoue Gennan Inseki, one of the strongest players in Japan. For much of the game Black seemed to be behind.

Then Shusaku played a quiet stone near the centre of the board. It captured nothing and threatened nothing on its own. But it helped his groups on several sides at once and quietly reduced White's area. A doctor watching the game is said to have noticed Gennan's ears turn red — a sign he knew the game had turned. Shusaku won, and the game is still called the ear-reddening game.

The lesson is not about a trick. The best move is often the one that does a little work in many places, rather than a lot of work in one.