I haven't been playing go for very long, but I would like to ask a question.I'd like to be able to count territory properly so that I could make positional asessments. What is the quickest way to learn how to count? What is the secret of making progress? Consultation One: Mr. Takemitsu Hello, Mr. Takemitsu. Thank you for your question. Positional assessments . . . They’re difficult, but very important. In a professional game, when there are different choices for the next move, we always make a positional assessment and choose our next move based on it. (If, for example, we are winning, we try to simplify; if we are behind, we choose a move that complicates the position.) We probably count the territories dozens of times in one game. As for the knack of improving, the first step is to count the secure territories on both sides. Unsettled areas that could become territory for either side, we count roughly or just consider as ‘plus alpha’. Also, weak groups are considered a minus factor. The overall result from these operations is the positional assessment. When one writes it down like this, it somehow seems difficult. But once you get used to it, you will be able to do it smoothly, I think. Please try it out in actual games. The point is just to do it ‘approximately’!