"In the endgame, counting (evaluating the position) is less strenuous than seeking the correct move. To find the correct move it is necessary to read through to the very end, but if you select a move based on counting, even if that move is not the most valuable it comes within the margin of error."
O Meien
"De-iri (move counting) has long been the standard way to approach yose (boundary play) in Japan, going back to early Edo times. Miai was considered even in Meiji times but did not become part of the mainstream until the 1950s, and even then was mainly an amateur topic. It was intended as a way of adding territory counting to move counting. It is imperfect. Absolute Counting is a way of trying to iron out the imperfections."
John Fairbairn