How To Play Go

Lesson 6: Multiple-Space Eyes

6.1 Two-Space Eyes

In this lesson, we shall investigate the status (i.e. whether a group is living
or dead) of groups that has an eye with two or more spaces (and no other
eyes) when surrounded. Important: the multiple-space eyes introduced in
this lesson are groups with all its stones solidly connected in a chain eyes
with cutting points may have results differing from those given in this lesson.


Diagram 6-1

Diagram 6-2

Diagram 6-3

Diagram 6-1 shows a two-space eye. Is it one eye or two eyes? However,
unlike a group with two eyes, it is legal for white to play the triangle stone
(known as the placement) in Diagram 6-2. Assuming that the group is
surrounded without outside liberties as shown in Diagram 6-2, white can play
at A during the next turn to remove all the black stones from the board. But
if black plays at A, the result is Diagram 6-3, which is clearly only one eye,
and white can play at A to capture all the black stones. So we go back to the
question related to Diagram 6-1: the two-space eye is only one eye. Verdict:
when surrounded, the two-space eye is a dead group.


6.2 Three-Space Eyes

There are two types of three-space eyes: straight three and bent three.


Diagram 6-4

Diagram 6-5

Diagram 6-6

A straight three is shown in Diagram 6-4. If black plays at 1, he definitely
has two eyes and lives, so what if white plays the placement at 1? Definitely,
black wouldnt want to play at A or B this will leave black with a dead two-
space eye described in section 6.1, so he allow white to prove that the black
group is dead. So white plays at the triangle stone in Diagram 6-5, and the
entire black group is under atari, which means that black will have to play at
A resulting in Diagram 6-6, which is a dead two-space eye. Verdict: if black
plays first at 1 in Diagram 6-4, black will live; if white plays first at 1 instead,
white will kill black.


Diagram 6-7

Diagram 6-8

Diagram 6-9

The next type, bent three is shown in Diagram 6-7, where the vital point for
both players is at first. Like straight three, if black plays first black lives; if
white plays first black dies. Suppose black plays at either A or B, black will be
dead with a two-space eye. Hence, white can play the triangle stone in
Diagram 6-8, putting black in atari, forcing black to play at A, resulting in
Diagram 6-9 (a dead two-space eye).


6.3 Four-Space Eyes

There are the following kinds of four-space eyes: pyramid four, squared four,
straight four and bent four.


Diagram 6-10

Diagram 6-11

Diagram 6-12

First, we introduce the pyramid four, which is a T-shaped four-space eye,
with the vital point in the middle of the eye at 1 in Diagram 6-10. If black
plays anywhere inside the eye after white plays 1, he would only be reducing
his eye to straight three or bent three. However, white is able to play at the
marked stones as shown in Diagram 6-11 and put black in atari, so black
must play at A to capture the three white stones. But it is whites turn again
with the black group reduced to straight three, and so white plays the
placement at 1 in Diagram 6-12 and black is dead. The status of the pyramid
four hinges on whoever plays first: black first will live, white first will kill.
(Note: white can also elect to reduce the black eye into a bent three rather
than a straight three and the effect is exactly the same.)


Diagram 6-13

Diagram 6-14

Diagram 6-15

The squared four eye (Diagram 6-13) is dead when completely surrounded.
No matter what move black plays inside this eye, it becomes a bent three.
Diagram 6-14 illustrates this: when black plays at 1, white will play at 2 in
the middle of the bent three and black is still dead. However, white can play
the triangle stones in Diagram 6-15, forcing an atari, and when black takes
the three triangle stones, the group becomes a bent three and it is still dead.


Diagram 6-16

Diagram 6-17

The black group in Diagram 6-16 is a straight four, which is always a living
group. Even when surrounded, it is impossible for white to play both A and B
on a turn. Look at Diagram 6-17. When white plays at 1, black plays at 2,
and we see black has two eyes. If white 1 is played at 2, then black plays at
1, and the result is still the same. However, if white is allowed to play at both
1 and 2, then black dies from a straight three.


Diagram 6-18

Diagram 6-19

Both Diagram 6-18 and Diagram 6-19 are diagrams of bent four, with the
same result of straight four can never be killed. In both diagrams, black
will get to play at either A or B no matter which placement move white plays.


6.4 Five-Space Eyes

This section discusses bulky five and flower five. Since straight four and bent
four are already alive, we can infer that straight five, bent five, straight six,
bent six and so on are all alive, so they will not be discussed here.


Diagram 6-20

Diagram 6-21

We start off this section with the bulky five, shown in Diagram 6-20. Like
most of the other types of multiple-space eyes, if white first then black dies,
if black first then black lives. The vital point is at 1. After white plays at 1, if
black plays at A, then white plays at B; and vice versa, if black plays at B,
then white plays at A. For the case if black chooses not to play anything,
white can play the triangle stones in Diagram 6-21 to force an atari, forcing
black to remove the four white stones from the board, and reducing the black
eye into the dead squared four eye. (Alternatively, white can also reduce
black into the dead pyramid four eye.)


Diagram 6-22

Diagram 6-23

Diagram 6-22 shows a flower five, and if white plays at 1, the black group is
killed. Conversely, if black plays first at 1, black is alive with four eyes.
Diagram 6-23 shows how white can play the triangle stones to reduce the
black eye into a pyramid four by forcing an atari.


6.5 Six-Space Eyes

Here we will discuss the flower six and the rectangular six.


Diagram 6-24

Diagram 6-25

Diagram 6-26

Suppose black plays first at 1 in Diagram 6-24, then black gets three eyes
and lives. So white has to play at 1 in order to kill black. Now if black plays
at A, then white will play at B, and vice versa. Diagram 6-25 shows that
white can reduce the black group into flower five by playing at the triangle
stones. Verdict: white first will kill black, black first will live. However, one
must exercise caution in reducing this black eye: if white carelessly plays at
1 in Diagram 6-26, then black ataris at 2, forcing white to connect at 3, and
the result is a seki. Definitely black wont reduce his eye to bent three by
playing at either A or B, but white cant play at A or B to black live by having
a bent four living group. Hence both the black and white groups are alive,
and it is a seki. (Note: white can also reduce a flower six into a bulky five
instead.)


Diagram 6-27

Diagram 6-28

A rectangular six is alive even when totally surrounded. Black will live
because he will get one of the points A and B in Diagram 6-27, but if white
occupies both, black dies from a bulky five. Diagram 6-28 shows how black
will live. In the sequence up to 4, black clearly has two distinct eyes. If white
1 is played at 2, then black will play at 1. If white 3 is played at 4, then black
will play at 3. (Even if black does not play at 4 and allow white to play at 4,
the result is a seki but black will not have any territory.)


6.6 Special Cases In The Corner

The bent four and the rectangular six are usually living groups. However, if
such eyes occur in the corner, the status (whether the group is living or
dead) may change.


Diagram 6-29

Diagram 6-30

Diagram 6-29 shows a bent four in the corner, and black has no exterior
liberties. When white plays at 1, black must play at A in order to survive.
However, as black does so in Diagram 6-30, white can play at 3 to take black
2 off the board. The survival of the whole group will now depend on the
outcome of this ko: if white wins this ko, white will play at A to capture the
black group; if black wins this ko, black will play at A and makes two eyes.


Diagram 6-31

Diagram 6-32

This time we give the white group an exterior liberty in Diagram 6-31, shown
as X. White will play as usual in the sequence from 1 to 3, resulting in
Diagram 6-32. We see that black cant play at A, as white can take all the
black stones off the board by playing at B. So black will still need to fight the
ko at C. If white wins the ko he connects at C and black dies from a bent
three. If black wins then he will occupy both C and A and makes two eyes.


Diagram 6-33

Diagram 6-34

Assuming now we have a bent four in the corner with two exterior liberties,
indicated as X in Diagram 6-33. And we suppose that white still plays at 1
and 3 as before. Now we look at Diagram 6-34: black can now play at 4 and
capture the two triangle stones. This time round white cant connect at A:
this is suicide. So when white ataris the black group at B, black will play at A
to form two eyes.

Conclusion: If the bent four in the corner has less than two exterior liberties
and the opponent plays first, the result is a ko. Otherwise, the group has at
least two exterior liberties and lives unconditionally (i.e. without a ko).


Diagram 6-35

Diagram 6-36

A rectangular six is by right a living group, but things get different when it
appears in a corner. Diagram 6-35 shows such a group without exterior
liberties. White 1 will kill black. Naturally, black has to play at A, which is 2 in
Diagram 6-36, but white answers with 3. Now black is short of liberties: if he
plays at A, then white can take the black stones off the board with B.
However, black cannot play at B either, as he will be dead with a bent four
with both vital points occupied by white.


Diagram 6-37

Diagram 6-38

Diagram 6-37 shows the case where black has one liberty at X. This time
round white should play at 1 instead of A. Black should answer white 1 with
A, but what happens? See Diagram 6-38. White will play at 3, forcing black
to play at 4, and then white 5 takes a ko. Notice that like the bent four in the
corner, black is short on liberties and therefore cannot play at A. If black
wins this ko, he will live by taking the white stones at A.


Diagram 6-39

Diagram 6-40

For white, this is a two move approach ko. Even if white wins the ko in
Diagram 6-38, white must still play at 1 in Diagram 6-39 to fight another
round of ko. Thus if white wins this round of ko he will play at B and remove
all black stones from the board. The placement at 1 in Diagram 6-40 is a
mistake for white. Black responds as usual, but because he has an extra
exterior liberty, the black group is alive. This is a failure for white.


Diagram 6-41

Diagram 6-42

Diagram 6-41 shows the black group with two exterior liberties shown as X.
If white plays 1 at 2, then the result would be the same as Diagram 6-40. So
if white plays from 1 onwards and takes the ko at 5, black can play at 6 in
Diagram 6-42. This is similar to Diagram 6-34: for white to play at A is
suicide; but if white ataris at B, black will play at A and remove the triangle
stones from the board. In short, the black group cannot be killed.

Conclusion: For a rectangular six in the corner, if it has no exterior liberties,
then it can be killed. If it has one exterior liberty, then it may be turned into
a two-stage ko. If it has two or more liberties, then it is alive.


[More Stuff] Multiple-Space Eyes With Defects

At the beginning of this lesson it is stressed that for the results in this lesson
to be valid, the multiple-space eye must be made up of stones that are
solidly connected in a chain. If not, there are chances that the result might
not hold. Two examples are given below.


Diagram 6-43

Diagram 6-43 shows a bent four, but unfortunately not all white stones are
solidly connected. Here black can atari at 1, forcing white to connect at 2,
and black extends at 3 into the middle of the straight three. White is dead.


Diagram 6-44

Now Diagram 6-44 shows a supposedly living six-space eye, but it contains
cutting points. With whites placement at 1, even if black responds at 2,
white can cut at 3, so that black is unable to play at A. Now, if black plays at
B, white will kill him with a straight three by playing at A.