THE SECOND BOOK OF GO reyaray4er=} What You Need to Know After You've Learned the Rules x i | a mm 2. P| S| | Le) E fe! : {| Kiseido Publishing CompanyThe Second Book. of Go by Richard Bozulich Kiseido Publishing Company Tokyo, Amsterdam, and Santa MonicaPublished by Kiseido Publishing Company CPO BOX 1140 Tokyo Japan © Copyright 1987 by Richard Bozulich 2nd edition © Copyright 1998 by Richard Bozulich Chapters Seven and Eight © Copyright 1998 by Richard Hunter All rights reserved according, to international law. This book or any parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form without written from the publisher. ‘This books is available in Europe exclusively through Shak en Gowinkel het Paard Hearlemmerdijk 147 1013 KH Amsterdam, Holland and its associates. ISBN 4-906574-31.9 First Printing July 1987 Second Edition January 1998 Printed in Korea Table of Contents Breface sis nates itt acbncep atti fart iv Pap One Cuan ccd cousrsicn eg die a nates 1 A Brief Glossary of Japanese Go Terms ae Chapter One: The Opening Moves : wa Chapter Two: Handicap-Go Strategy... 6.0... 05 15 Chapter Three: Josekis 6.0.0.0 c eet eee eee 35 Chapter Four: Securing Territory by Attacking... . .. 48 Part TworTactios is. 6 eee e's a in wana 57 Chapter Five: Tesuji 6.0... Chapter Six: Life and Death . . . . Chapter Seven: Counting Liberties........... Chapter Eight: How to Win Capturing Races ....... « 0 Chapter Nine: Good and Bad Shape . . - Pees ee Chapter Ten: The Endgame... 2.0. s vee eee 132 Chapter Eleven: Ko Fights... 02-20... 000-55 149 IBID NO FAHY. capt Beavis e see yee one Ae che one ee 154 attsPreface This book is written for go players who have acquired an understanding of the rules of go and some of its most elementary tactics and strategies by having read an introductory book and who have played a few games. We have assumed that the reader understands the terms ‘sente’ and ‘gote’, that he knows what a ko is, is able to determine the neutral points, and can count the score. (If you have not read an introductory book, we recommend Go: A Complete Introduction to he Gamie by Cho Chikun, which is available from Kiseido. See the bibliography from page 154 for ordering information.) Its aim is to give the novice an introduction to each phase of the game and to dispel a number of strategic and tactical misconceptions that often plague beginners and inhibit their progress. Beginners usually overemphasize defense, not realizing that the best way to defend is to attack. By attacking your opponent's stones, you can often defend your weak positions in the process. Understanding this concept from the very beginning of your go carcer will clear the way for quick progress up through the ranks. In this context, Chapters Two and Four are the most important ane should be of value especially to players who have been struggling for years to reach expert level. For those with little experience, we recommend studying this book concur- rently with the four-volume series Graded Go Problems for Beginners by Kano Yoshinori. After solving the nearly 1500 problems in that series, capturing stones and determining whether groups are alive or dead will become second nature to you. This second edition is a complete revision of the edition first published in 1987. It has been completely reorganized and is now divided into two parts: strategy and tacties. Because some of the chapters in the old edition duplicated what is in Go: A Complete introduction to tie Gamae, they have been cut from this edition. In their place, two new chapters on counting liberties and capturing races, written by Richard Hunter, have been added. This is the first time such a thorough treatment of this subject has been covered in English. We are also unaware of such a detailed treatment existing in the Japanese literature. Finally, I would like to thank John Power, David Thayer and James Davies for their help and suggestions in writing this book. In particular, I am grateful to Rob van Zeijst for contributing examples to Chapters Three and Four. I must also thank Richard Hunter for contributing Chapters Seven and Eight to this edition as well as for his thorough proofreading of the other chapters. January 1998 Richard Bozulich ives PART ONE STRATEGY ‘The opening is where you plan your strategy. Where you place your initial stones determines the type of game you will play. The usual procedure, as illustrated! in Chapter One, isto startin the comers, extend along the sides, then ‘move out into the center. In this stage, sharp clashes, called josekis, often occur. The joseki you choose is strategically crucial, since you must consider its outcome in relation to stones in other parts of the board. For the few basic josekis presented in Chapter Three, I have shown the kinds of positions in which they are applicable, In contrast to even games, Black’s strategy in handicap games is easier because the prior placement of stones on the handicap points gives Black an overwhelming lead in development. Since White must play within Black’s spheres of influence, he should find himself constantly on the defensive, pro- vided Black uses his initial advantage properly. In Chapter Two, I show how Black can maintain the initiative to keep White on the defensive. This method is summarized by four strategic principles for handicap games on page 21. ‘The middle game is where you tum the potential territory mapped out in the opening into real territory. The key is to identify weak groups and attack them in such a way that your spheres of influence harden into real territory. Building on positions reached in the first three chapters, Chapter Four shows concrete examples of how this is done. The chapter ends with five principles that should guide you in planning your middle-game strategy. The standard elementary texts for studying the topics in this part are In ihe Beginning by Ishigure Ikuro, Get Strong at the Opening by Richard Bozulich, and 38 Basic joselis by Kosugi Kiyoshi and James Davies. The best introductory book on the middle game is Attack and Defense by Ishida Akira and James Davies. The book to study for dealing with strong enemy positions is Get Strong at Inoading by Richard Bozulich. Mastery of these books will lay the foundation of your strategic technique.A Brief Glossary of Japanese Go Terms Below isa glossary of the Japanese go terms used in this book. For many of them, it is hard to find satisfactory English equivalents which convey their full nuances, so I have treated them as part of go's special vocabulary. Most of them are defined in the text when they are first introduced, but we list them here for the convenience of the readers. atari — the threat to capture a stone of a group of stones on the next move. ‘fuscki — the opening moves of the game (usually defined as lasting until the first fight begins) .gole—a move not requiring an answer; losing the initiative, Compare sent hane — a diagonal move played from a friendly stone in contact with an enemy stone. joseki —a set sequence of moves, usually in the opening. Locally, they are the best moves for each side. iotashi —a situation in which one side’s stones are in atari and even if that side connects on the capturing point, another capturing point appears. Some- times called ‘connect and die’ pomnuki — the shape made when a stone is captured by four enemy stones. sorte — a move that must be answered or an unacceptable loss will be suffered, Compare gote. tesuji —a skillful tactical move. mae —emernpomer te! Chapter One The Opening Moves Mapping out Territory In go, each player tries to control more territory than his opponent. To this end, each stone must work as efficiently as possible. In Dia. 1, there are three different positions. In the lower right, Black has secured nine points of territory in the comer using, sixstones. On the left, Blackhas again taken nine points of territory on the side, but this time he needed nine stones, In the center, the black stones have takon nine points, but there it required twelve stones. From these positions we can gen- eralize an important concept of the opening (fuseki’ in Japanese): it is easiest to secure territory — as well aseye shape and life —in the comers, harder on the sides, and most diffi- cult in the center. This is the ordei which strong players make their ‘moves: first they play in the comers, then extend along the sides, and fi- nally move out into the center. ‘The game shown in Dias. 2 to 4 follows this pattem. Both Black and White place stones in the comers un- filall four have been occupied in Dia. 2: In Dia. 3 (next page), they play along the sides. Finally,in Dia. 4 (next (page), they move out into the center, Dia, 1Chapter One: The Opening Moves Chapter One: The Opening Moves In the opening, your aim should bbe to map out territory. Don’t worry if this territory isnot secure; you may quickly secure some of it, but you can’t count on securing it all The job of securing the territory you have staked outcomesin the middle game. Some of the territory you have claimed will become your enemy's territory and some of your enemy's territory will become yours. Thisis as, it should be. The trick is to make sure ‘that there is always a balance in the exchanges that take place. It is bad strategy to concentrate your moves in only one part of the board. You may get a secure piece of territory, but your opponent will build up such a huge lead elsewhere that you will never catch up. In Dia. 5, Black concentrates on making impregnable territory in the lower right, while White spreads his stones throughout the whole board. ; ‘After eighteen moves, Black has about 30 points of sure territory, but H White has strong influence worth ‘more than 100 points. Black can } vade and neutralize some of this ia fluence, but he will never be able to ae catch up. While Black is invading, i White willbe securing large piecesof territory as shown in Dia. 6. After White 22, the territory on the upperrightside. is roughly as big as Black's territory in the bottom right, Dia. 6 Dia. 9 Black 1 on the 3-8 point in Diz. 8 is the point you play to secure the comer Where to Play in the Corner territory with one move, However, it does not have much influence toward the ‘There are five standard points for the first move in the corner. One of those center. points is the 4-4 point, or the star point: Black 1 in Dia. 7. This move is played Black 1 on the 3-4 point in Dia, 9 is also a tertitory-oriented move, but it if'you want to play for influence and develop your stones quickly. When you places some emphasis on the right side. When Black plays here, he expects to play this move, don't expect to secure territory in the opening. "get territory on the right side as well asa bit in the comer. he =e5 a. Chapter One: The Opening Moves Black 1 on the 5-3 point in Dia. 10 strongly emphasizes the top. Most of the comer is conceded to White. Black 1 on the 5-4 point in Dia. 11 completely concedes the comer to White. Itaims for influence in the center and along the top. Dia. 10 Dia, 11 The 6-3, 6-4, and 5-5 points are sometimes played as first moves, but these are non-standard and are not recommended for players who are just starting to Jearn. You should also note that itis strategically unsound to play the first move on the second line. Comer Enclosures ‘After making your initial placement in a comer, one way to continue is to add another stone immediately to the one already there to solidify the comer territory. Such moves are known as comer enclosures. Although comer enclo- sures are tight moves, making them is good strategy. There are three standard comer enclosures: the small knight’s comer enclosure, the large knight's comer enclosure, and the one-point corner enclosure. ‘Dia, 12 The formation in Dia, 12 is known as the small knight’s comer enclosure. This enclosure tightly secures the corner. However, itis a bit weak toward the center. Dia. 13 shows the large knight's corner enclosure, It also secures the corner, but it is a looser enclosure than the one in Dia. 12. Just like the small knight's enclosure, it doesn’t exert much influence in the center. Dia. 13 Dia, 14 Be Chapter One: The Opening Moves «> Even though we said the Blackhas ‘secured’ thecomer tertitory, White might bbe able to wrest this territory away from him, but in compensation Black would get influence on the outside, If Black wants to emphasize the center, he will play the one-point enclosure in Dia, 14. However, the territory in the comer is not as secure as in Dia. 12 ‘because itis open from the left. ‘Thecomer enclosures in Dias. 2 and 14 have been the most popular recently, “but the large'knight’s corner enclosure in Dia. 13 is also frequently played. There _are other, more widely-spaced enclosures, but these are non-standard and are “difficult for the novice to use properly. Depending on yourstrategy, you might want to prevent your opponent from ‘making a comer enclosure. To this end, approach moves are used. Dia. 15 Dia. 16 Dia.17 Dias. 15 through 18 show the various approach moves that can be played against a stone on the 44 point. Possible black responses to these approaches "are also shown. Invading at the 3-3 point in Dia, 19 is another possibilty. In this case, the " sequence to Black 12 is the kind of result that can be expected: White gets sure __ profit in the comer, but Black gets central influence. Dia. 18iter One: The Opening Moves Dias. 20 and 21 show two approach moves usually made against a stone on the 3-3 point. Possible black responses are also shown. Striking directly above the black stone on the 3-3 point with White 1 in Dia. 22s a strong move. The sequence to White 7 results in sure profit in the comer for Black and central influence for White. Dia. 20 Dia. 21 Dia, 22 Against a stone on the 5~4 point, White 1 in Dia, 23 isthe usual move. Dia. 24 shows a typical sequence resulting from this move: Black gets central influ- ence while White gets corer profit. The usual approach move against a stone on the 5-3 point is at either White ‘a’ or bin Dia. 25. If White plays at ‘a’, Black could go for outside influence by ‘pressing with 2 and 4in Dia. 26, then extending along the top with 6, White will ‘get profit along the right side. Dia, 23 Dia. 25 Dia. 24 If White approaches with 1 in Dia, 27, Black can take the corner territory with 2 and 4, White will then take up a position along the right side with 5. Against a stone on the 3-4 point there are two standard approach moves: One is White 1 in Dia. 28. The diagonal move of Black ? is one possible response to White 1, against which White could extend to 3 or a’, taking up a position at the top. Instead of 1, White could also approach at ‘b’. =B= Dia. 26 Dia. 27 Dia. 28 Pincers ‘Attacking the approach move of White 1 with a pincer at? in Dia. 29 is severe _ Because it prevents White from extending along the sie. White has to move out the center with 3 in Dia. 30. The sequence to White 16 is one possible result: gets territory on the right side and at the top, while White establishes a ition in the center. The pincer of Black 1in Dia, 29is severe and can lead to fierce fighting. There “are also the pincers from ‘a’ through ‘e’ in Dia. 31 that Black might play. The "choice will depend on the placement of stones in the other comers. Dia, 29 Dia, 30 Dia, 31 If Black plays the high pincer of 2 in Dia. 32, the sequence to Black 6 is one standard pattern (joseki’in Japanese) that could result. Black maps out territory “along the right side, while White occupies part of the corer. Black 2 in Dia, 33 is the farthest away that a stone can be played for it to be " pincer. The sequence to White 9 is one joseki that arises from this pincer. ‘The reason Black 2 in Dia, 34 is not a pincer is that it allows White to make an ideal two-space extension to 3. Black 2 is considered to be lukewarm. ; : Hs DLS Dia, 32 Dia, 34Chapter One: The Opening Moves Chapter One: The Opening Moves ‘When White makes a high approach move with 1 in Dia. 35, the same range ‘of pincers is possible as with White 1 in Dia. 31, thats, a’ through ‘'.In addition, moves such as ‘g’ through “i' can be played. The josekis.that arise are often complex, but when caught in a pincer, all you have to remember is to move out into the center, as in Dia. 36. i b Feea +fab Dia. 42 4 A corner enclosure can be re- urded as a wall and you should ex- id from it in the direction perpen- lar to the line of the two stones. or example, Black 1 in Dia. 42. An Dia. 43 xtension parallel to the line of the comer-enclosure stones, such as ‘a’, is ainly a big move, but considering only this local position Black 1 is more tive. The reason is the follow-up: adding Black “b’ to 1 makes a better box territory with the enclosure than Black ‘a’ and ‘’. In Dia. 43, there are two black and two white comer enclosures, Because the josures on the left side are facing each other, Black 1 is the biggest move. 2 and Black 3 are of equal value: they both counter the influence of an g comer enclosure. White 2 at 3 would be just as good, but then Black cd play at 2 Since White 4is not in the direction in which the two enclosures, the right radiate their influence, it s the least valuable of the four moves. When you havea stone on the 4-4 or 3-3 point, or have a comer enclo- you will usually extend to the nidpoint along the side, as in Dia. 43. However, when your opponent's as Dia. 35 Dia. 36 Dia, 37 ‘Attaching against the approach-move stone with 2 in Dia. 37 leads to an important joseki. Up to White 7, Black takes profit in the comer, while White sgets profit along the top. Another variation of this joseki is shown in Dia. 38. Dia. 38 Dia, 39 Dia, 40 Dia. 41 Extensions Alter you have established a presence in the comers, thenextstep is to extend. along the sides. Your extensions, however, must not only work in concert with your own stones but also, if possible, thwart the plans of your opponent. "you may not be able to extend so far. Extensions must work efficiently. They should not be too narrow nor too Dia. 44, White occupies the mid- wide. Fora single stone on the third line, a two-space extension, such as Black ton the right side, so Black cari Lin Dia, 39, is ideal. If you havea two-stone wall asin Dia. 40,then athree-space _extend only as far as 1. In response, ‘extension is best because if White invades, you can press him against your wall jite makes a two-space extension and either Kill him or gain compensation. The three-stone wall in Dia. 41 02 establishing a base for his stones. supports a four-space extension, and so on. This is not a hard and fast rule, This is a natural exchange. White however. At times, it may be appropriate to overextend abit, at other times you could also make a three-space exten- should be prudent and extend tightly. The best extension is always determined sion with 2 in Dia’ 45, but, after 3, in relation to the other stones on the board. Black can aim at the invasion of ‘a. Dia. 44. Dia. 45 -10- --Chapter One: The Opening Moves If White neglects to extend to2in Dia. 44 or 45, the lone white stone will come under attack when Black plays 1 in Dia. 46. Dia 48 Dia. 49 Dia. 46 Dia. 47 ‘The best moves are the ones that have more than one purpose. For example, moves that build territory while attacking. Chances to play such moves often arise in the opening. In Dia. 47, White makes an approach move with 1. In response, Black plays 2. This move is both a pincer and an extension. That is, Black 2 maps out a loose framework of territory together with the enclosure at the top, putting pressure on the white stone at I at the same time. Black 1 in Dia. 48 is the same idea. Black gains territory with 1, while White has no choice but to run out into the center with 2, a move whose only value is defense; it neither attacks nor gains territory. ‘Compare Dia. 48 with Dia. 49, where Black attacks on top with 1 and White extends to 2. The difference is startling: White's stones have become secure, while the black stones below have become insecure. The territorial difference between these two diagrams is more than 20 points, Example Games in. 50 is from the 5th game of the 1986 Kisei title match. Itis a good example ‘ofhow extensions aremade in the opening. After both sides occupy the comers, White plays 6 to to diminish Black’s dominance of the right side. Instead of 7, Black could also extend to ‘a’, but it is usually more profitable to make an extension from a comer enclosure than from a stone on the 4~4 point. Black 9 and 11 are standard responses. The territory in the upper right comer is almost secure, White 12 is an extension from both the stone at 10 and the one at 2, so it is a move with a double purpose. = Chapter One: Tite Opening Moves Play on the right side has now come to a pause and the action switches to the left. Black 13 to White 16 are a joseki, after which Black plays the last approach move at 17. This gives White the chance to play 18, which is both a pincer and an extension from 14. Black counters by invading the comer with 19, Dia. 51 comes from the prelimi- nary rounds of the 1986 Kisei tourna- ment. After the joseki to White 12, extending to Black 13 is a big move. Because of the high position of 12, White's group has a weak underbelly and it needs another stone in order to establish a secure base. At the moment, there is no great danger to these stones and, since quick development in the opening is important, White plays on the left side with 14. This is a big double-purpose move: itis an extension from both the stone at 2 and the stone at 4. The formation made by White 2-14-4 exerts strong influence in the center and it has a special name in Japanese, ‘san- ren-sel’. It can be likened to a comer enclosure which extends along the centine left side and whose influence radiates across the whole board. ‘The purpose of Black 15s to neu- tralize this influence. It also serves as an extension from Black's comer en closure at the top. This move also aims at ‘a’, which would give Black anexcellent position at the top. White 16 prevents this aim; it also serves as an extension from his stone at 2. Next, Black makes an approach move at 17. The sequence to 23 is a joseki. White secures his territory in the lower left comer, and Black establishes 4 position along the bottom. White 24is similar to an approach move and Black 25 becomes both a pincer and an extension. Dia. 50 ae a Dia, 51 -2B-Dia, 52 Dia. 52is the opening of the first game from the 1985 Meijin titlematch. Before extending to 17 on the right side, Black switches to 9 and plays out the joseki to 15 to establish a base on the left side. Note that White 10 is both a pincer against 9 and an extension from 2. After Black makes an extension to 17 from his comer enclosure, White extends to 18 (from 2) at the top. Black makes the last approach move with 19, White 20 and Black 21 are a standard exchange, Before extending to 27, Black makes two forcing moves with 23 and 25 at the bottom in order to build up a wall that will make Black 27 a pincer as well as an, extension. ‘White and Black move out into the center with 28 and 29, and White makes the last extension with 30. ‘The middle-game fighting begins with the invasion of Black 31. | Chapter Two | Handicap-Go Strategy __ Inhandicap games, Black has a big advantage and the best way to utilize this “advantage is to go on the offensive from the beginning, There is no need to play defensively when taking a large handicap, certainly not in the opening. White “should be the one to play defensively. In this chapter, we are going to show you ‘how to attack White in handicap games. As an inexperionced player, you will playing most of your games at high handicaps, so you will have many ‘opportunities to practice this attacking strategy. Don’t worry if you lose a lot of your games. I you follow the principles laid down in this chapter strong players ‘will eventually find it yery difficult to give you a large handicap. Answering White's approach move at 1 with Black 2 in Dia. 1 is not bad, but considering that Black hhas the marked stone in place, heisnotplaying as Severely as he could, White can settle his ‘stones with the sequence 105, 50 Black's stones are ‘no longerattacking effec- tively, | When the marked Dia! Dia 2 tar-point stone is in place on the side, the best way to respond to the white approach move at 1 is to. xchange 2 for 3 in Dia. 2 before taking up a position on the side with 4. The itural extension for the two white stones at 1 and 3 is the marked stone, but, ‘since Black has a stone on that point already, the farthest White can extend is to eva leaves him cramped and overconcentrated. Next, Black can play at ‘a’ ‘D’ to force White out into the center. While attacking White, Black _ Will build a wall on the left. | Black 1 in Dia, 3makesit difficult for White to get two eyes at the top, His only recourse is to run out into the center with 2. Black pursueshim with 3; his moves are now working with his three marked stones to form a box shape on the left. =eChapter Two: Handicap-Go Strategy White 4 in Dia. 4 attempts to 1 isolate Black’s three stones in the top right. Black calmly reinforces’ his comer with 5, compelling White to keep his position intact by playing 6, Next, Black adds another stone to his box shape with 7,.making a white invasion there even more difficult, Dia. 4 If White neglects to play 6 in Dia. 4, Black will push through and cut White into two groups, with the sequence to 5 in Dia. 5. The two white stones on the right and the five white stones on the left are in great danger. One deft move against the group on the left by Black could kill it. Dia, 5 BUILDING A BOX SHAPE Inanine-stone handicap game, your stones occupy all the star points, 450 you should easily be able to make at least one box shape. The way to go about itis to build up the outer walls of this box with attacking moves such as Black 1 and 3 in Dia. 3, then to reinforce the inner weak points of this box with moves like Black 7 in Dia. 4 after White makes a necessary defensive move, Even if White invades your incomplete box shape with moves like 1 and Sin Dia, A, you can construct a large, almost impenetrable territory, at the top with 2 and 4. If White invades from the other side with 1 and 3 in Dia. B, Black takes secure profit on the left with 2 and 4, White's two. stones, sandwiched between tivo thick black positions, are extremely vulnerable, Chapter Tewo: Handicap-Co Strategy Dia. A Dia, B Dia, C If White invades the corner at the 3-3 point with’ 1 in Dia. C, Black ‘confines White to the comer with the sequence to 12 and builds a deep valley of territory. White might also try to make a dent in your box shape with a move like 4 in Dia, D, Such a tactic is unsound. Just as in Dia 5, Black separates White into two vulnerable groups with the sequence to 9. ‘Once you have added the marked stone to your box shape in Dia, E, ‘White has less scope for invading around here because he has fewer weak points toaim at: A white stone played at‘a’ would probably die, so White %p' or ‘c’, to get a living group in the comer, is White's best option. If White invades at the 3-3 point in Dia. F, he lives with the sequenceto 11,butona much smaller scale than in Dia, C. Black must play 12 to fix up the defect in his shape, but he ends up with more than 35 points in suze profit.Chapter Two: Handicap-Go Strategy | Chapter Two: Handicap-Go Strategy Just because a group is theoretically dead does not mean that it is necessary to Kill it, After all, the object of go is not to kill groups; rather, it is to take more territory than your opponent. If you can't clearly see how to killa group, don't try. Torment it from the outside. As White struggles to make eyes for his endangered group, ‘you will be building outside influence and forming the basis of a huge territorial Jead. White will most likely have to make his last eye in gote, Attaching at 1 in Diy G is another possibility. White gets life in the corner with the sequence to 11, but in this case Black ends in sente; his stones are so thick that he doesn’thave to defend the cutting Pojgthetween yond ¢ at which time you can take a big territorial point in another pact of the board. Dia, H illustrates this idea. If White tries to break out into the open with 1 and 3, ‘After White 6 in Dia. 4, Black 1 in Dia. 6is a powerful move which keeps up Black blocks his exit with 2 the pressure on White. White first exchanges 2 for 3, then jumps out to4. Next, and 4, strengthening his Black stakes out territory on the right side with 5. wall. After White makes an White 4 in Dia. 6 cannot be omitted. If White tries to attack with a pincer at eye with 5 and 7, Black plays 4in Dia. 7, Black counterattacks with 5 to 9. The white group at the top is now 8. This move is not really nec- in serious trouble. With skillful play by Black, it will not be able to live. essary to prevent White from breaking out, and Black £ could go all out to kill the white group. But Black 8 is a solid move which defends any weakness in Black's po- sition that White might ex- ploit. White now has no choice but to make two eyes with 9, White has lived in gote. Black now takes this opportunity to reinforce his box shape with 10. (Amove at ‘a’ would also be good.) Corner invasions by White are often quite disconcerting for a player who takes a handicap. Just because you have played a few stones around a comer, however, does not mean that the territory there should become yours. In Dia. H, Black has atleast 18 points of secure territory in the upper tight comer, but only because of the presence of the two marked stones. In the position in Dia. I (next page), if White invades the comer at the KILLING GROUPS OR LETTING THEM LIVE 33 point, Black should not attempt to capture this stone. Instead, he i should let White live and aim at building up his position on the outside, Many sealers ofthis book and even expert ev players, parectaly using the resulting thickness to attack the four marked white stones, With the heat of battle, often fail to kill groups that should in theory die. If you serene) oy ke at ‘can’tclearly read out the moves to the death of a group you are attacking, is in mind, Black descends to 2, after which White will find it hard to it is often better just to let it live. Dia. H make eyes for his group on the left.Chapter Two: Handicap-Go Strategy Chapter Two: Handicap-Go Strategy ‘ Force White's stones to runaway into the center by restricting the room they have on the side to make eyes (Black 1 in Dia. 3). In this way, you prevent White from getting a big territory. ‘* Follow White outinto the centerand makeabox shapein conjunction with your handicap stones elsewhere on the board (Black 3 in Dia. 3). The influence this gives you will be the basis for the territory you form in the middle game. * Don't try too hard to kill groups, Let them live and concentrate on making, influence by encircling a group and forcing it to live in a confined space. + When White finally makes a defensive move, play a big territorial move, such as reinforcing your box shape (Black 7 in Dia. 4). Dia. Dia. J After the sequence to Black 12 in Dia. J, White is alive in the comer, 50 he tries to run his group of four stones in the center out into the open with. 13.Next— Black first forces with 14 and 16 in Dia, K, then blocks White's eseape route into the center with 18 and 20. With thesequence to33, Whitejust barely lives. In the mean- time, Black has made a wall which radiates influence throughout the whole board, It is now Black's move. He might try playing at 34, although ‘a’ is also a good move. If we survey the board in Dia, K, we see that both white groups have lived. But Dia. K he has taken only five or six points with his group in the center and he can expect only about three points with his stones in the comer: altogether, about 10 points at most Black, on the other hand, doesn’t have any solid territory, but the influ- ence he has built up throughout the center will enable him to make a very big territory in the future. We will come back to this topic in Chapter Four, Don’t be fooled, however, by the simplicity of the sequences given in the “above diagrams. Even though you faithfully follow these patterns and the Principles we are expounding, White will make many tricky moves and you will Tosea lot of games until your analytical ability and technique catch up with your strategic knowledge. You will find many sure-win strategies promoted in different books, but ‘none of them will work unless you can back them up with technique. Thismeans becoming strong at tesuji, life and death, and the endgame. However, thinking ‘about go strategy in the way we have indicated above will give you a solid foundation to become a really strong player in the future. Let's look at some other moves that White could play after Black 4 in Dia. 2 White 1 in Dia. 8 strikes at the ‘weak point of the side star-point stone. Inexperienced players often panic at the sight of such a move. They fear that White is going to ‘wrest all the territory on the upper left side from them. This fear is based on a false assumption: that the area at the top belongs to Black because he already has the marked Dia. 8 stones in place. But these stones don’t secure the side area, they only stake out ‘a claim to if and give Black an advantage in any fighting that might take place there. Moreover, stones on the 4th line are directed as: much towards the center 4s towards the edge, so ifa side or comer area you have staked out is invaded, you should switch your emphasis towards the center for compensation by ‘confining White to the comer if he invades there, or by pressing him into a low In summary, your strategy in high handicap games should be to keep up the position if he invades along the side. The best way to accomplish this is to play pressure on White by doing the following: 2. No matter which way White answers/a’ or “b’, Black will come cut ahead. -20- =aChapter Two: Handicap-Go Strategy In response to Black 2, if White pulls back to3 in Dia. 9, Black will block with 4, When White completes his position with 5, Black defends his weak point at ‘a! with 6. White will probably play his next move elsewhere, but his stones are not yet secure. White will always speed around, leaving weak groups, so Black must be ready to.apply the knockout punch. The first chance Black gets, he should attack with 1 in Dia. 10. If White 2, Black strikes at the vital point of 3, If White 4, Black links up to the comer with 5 and White's stones are left floating eyeless in asea of black stones. While White is struggling to get two eyes, Black can be securing territory on the right side as well as making a box shape on the left, If White 4 at 5, Black catches two stones by playing 5 at 4 and White’s group again must struggle to get two eyes. Hy Te Dia. 9 Dia.10 If White plays 2 and 4 in Dia. 11 in response to 1 and 3, Black defends the comer with. White's group again lacks twoeyes, while Blackis getting stronger on the leftand the right. What happens if White moves into Black’s territory with 3 in Dia, 127 Black's strategy should be to press White into a low position with 4 and 8 on the second line, After White 5, Black makes good shape with 6 and, when White Jinks up with 7, Black continues with his strategy of keeping White confined to the second line. Don’t play Black 6 at 7; you'll get cut up trying to kill White. a) | ODT Dia, 1 Dia 12 -22- Chapter Two: Handicap-Go Sivategy “After Black 6, White might switch the scene of action to7 in Dia. 13. This time ‘takes the territory in the upper right with 8, The twomarked white stones no room to make two eyes. ‘White can’t live in this part of the board even by jumping into the comer ith 1 in Dia. 14. Black blocks with 2 and plays the sequence to 6. There is no say that White is going to get two eyes at the top. Dia. 13 Dia. 14 Running away with 1 and 3 in Dia. 15s futile: Black has too many stones in the center. Black casts a net with 2 and 6 there is nowhere for White to go. White 1/in Din. 16 is another weak point of the side star-point stone, Black should press White from the outside with 2, then connect with 4. White makes a small group at the top with 5, but Black takes the territory in the upper right comer with 6. Because of this move, White's group is still insecure, 60 he will ‘probably have to move out into the center to get his eyes. Black can continue to harass the group in the process.Chapter Two: Handicap-Go Strategy White might crosscut at3 in Dia. 17 in response to Black 2. There is a proverb ‘Which says When caught ina cross cut, extend” But which way? There are four points to which Black can extend: ‘a’, b,c’, and ‘d’. Extending to 4 in Dia, 13 is the simplest way to play. This move makes two simultaneous threats: capturing a stone on the edge by playing at ‘a’ and ‘capturing a stone in a ladder with ’b’ ect tes sh Dia. 17 Dia, 18 If White plays the marked stone in Dia. 19, Black captures the stone at the top with the sequence to 7. This result is quite bad for White. White's best move in this position is 5 in Diz. 20. Black now captures the stone at3 in a ladder with 6. Dia. 19 Blackat 2in Dia. 21 isalso possible, but this can lead toa complicated fight when Whitecuts at3 or playsat’a’.No doubt Black can come out of any fight with an advantage due to his initial handicap, but Black will have many opportunities to slip up. If you are in an experimental mood, however, go ahead and try moves like this. Youwill probably lear something. Dia, 21 Chapter Two: Handicap-Go Strategy But you should also master the orthodox strategy of Black 2,4, and 6 shown Dia. 16. White is forced to make a small compact group, vulnerable to attack. the process of confining White's stones with and 4, Black builds influence works together with his marked handicap stones, He then makes solid fit in the right corner with 6, a move that quietly threatens the eye-forming, ity of White's group. Jumping lightly out into the center with 1 in Dia. 22 is another move White ight try. Black hits the vital point at 2. Next, ensuring a connection by playing ‘a’ would leave White's stones eyeless and vulnerable, so he switches to hoping to create complications. Black 4, however, splits White into two ups, White has two possibilities: ‘a’ and ‘b'. "JE White plays 5 in Dia. 23, his group at the top is in big trouble after the juence to 12. Moreover, his stones on the right are almost meaningless in the yw of Black's wall. Dia, 22 Dia, 23 ‘That leaves White 5 in Dia, 24. But White's stones are separated into two ‘groups in the sequence to Black & Can the white stones at the top get two eyes? Dia. 24 Dia, 25 White can live with the sequence to 11 in Dia. 25. After Black 12, White's stones at the top are alive, but he must now take care of his stones on the right. In this sequence, Black has taken territory in the upper right comer and built influence on the left; but White must take care of his stones on the right which are still under attack. Black should be able to profit from this as well. =25-Chapter Two: Handicap-Go Strategy Dia, 26 The sequence to 7 in Dia. 26 is a strategy used by White in high-handicap games. By capping the marked stone with 7, White hopes to throw the game into confusion if Black tries to escape, or to actually capture that stone on a large scale. Under no circumstances should you let White direct the game in this way. Avoid getting sucked into this capping strategy: start your own attack instead. Black 6 in Dia. 27 is the vital point. If White jumps to 7, Black splits him into two groups with the sequence to, {| 12. Next — Just as in Dia. 25, White can only get life on a small scale, while Black builds overwhelming influence in the sequence to 12 in Dia. 28. The pros- [pects for the three white stones on the ‘outside are bleak in view of this influ- Dia. 27 If White simply jumps to 7, in Dia. 29, Black follows him out with 8, mak- ing a box shape on a large scale. ‘Whether White makes two eyes or es- capes out intothe open with his stones ‘on the right, Black will be able to play the point ‘a’, putting the white stone at5 under pressitte. Dia, 28 What do you do if Whiteignores 6 and plays another approach moveagainst your marked stone in the left comer with 7 in Dia. 392 =26- Chapter Two: Handicap-Go Strategy ‘You could ignore it and take profit by catching the white stones on the right 8 and 10. White could then confine the marked stone with 1. Although stone can live, it would show a more positive attitude for you to keep the 8 and 10 in reserve and pull the marked stone out into the center by sying 8 at 11. In Dia, 30, the white stones at 7, 11, and 5 radiate influence which fies the influence of the handicap stones. Dia. 30 ‘The main virtue of Black 8 in Dia. 31 is that the marked white stone and 7 are ‘separated. Invading the corner at the 3-8 point with 9 is the usual move in these ids of positions. Black blocks from the direction of 10 in accordance with the ‘ple of building a wall in the direction ofhis strength (which he does in the Dia. 31 -7-——__tupter Twwo:HandienprGo Strategy Black now has strong positions on the left and right. White must try to save his stones at the top. However, saving one group seals the fate of the other, since Black will build another wallin the center while one of them is trying to escape. For example, if White rung away with T on the left in Dia. 32, Black 2, 4, and 6 attack him severely. White's stones on the right are equally vulnerable. If you don’t want to get into a struggle trying to kill White, instead of Black 6, you could leave the situation on the left as it is and attack on the right by playing at Dia. 32 In lower handicap games, White has more room to maneuver, so itis not as easy to push him around as in a\9-stone handicap game. However, with a seven-stone handicap, you still have a lot of power on the board and again your strategy should be to make a box shape, With 6- and 7-stone handi- caps, your handicap stones oc- cupy the three star-points along both sides of the board. This is the sanren-sei formation (the three marked stones on the right side in Dia. 33) which we saw in Chapter One (Dia. 51). If White makes an approach move at 1 in Dia. 33, going on the offensive witha pincer at ‘a’ isthe severest reply. Black ‘b’ is also ai good move, These moves are often used in non-handicap games by professional players. White usu- ally answers these pincers by in- vading the comer at ‘c’. Chapter Two: Handicap-Go Strategy If White invades the comer with 3 in Dia. 34, this is the kind of result you should strive for: let White live in the comer and build a box shape with the sequence to Black 8. Black 2 in Dia, 35 is a looser pincer, so if White invades at the 3-3 point, his comer is much larger, but Black’s wall, making up the box shape, is also on a grander scale. The sequence to Black 22 is a joseki and the order of moves is important. Although this joseki has many variations, each move has a reason and deviations in the order could Jead to disastrous results. But the overall strategy is the same: Black confines White to the side and makes a box shape in combination with his two marked stones. Against Black 2, White might try to foil Black’s box-shape strategy by jumping to3 in Dia, 36. The sequence to Black 8 isanother joseki. Although Black hasn’t been able to make his box shape, his territory on the right side is almost secure. Dia. 34 Dia. 36 Dia. 35 ‘The pincer of Black 2in Dia. 4 leaves White with the least room to maneuver and, for that reason, we recommend that you adopt it in your handicap games Until you get more experience. We will look at a few variations of this pincer and give you some suggestions as to what to do if White tres to foil yourstrategy of making a box shape. ‘The basicjoseki of the one-space pinceris given in Dia, 34. In the variation shown in Dia. 37, White plays 7 in response to Black 6. After 8, Black can play his nextmove ateither at 10 or ‘a’. Black plays 10 when he wants to place emphasis on develop- ing or defending theleft side. He plays at ‘a’ when he wants to emphasize the right side. Dia, 37 =29-Chapter Two: Handicap-Go Strategy Later, White can play the sequence to 8 in Dia. 38, making abig dentin Black’s territory on the right side. Black could resist more strongly by playing 2 at 7, but this might be dangerous because of the cutting point at 5. The way Black defends depends on the position on the right, but the sequence to Black 8 is the safest. Black 1 in Dia. 39isalsoastrong move, especially ina7-stone handicap game. In an even game, White would play the sequence from 2 to 8, but when Black hhas stones on the star points, this is unreasonable. Black is making territory on the right and at the top, while White's stones are floating in the center. ‘Trying to foil Black’s box-shape strategy by jumping to White 3 in Dia. 40 does not lead to a good re- sult. The sequence to 10 is only one variation, but White's stones are eyeless (note the exchange of 6 for 7, without which White could get an eye by attaching at ‘a’) and vul- nerable, Black, on the other hand, Dia, 40 has staked out territory on the right e side and has taken key points at 8 and 10, Striking at the shoulder of 2 with 5 in Dia. 41 is another vari- ation. After 14, White must come backand play 15 to fix up the defect inhis shape. After Black 16, White's stones are vulnerable because they lack eyes, =30- Chapter Two: Handicap-Go Strategy Attaching at3 in Dia, 42 is another tactic that White can try. After exchanging 4 for5, Black jumps to 6. White capturesa stone with the sequence to 11 and the joseki comes to a pause with Black 12. Black’s box shape is beginning to take shape on the left with the stones at 8 and 10. IF White leaves the situation as itis, Black can later play 1 and 3 in Dia. 43. After White 4, Black makes shape on the outside with 5, securing territory on the right side. Dia, 42 Diag. 43 With a 6- or 7-stone handicap, Black could ignore White's ap- proach move at 1 by taking an ‘empty star point on the opposite side with 2in Dia. 44. When White makes his second approach at 3, Black must move out into the cen- ter with 4, at which point White will usually invade the comer with 5. The sequence might con- tinue to Black 10; then, except for the top right sector of the board, Black might feel as if he is playing with a 9-stone handicap. Dia, 44 White can capture the two marked stones with Lin Dia, 45, but this should be of little concer, Black can play 2, walling off the center. White has taken some profit in the top right comer, but Black has linked up and utilized his handicap stonesand has built up an insurmountable lead. =31-Chapter Tioo: Handicap-Go Strategy Dia. 46, Later, Black’ can ise the two ‘marked stones to force with 1 and 3 in Dia. 45. After the sequence to Black 7, White’s stones are con- fined to the comer and the central area in the top right quadrant should become black territory. You could also use this strategy in a 5-stone handicap as shown in the sequence to Black 8 in Dia, 47. After White 9 — Black could attach at 10 in Dia, 48 and single-mindedly play to build a wall facing the bottom with the sequence to 26. Even though the two comers at the top have been ceded to White, Black should be able to get more than enough territory at thebottom us- ing the box-shape strategy out- lined earlier in this chapter. The important strategic point is now at ‘a’ and if Black can take this point, White’s stones will be con- fined to the top. Dia. 47 Dia. 48 Dia, 49illustrates an exemple of the box-shape strategy ina 3-stone handicap ‘game; the author played Black against a Chinese female professional 1-dan. Black immediately takes three of the side star-points with4, 6, and 8. During the fighting in the upper right, Black manages to build a box shape with 16 and 18. He then extricates his group from the top right, ending the sequence by taking the strategic point of 28. White has taken small bits of territory in two comers and at the top, but strategically Black has a won game. =32- Chapter Two: Handicap-Go Strate 1 348, White next switches to the Jower right with an approach move at 29 in Dia, 50, but the strength Black has built up in that sector doesn’t allow White to gain any advantage there either. White just manages to live in the se- quence to 45, but Black has claimed the territory in the lower right comer and built up more in- 3 fluence in the center. Finally, Black Teeerre reinforces the left side with 46. “o White is rapidly falling behind. Dia. 50 Playing handicap go using the attacking style that we have outlined in this chapters the fastest way to become a strong player. You may lose many of your ‘games at first, but as your technique improves, you will become a formidable ‘opponent and other players will no longer want to give you large handicaps. ‘The hard thing about this strategy is securing the territory you have mapped ‘out. But this is part of the middle-game technique that you will be faced with in all your games, both even and handicap games. We will discuss this topic in (Chapter Four.Chapter Two: Handicap-Go Strategy To continue your study of handicap go, I would like to recommend three books that analyze handicap go in the context of the attacking style presented in this chapter. They are Handicap Go by Nagahara Yoshiaki, Kage's Secret Chronicles of Handicap Go by Kageyama Toshiro, and Get Strong at Handicap Go by Richard Bozulich. These books will give you a much deeper understanding ‘of the concepts we have only touched on in this chapter, Chapter Three Josekis Josekis are standard sequences of moves which usually arise from the initial approach moves and pincers played in the corners. There are also middle-game josekis that are played on the sides or arise in the course of attacks on comer ‘enclosures. Throughout the history of go, new josekis have been continuously ‘ereated; some remain while others are discarded. For a sequence to qualify as a joseki, the moves must be logical and natural with neitherside gaining an unciue advantage over the other. However, ajoseki whose result may be judged equal in one position may give an inferior result to one side in another position. ‘Therefore, one cannot blindly play a sequence in a comer just because it is a joseki; one must always consider the whole-board position and how stones in ‘one part of the board relate to stones in another. In the preceding two chapters, we have already seen a number offosekis and ‘we will introduce @ few more here. The emphasis here will be on the principles ‘used to choose a joscki in relation to the other stones. Josekis Starting from the 4~4 Point ‘Against a 4-4 point stone, the small knight's approach of White 1 in Dia. 1 is ‘most often played. Other approach moves at ‘a’ and “b’ can also be played in special circumstances, but they both have onemain drawback: a comer invasion at ‘cis no longer an effective follow-up strategy. The usual black responses to White 1 are’a’,’b’, and ‘c’ in Dia. 2. However, if the marked black stone in Dia, 3 is in place, pincers at Black 2 or ‘a’ are especially severe. Other commonly played pincers are at ’b’ and ‘c’ even without the marked stone present. Attach- ing at ‘a’ is a special strategy used when Black wants to settle the territory on the right side quickly and build influence towards the center. Dia. 2 ~~Chapter Three: Josekis If the right side is unoccupied by White, the one-point jump of Black 2 (or ‘a’) in Dia, 4s the standard response to White 1. The sequence to Black 6 is the basic joseki. White gets a stable position at the top while Black lays claim to the territory on the right side. If Black had started out with a stone at either 6 or‘b’, Black 2 would be even better. {White has established a position in the left comer, hecan also extend lightly to 3 in Dia. 5 after Black 2, Black 4 completes the joscki. In this case, White's position is thin, so Black can aim at the invasion of ‘a’. Before doing so, Black ‘might first jump to ’b’ to secure the area in the top right comer, but this would give White time to reinforce his position by jumping to ‘c’. Dia, 4 Dia. 5 Ifthe upper side is open, attaching with 2 in Dia. 6 before jumping to 4 is not good. White can now make an icleal extension to 5 from his two stones at L and 3. If Black has the marked stone in place in Dia. 7, however, then attaching at 2 is a good move. The farthest White can naturally extend is 5, but from the two stones 1 and 3 this extension is a bit narrow, so White's stones are not working, to their maximum efficiency. If White reverses the order of moves in Dia. 4 and first extends to 3 in Dia. 8, Black will attach at 4, forcing White 5, and White's stones end up a bit overcon- centrated. Dia. 6 Dia. 8 Chapter Three: Josekis “© Tf White has the marked stone in Dia. 9 in place or a stone anywhere along ‘the right side, the appropriate answer to White 1 is the small knight's extension Of Black 2 or sometimes the large knight's extension at ‘a’. The reason is that ‘were Black to play 2 in Dia. 10, White could aim at ‘a’, the underbelly of Black’s position, undermining the base of his two stones at the top. If White had a strong position at the bottom, Black 2 in Dia. 11 would be inappropriate. White could invade at 3 in Dia, 12 and a sequence like the one shown here would result. White lives in the corner and takes up positions both at the top and on the right side, leaving Black's stones without a base and ‘vulnerable. Dia 11 Dia. 10 ‘When White has made the narrower exten- sion at 2in Di, 13,he can live in thecomer with the sequence to 11, but Black can get good shape by playing at 12, so his stones are in no danger. If White continues to play on the right side with 11 and 13, Black plays 16, mapping out a large territory at the top. White, on the other hand, has secured the comer territory, but it is small and his influence in the center hhasn’t been significantly increased. “37Chapter Three: Josekis After Black 2, White might stabilize his position at the top with 3 and 5 in Dia. 14. Black would then play 6, aiming to undermine White's position on the lower right side with a placement at ‘a’ (see Chapter Nine), On the other hand, if White plays 3 in Dia, 15, Black secures territory in the comer by jumping to. In response, White must take up a position at the top with a move like 5. 2 tet fF Dia. 14 Dia, 15 Answering White 1 with a one-point jump at 2 in Dia, 16 is not good. White plays 3 and aims at two weak points, ‘a’ and 'b’. Therefore, Black 2 (or 8) in Dia. 17 isabetter move. Black would welcome an invasion at3, since the position he builds up with 14 and 16 is beginning to form a large valley of territory on the right together with his marked stone below. ‘The sequence to White 5 in Dia. 14 above is the basic joseki when White approaches move at 1. However, these moves are not the only ones available to Black and, depending on the circumstances, other moves might be better. For example, Black could pincer at 1 or ‘ain Dia. 18. White has to settle his stones quickly, so attaching at 2is the best move. In the case of the large-knight ‘extension here, the sequence to Black 11 in Dia. 19 is a joseki. Up to 10, White makes eye shape for his stones, while Black secures some profit on the right when he defends with 11. If White leaves the situation as it is and plays ‘elsewhere Black can attack at ‘a’. Note White 4; because of this sacrifice, all the moves through Black 11 are forced. ‘The joseki for the small knight's move (the marked stone) is shown in Dia 20. In this case, White has no sacrifice tactic, so Black can atari at 7 and White must come back and connect at 10. Again, Black aims at ‘a’ If Black plays the one-space jump (the marked stone) in Dia. 21, the sequence —38- Chapter Three: Josekis identical to the one in Dia. 20. Again, Black aims at ‘a’. Be wamed that Black in Dias. 20 and 21.is an all-out move and White could create complications. safe move would be to connect below 3 with 5. XD 3 +t toto : Dia. 23 Dia, 22 Jn response to a pincer such as the marked black stone in Dia, 22, itis not ‘advisable for White to invade the corner with 1. Black’s position on the outside is too good for the profit that White gets in the corner. ‘However, if Black plays a narrow pincer, such as 2 in Dia. 23, invading the ‘comer with3 is good. After the ‘sequence to White 9, Black's stone at 2 is too close to his ‘wall; it would be better placed ata’ orb’ “After the sequence to Black 4 in Dia. 24, invading the cor- ‘ner with Lin Dia. 25is possible ‘With White's marked stone in. Dia. 24 Dia, 25 ~39-Shaper Three: Josekis Place, the influence of Black's wall is nullified. Of course, Black gets a thick position facing the bottom after the sequence to 14. Whether or not this result is. ‘800d for White depends on the position at the bottom. 308) Dia. 26 Dia. 27 The sequence to White 9 in Dia. 26 is another variation of this joseki. Black could confine White to the comer with the sequence to7 in Dia, 27, butif the top were more important, Black would make shape with 1 in Dia. 28 and later aim to play a pincer at ‘a’ After White 3, Black could block at 4 in Dia. 29 in order to stake out a claim to the territory on the right side. Black ends in sente after the exchange of White 7. “ aaa Dia. 28 ue Dia, 29 The one-space high-approach at White 1 in Dia. 30 is used when White doesn’t want Black to play a pincer. In most cases, Black 2 is the best re- sponse. The drawback of this high-ap- proach move is that it doesn’t com- bine well with an invasion at the 3-3 ee Point When White plays the high ap- Died, roach his aim is to take the area along the top by attaching at 1 in Dia. 31, then playing the sequence to. Black, however, iohccs econ wh and 4. Ifthe top is important, as it is here, the result is good for White. —40- . Chapter Three: Josekis ‘The reason invading the comer with White 1 in Din. 32 is bad is that the ‘marked white stone is misplaced and Black can make good shape with 6. ‘Moreover, if Black plays the sequence to 6 in Dia, 33, he could separate the ‘marked white stone from the four white ones in the comer by playing at ‘a’ after White 7. Clearly, the marked white stone would be better placed at ‘a’. Dia. 32 Dia, 33 Dia 34 (On the other hand, Black gets a bad result if he plays a pincer at 2 in Dia. 34 White plays a double-approach move at 3 and Black moves out into the center “ybith 4. His aimis to take thearea along the top, which he does with the sequence to 10 in Dia. 35. However, his position is defective and White can force him to capture a stone with the sequence to 8 in Dia. 36, In the process, White builds influence on the outside and Black’s stones become overconcentrated, +90 Dia, 36 Dia. 37 Dia. 35 ‘The two-space high-approach move of White 1 in Dia. 37 has even less effect on the black corner. This ' move is played almost exclusively in handicap ‘games where White is employing some special strat- +? egy. Black will usually answer with 2, although a pincer in the vicinity of ‘a’ is also possible. As with [| the one-space approach move in Dia. 30, White can t ‘continue by attaching at 1 in Dia. 38. The sequence to White 7 is a joseki. a1Chapter Three: Josekis Josekis Starting from the 34 Point Against a stone on the 3-4 point, the standard approach moves are ‘a’ and “in Dia, 39, From these two moves thousands of josekis arise. We will firstook at the small knight’s approach at ‘a’ Dia. 39 Dia, 40 Inanswer to White 1 in Dia. 40, Black has a large number of moves to choose from: pincers from‘a’ through ‘the diagonal move at‘, or the knight’s move at ‘h’. It is even possible to attach at ‘i’, but this move is used only in special cases. Although the diagonal move at ‘g’ and the knight's move at ‘h’ are good solid moves, pincers are moré often employed in modern go because they enable you to develop your stones quickly. Dia, 41 Dia, 42 Dia. 43 Dia. 44 For example, the pincer of Black 2 in Dia. 41 is a powerful move. It not only attacks the white stone at 1, but it also extends from Black’s corner enclosure at the top. White's usual response is to escape into the center with 3, whereupon Black takes territory at the bottom with 4 ~42- Chapter Three: Josekis S White could also attach at 3 in Dia. 4? in order to make eye shape for his . The sequence to Black 8 is a joscki. White's stones will have no trouble ving, If Black attacks at ‘a’, White extends to ‘b's if Black “b’, White can settle i stones with a’ “oTfitis White who has a comer enclosure at the top, as in Dia. 43, then a pincer loses much of its effect. White first exchanges 2 for 3, then plays a pincer of ‘own at 4, using his marked stoneand 2asbackup, White 4is also an excellent ‘sion from White's comer enclosure at the top, s0 the pincer at 1 isadubious ‘ein this position and the diagonal move at ‘a’ would be a better choice. Black must either escape into the center with 1in Dia. 44 orto settle his stones ith ‘a’. White responds with?, building abox shape together with his enclosure above. If Black jumps to 3, White will make a base with the sequence to 8, Dia 45 Dia. 46 Dia. 47 If White has the marked stone in place or one thereabouts, he might continue with 4 in Dia. 45 to further build up his box shape after Black 3. In that case, Black would launch an attack on the white group at the bottom with 5,7, and 9. “The sequence to 14 is a joseki; White's endangered stones escape into the center, ‘but Black gets profit at the bottom. The narrower pincer of Black 2 in Dia, 46 is severe and can lead to violent “clashes. Jumping into the center with 3 is the most straightforward response. ‘After Black 4, White can continue with either ‘a’ or’. Pressing at 1 in Dia. 47 leads toa joseki similar to one we saw in Chapter Two (Dia. 41 on page 30). Locally, this result is good for Black. He has established positions on the right and the left and White still lacks a secure base. However, if Black has a stone on the star point (the marked stone) in the upper right comer -43-Chapter Three: Josekis in Dia. 48, White would exchange 1 for Black 2, then invade at the 3-3 point. ‘White lives in the comer and Black builds a wall with the sequence to 14. However, its influence is nullified by the presence of White's stone at 1. White could also attack from the left in Dia. 49. The sequence to 12 is the representative joseki. If Black had a position in the upper right corner — either 4a comer enclosure or a stone on the star point — this result would be good for Black. But if White had a corner enclosure (ora stone on the star point) as in Dia 50, Black’s result would not be so good. Instead of playing 9 in Dia. 49, White would severely attack with a pincer at 9 in Dia. 50. Black’s two marked stones will be hard pressed. Or ait 3 Chapter Taree: Josekis Positions often arise in the opening in which an approach move is not the best strategy. Dia, 51 shows an example. After the joseki to White 6, an approach move in the bottom left comer with 1 in Dia. 52 seems to be the natural continuation for Black. But White would then play 2, a move which is not only pincer but also an extension from the marked stone. This gives White the initiative on the left side. Dia, 53 Dia, 54 Dia. 35 In this position, Black 1 in Dia. 53 is an interesting move. If White makes a corner enclosure at the bottom with 2, Black links up his stones by attaching at 3. This result is good for Black: his stones at the top are secure and he has taken about 15 points of territory. Surveying the board, we see that Black has secured territory in three places while White's positions are a bit thin. White might not let Black settle his stones on the left so easily. The diagonal move at 2in Dia, 54 prevents Black from linking up as he did in Dia. 53. If Black does attempta link-up, the sequence to 6 in Dia. 55 severs the marked stone from its allies at the top. Therefore, Black must establish a base on the lower left side. He does this by extending to 3 in Dia. 54. White's best answer is the diagonal move at 4; the joscki to 8 now follows. Whites area in the lower left corner has become secure territory and he has an opening into Black's territory at ‘a’. He ‘can also threaten Black’s stones at the top with ‘b’. The diagonal move of 4 in Dia, 54 is important. If White were to play this move elsewhere, Black would strengthen his position on the left with 1 in Dia. 56 (next page). White would be compelled to defend his stones at the bottom with 2 and 4, but Black could then occupy the key point of 5, taking the initiative on the left side and isolating the two white stones in the center. -8-Dia. 56 Dia. 57 The diagonal moveis the most solid response to the small knight’s approach. ‘After the opening moves to White 6 in Dia. 57, Black 7 is a superb move. It has three aims: 1) it prevents White from pressing at 7;2) it threatens to press down on White at ‘a’; and 3) it threatens an extension-pincer at b’. ‘The usual continuation is for White to extend to 8 in Dia. 58. The sequence to T2is one possibility. Dia. 58 Dia, 59 Dia. 60 Besides the small knight’s approach, the one-point high approach of White 1 in Dia, 59s also played. Black usually approaches ata’ when he has a comer enclosure at the top, but a black pincer at “b’ also also works well with the enclosure above. =e Chapter Three: Josekis When Black attaches at 2 in Dia. 60, the joseki to White 7 is one possibility. With the comer enclosure at the top, Black 8 is a strong move — it threatens an invasion at a’, Jumping to’b’ would defend against this invasion, but if White wanted to develop quickly, he would omit this move and play elsewhere. ‘The pincer at ’b’ in Dia. 59 is a powerful move, but, before playing it, the ‘overall position must be considered, as there is a ladder to take into account. ‘The basic joseki that arises from this pincer is shown in Dia, 61. If Black had the one-point comer enclosure at the top, this would be an excellent result for him. However, the ladder mentioned above must be considered. After Black 11, White could tum at 12 in Dia, 62. If Black connected at 13, White would go after the blackstones on the right with 14 and 16. The only way Black can rescue them is with the ladder starting with 17. In this position, however, the ladder is unfavorable for Black. Therefore, Black would have to respond to White 12 with 13 in Dia. 63 and the moves to White 30 would follow. But now the influence of Black's comer enclosure at the top has been neutralized. Dia. 61 Dia. 62 Dia, 63 In this brief introduction to josekis, we have tried to give you some general principles about how to choose josekis in relation to stones in other parts of the board. The treatment here has been brief, s0 I would like to refer you to some other materials to continue your study of this important subject: You should start with 38 Basic Josekis by Kosugi Kiyoshi and James Davies to get an overall view of the field. You can then begin studying Get Strong at Joseki, Volumes 1 to 3, This set has some of the most recent joseki innovations, as well as the old, time-tested josekis, and it will give youa solid foundation in josckis. Finally, the three-volume Dictionary of Basic Joseki by Ishida Yoshio is a thorough survey of the field and will be a useful reference on this extensive topic. geChapter Four Securing Territory by Attacking The middle game begins when both sides have laid claim to their respective territories. When you are on the offensive, you will have two objectives at this stage of the game: one is to secure and expand the territories you have mapped out in the opening, and the other is to destroy and reduce your opponent's. Ideally, both these objectives can be accomplished at the same time, thatis, you should expand-secure your territory while you are reducing-destroying your ‘opponent's. The position in Dia. 1, which arose from the example in Dia. 74 on age 36, illustrates this strategy. ° @.| Le +4 2 360 re] ° eeg Sa Dia, 2 The attacking point for Black is at ‘a’. By playing here Black threatens to link up the invading stone with his allies either above or below. [fhe succeeds in this link-up, White will be robbed of his base and he will have to seek eyes in the center. Moreover, the territory that these three white stones were mapping out will disappear. White 2 in Dia. 2 is the strongest response. White continues to resist with 4 and 6, trying to prevent Black from linking up. Cutting at Black 9is a good move, but there is a ladder to be considered. The ladder is shown in Dia. 3. The marked black and white stones are in a capturing race and, if Black is to win this race, he has to be able to block at 13. But White sets up a ladder with 14, 16, and 18. Fortunately, because of the marked stone in the upper left, the ladder favors Black. Therefore, White can’t -48- ter Four: Securing Terri Attackin, play 10 and 12 because he will lose his stones in the lower right. If the ladder ‘were unfavorable for Black, he would have to extend to 13 in Dia, 4, but White ‘would then connect at 14 and Black would lose his four stones on the right in a capturing race by one move as seen in the sequence to White 20. Dia 3 Dia. 4 Dia. 5 ‘Consequently, White has no choice but to atari with 10 in Dia. 5 and try to get two eyes for his group in the center. When Black plays 13, he secures the territory in the corer by capturing two white stones and takes away the territory White had staked out on the side. After White 14 — Dia. 6 ~49-‘Chapter Four: Securing Territory by Attacking Black keeps up the pressure on White's group with 15 in Dia. 6, This forces White to make eyes above with 18, 20, and 22, but these moves give Black an opportunity to strengthen his territory in the top right with 19 and 21. ‘Next, Black plays forcing moves with 23 and 25, in orderto build up a strong position at the top against which he can drive the weak white group. After 2, White's group has at least one eye and Black 29 (using the stones at 23 and 25 as support) forces White to make his second eye with 30. Taking Profit While Attacking Weak Groups The sequence on the right has come to a pause, but itis still Black’s move. He can use this move to take profit on the upper left side by attacking the weak white group there with 31. After Black captures a stone with35, the white group is still without two eyes, 30 White strengthens it with 36. Black continues fo attack with 37, forcing White to move out into the open with 38, The sequence from 1 to 37 shown here is a good example of how to take profit while attacking weak groups. Not only has Black taken profit in both the lower ight and upper left corners, but he has also formed two sides of a box shape with his marked stone and 37. If Black plays at ‘a’, he will Dia. 7 make a large territory in the center of the board. There are also large endgame points at ’b’ and ‘c’, as well as others, yet to be played. How to Use your Strong Positions When you have a dominant position in one part of the board, you should never fear your opponent’ sattack or invasion there. In fact, youshould welcome it, since it will give you a chance to attack a weak group. Forexample, in the4-stone handicap game in Dia. 8 White has plunged right into the middle of Black's sphere of influence, The space is too wide for Black toexpect to kill this stone and Black won't get enough territory by playing at ‘a’ orb’, considering all the stones he has invested in this part of the board; White would simply jump out to ‘c" in response. The best way for Black is to use the strength of his stones to force White to live within Black’s sphere of influence, confine him to a small area and, in the 50. Chapter Four: Securing Territory by Attacking ‘process, transfer this influence to another patt of the board. The key is to cap White 1 with 2.in Dia. 9. White establishes a base on the side with 3 and 5. Note Black 4 here. This move has two purposes: it gives Black's two marked stones a base in the comer, and it White from advancing too far into the comer from either the right or the leit. The result of this sequence is that Black builds up influence facing the left with 2, 4, and his two marked stones. ‘Now he ean launch an attack against the marked white stone with 6. ; s Dia 8 Dia. 9 In answer to Black 1 in Dia, 10 (Black 6 in Die. 9), White must run away into the center with 2, since there is no way for him to make eyes at the bottom when the black stone i in place on the 3-3 point. Black chases him with 3 and 7, building a wall facing the left that ~ works beautifully with the EEett OQ marked stone on the left to start building a box shape. (Note the ‘e exchange of 5 for 6: this move is [- necessary for Black to keep all his, stones connected.) Black 9 threatens to kill the whitestoneson therright, so White must play 10 and 12 to make two eyes for his group there. After the exchange of 13 for White 14, Black launches a powerful double-at- tack with 15. This kind of move is a splitting attack and it is wellChapter Four: Securing Territory by Attacking worth remembering: It splits off the weak white group below from the three White stones at the top, attacking both of them simultaneously; one of those groups must fall. White must break out into the open with 16and 18 in Dia. 11, but Black keeps up the pressure with the sequence to 23. Finally, Black plays 25 and the three white stones at the top are as good as captured. Moreover, White has almost no territory and his group in the center is still in danger. Finally, Black will probably be able to complete his box shape in the lower left. Dia. IT Dia. 12 ‘The best way to secure territory is to do so while attacking a weak group. In a high-handicap game, you should have no trouble finding weak groups to attack. White must develop rapidly and, in doing so, he usually has no choice but to leave vulnerable stones undefended. But you have to attack the group in just the right direction so that the moves that threaten to kill it are the ones that make your territory secure. One of the main requirements for an attacking move is that itmakes it hard for the group under attack to get eyes. In Dia. 12 (this position was seen in Dia, 40 on page 30), Black 1 is such a move. Not only does it take away the chance for White to make an eye around 1, it also threatens to peep at ‘a’, Let’s see how this at- tack would continue in the con- text of a seven-stone handicap. After Black 10 in Dia. 40 (page 30), White switches to the upper left with 1 in Dia 13, Black ignores Chapter Four: Securing Territory by Attacking it and strikes at the vital point of 2. White has to jump to 3, even though this move provokes Black to take territory at the top with 4. White must also defend against the peep at 7, so he plays 5 and 7, but Black attacks again with 8, forcing White to exchange 9 for 10. Black is securing territory, but White isn’t getting any himself; he is just running away. Next, Black attaches at 12 in Dia. 14. This is another splitting attack in which Black leans on one group to build strength for an at- tack on a second one. White se- cures his stones on the left with the sequence to 23, but, in the meantime, Black has secured more than 20 points at the top. In Addition, Black still has an attack Against the white group at the top ‘when he plays 24. Jumping out to 25 doesn’t hielp White to escape, so he has to come back and make two eyes with the sequence to 35 in Dia. 15 (he gets his second eye at ‘a’ ot ’b). Black ends in sente and takes a big point at the bottom with 36. His large and secure profit on the tight side and in the top left, combined with his domi- nating influence in the lower half Dia. 15 ‘of the board, is more than enough to ensure his victory. ‘When giving a handicap, White will often find that his opponent has built up a large box shape that is threatening to become an enormous area with the addition of one more move, after which an invasion will become impossible. Therefore, White will have to make a move to reduce this large area before Black can make it impregnable, When you, as Black, respond to sucha move, you must think of the stone played.as.a vulnerable target and attack it. Hereisan example. The position in Dia, 16 (next page) is the continuation of the game shown from Dia. 49 on page 33. Black has built a large box shape at the bottom and White has to do something to cut it down tosize, so she plays 1. The first instinct ofmany players would be to defend at ‘a’,butsucha move would besubmissive; it only thinks of defense. Capping the invading white stone with Black 2 is the -53-Chapter Four: Securing Territory by Attacking best move. There are two reasons: first, if Black can confine White within his sphere of influence, he has a good chance of killing this stone as well as any others White might add to it; moreover, while White struggles to get two eyes, Black will be solidifying his terri- tory on the left side and. at the bottom, Second, Black will build influence toward the top where he is weak — this in itself should be ample compensation for any loss the might suffer below. As in the example shown in Dia. 8 above, Black's aim is to transfer his influ- Dia. 16 ence to another part of the board. White jumps lightly to 3 in Dia. 17, but Black confines her to the bottom with the sequence to 10. When White tries to sneak out into the open with 11 — Black switches to an attack on White's two stones at the top by striking at the vital point of 12 in Dia. 18. The sequence to 16 follows; there is now no escape route to the top. Therefore, White must try to make two eyes within Black’s sphere of influence. Whiteexparidsthe space of her group with 17 to 21 in Din. 19 to make twoeyes, but, intheprocess, Black solidifies the territory on the left side with 20 and 22. With 25, "White lives in gote and Black is free to start the endgame. We'll come back to this position in ‘Chapter Ten. ‘This chapter may have been a bit difficult, but we suggest that you focus not on details, but on the overall flow of the attack in these examples. As you gain expe- Chapter Four: Securing Territory by Attackin, ® mcd e ‘Tience, come back and reread this Dia, 19 chapler focusing on the following principles. ‘Make moves that have more than one meaning; For example, Black 4 in Dia. 9not only defends the two marked stones, it also provides abase from, ‘which to launch an attack on White's stones on the left and the right Black 1,3, 7, and 13 in Dia. 10 are attacking White's weak stones and they are also building black influence toward the left, ‘Try to make territory in the process of attacking your opponents weak groups. Black’s moves in Dias. 13 and 14, as well as the sequence from Black 18 to 22 in Dia. 19, are examples of this technique. ‘Try to confine your opponent’ stones within your sphere of influence and make him struggle for life there. Even though your initial influence may be neutralized, you will probably be able to transfer this influence to another part of the board as Black does in Dias. 9 and 10. ‘The best time to take big points is when an attack on your opponent's ‘group, oF groups, comes toan end. Black 36 in Dia. 15is an example of this tactic. In this example, White is clearly alive and there is no longer any profitable way for Black to attack White’s stones at the top or on the left, sohe increases his influence at the bottom and waits to see how White will play next. Be on the lookout for splitting attacks like those of Black 15 in Dia. 10 and Black 12 in Dia. 14. This is often a good way to capture abig group of your ‘opponent's stones. 85ter Four: Securing Territory by Attacki We have emphasized that attacking is the best way to make territory. De- fense, of course, is also important, but even defensive moves must contain an attacking potential, For example, Black 4.n Dia. 9s defensive as itsecures a base for Black's stones, but itis also aiming to attack White's stones on the right and on the left. ‘Most beginners are overly conicerned with the safety of their stones and become blind to the fact that their opponent's stones are in just as much danger a theirs. They then start playing defensive moves and slowly fall behind. This predilection is based on fear, and fear is a hard habit to break. From the very beginning of your go career you should think primarily of attack, and the defense of your stones should come as a result of your attack. The examples in this chapter, as well as those in Chapter Two, aim to show you the way this style is played. However, you must remember that you cannot and must not attack if your ‘own stones are weak. This is why itis so important to build up strong and thick positions in the opening. In closing this chapter, I would like to recommend two books for your study oftthemiddle game. One is Attack and Defense by Ishida Akira and James Davies. ‘This bookis a comprehensive survey of middle-game techniques and should be read by every go player who aspires to become an expert player. The other is Get Strong at inciading by Richard Bozulich. This one contains 171 problems from which you will learn all the standard invading techniques. PART TWO TACTICS Even though your strategic prowess might be at a very high level, it will all come to naught if you can't back it up with tactical technique. After identifying, ‘weak groups, you must be able to attack them effectively; you must also be able to defend your own weak groups. To this end, Chapter Five on tesujis and Chapter Six on life and death will show you the kinds of moves to look for so that you will be able to find tesujis and the vital points in life-and-death situations at a glance whether you are attacking or defending. ‘The centerpiece ofthis part is Chapters Seven and Fight on counting liberties and reading out capturing races. These are important basic skills that you need to lear. Many players, even quite strong ones, have a poor grasp of these fundamentals. One’ reason is that they have never before been clearly and systematically explained in any book in English. Books on tesuji assume you already know the fundamentals and only review them briefly. Books for begin- ‘ners give a simplified introduction and leave out important details. Here for the first time is a thorough explanation of the principles of counting liberties and applying them to practical situations that are likely to occur in your games. Once you have mastered the material presented here, you may find yourself outfight- ing stronger players who previously exploited your lack of knowledge. ‘The reason players miscount liberties is that they don’t really understand what constitutes a liberty and what doesn’t. Forexample, when there are vacant points shared by both sides, do these count for both sides or only one side, and. in that case which side? Chapter Seven analyzes the six different types of fight, involving no eyes at all, one eye only, and one eye each. Itclearly explains what ‘counts as a liberty and what doesn’t. Unlike other books that try to cover the subject in half a dozen diagrams, this chapter uses over a hundred. Some of them, not only ones showing the starting position, but also ones showing the ‘end results of different variations, have no moves on them at all, making it easy for you to judge the status. The moves leading to those results are shown in separate diagrams. In Chapter Seven, there are no clever moves to find. The challenge is merely to count liberties. Chapter Eight introduces techniques for ‘gaining liberties for yourself and efficiently stealing your opponent's liberties. The contents of these two chapters are based on a series of articles by Richard ‘Hunter, published in the Britis Go Journal, Nos. 102-110 from Spring 1996 to Spring 1998. This long time span was sufficient to give readers time to absorb + the concepts gradually. The articles were aimed at correcting bad habits and “filling in gaps in the knowledge of players from 10-kyu to 1-dan, In this book, _ Mr. Hunter has adapted the material to target beginners encountering the =Part Two: Tactics concepts for the first time. The coverage is exhaustive, but also exhausting, so don’t expect to read through these chapters and grasp everything in one pass. Read them first to get an overall impression, then study a section ata time and take a break before studying the next section. Apply what you lean in your games and come back and reread the chapters, You should see a dramatic improvement and will also find yourself enjoying your games much more, As all go players will testify, winning capturing races and killing enemy groups is is one of the great pleasures of go. The series in the British Go Journal is still continuing. Mr. Hunter next plans to present examples from professional games. In games between beginners, one often sees capturing races that result in a large group of stones dying. This seldom happens in professional games. Why not? Because beginners play moves to discover what will happen. Professionals are very good at counting liberties and reading capturing races. They know what the result will be, so they don’t play sequences that end in failure. In professional game records, there are very few capturing races. But that doesn’t mean capturing races are unimpor- tant, On thecontrary, they are crucial to almost every game, but they lurk unseen in the unplayed variations. A game record is like the tip of an iceberg. The players consider far more sequences than actually appear on the board. The source of instructive material about capturing races in professional games is the commentary. Most of the examples will be taken from TV game commentaries given by professionals. If you are interested in subscribing to the British Go Journal, the necessary information is given at the end of this book. ‘Chapter Nine covers another important topic, rarely found in English books ‘on go; that is good and bad shape. When yourstones have good shape, they will be resilient against attack and will provide strong positions which you can use to attack your opponent's weak stones. Chapter Five Tesujis In the course of a game, you might find yourself at a disadvantage in a local position. Sometimes, if you look hard, you may be able to find a move that can, as ifby magic, tum the situation around toyour advantage. Such amoveis called Along with ladders that you've leamed in a beginner’s book, nets are a basic ‘capturing technique. White 1 in Dia, 1is the simplest example of this tesuji. The marked black stone is as good as captured. If Black tries to break out with 2 and 4.in Dia. 2, White captures him with 3 and 5. White might also be able to capture Black with a ladder starting with 1 and 3 in Dia. 3, but capturing with a net is better, if you have that option. Ladders are affected by conditions that develop in other parts of the board, but nets Dia. 3 Black 1 in Dia, 4is another example of a net. Although White has three liberties, there is no way for him to break out. Dias. 5 and 6 show two attempts by White to escape; both end in failure. Dia. 4 Dia, 5 Dia. 6 White 1 in Dia. 7 looks like a net, but it fails to capture the three marked stones. Black easily escapes with an atari at2 in Dia, 8. However, jumping a bit farther away to 1 in Dia. 9 traps the black stones. If Black ataris with 2, White ects with 3 and the situation is the same as Dia. 4. —e~Chapter Five: Tesujis Chapter Five: Tesujis Net-like moves are often used to set up loose ladders. In Dia. 14, forexample, Blackhas just played the marked stone and threatens to capture the seven white stones on the right by playing at ‘a’. There is no ladder at b’ for White, so other means must be found. Jumping to 1 in Dia. 15 starts a loose ladder. If Black tries to escape with 2, White presses with 3 and drives him to the edge of the board with the sequence to 13. Throughout this sequence, Black cannot push through at 'a’ because White ‘b' would be atari, turning it into a regular ladder. Dia. 8 Nets can also be used to capture stones at the edge. In Dia. 10, White has omitted an important defensive move at ‘a’. Because of this omission, the marked white stone can be captured. Black starts with two ataris at 1 and 3 in Dia. 11, then casts his net with 5, The reader should verify for himself that there is no escape for the three white stones. Dia. 14 Snapbacks Many of the more spectacular tesujis involve sacrifices. The snapback is the most basic. Dia. 16 shows the pattern: Black to capture the two marked stones. 8 Hees iH ‘Dia 11 Loose Ladders Loose ladders are similar to regular ladders except that not all moves are atari. Dia. 12 shows a basic type that often occurs at the edge. Black's task is to fo Dede capture the two marked stones, Black starts outby playing land 3on the second Black first sacrifices a stone with 1 in Dia. 17. IF White captures with 2, he line in Dia. 13. The marked stone is now acting like a net and Black ean force puts himself into atari, and Black will capture three stones with 3in Dia, 18. White toward the edge of the board with 5 and 7, ultimately capturing him, o iafe] Dia. 20 Dia. 21 Dia, 19 is another example of a snapback. Is White's move. The three marked stones are pivotal: White must capture them. atti piChapter Five: Tesujis White 1 in Dia. 20 sets up the snapback. Even though Black ataris the marked stone with 2, it is of no consequence because White plays back at 3 with 1, capturing four black stones. Dia. 21 is another example of a snapback at the edge of the board. If White plays 1, Black cannot capture at ‘a’ without putting himself into atari. Oiotoshi (Connect and Die) ‘The Japanese term ‘oiotoshy refers to a situation in which one site's stones are in atari and even if he connects at the capturing point, another capturing point remains; Dia. 22 gives an example. White 1 puts the six marked stones into atari. Even if Black connects at 2, he is still in atari and can be captured at ‘a’ I 9°38°s ey OTTO OTT T The classic example in which oioteshi arises is the position in Dia. 23. This position, involving the seven black stones and the three marked white ones, is knownas the ‘erane’s nest’. White jumps to 1, but there isno escape for the three marked stones. Black begins by throwing in a stone at 2 in Diz. 24, then ataris with 4. When White captures with, Black sets up an ‘oiotoshi’ with 6 in Dia. 25. White cannot get out of atari no matter where he plays tates 3 Dia, 24 Dia. 25 Setting up an oiotoshi often takes some preparatory moves. These usually involve sacrifices which create a shortage of liberties, This whole process, the sacrifice and the final ‘coup de grace’, is usually called ‘oiotoshi’, as shown in the sequence from 1 to 7 in the following three diagrams. a Chapter Five: Tesujis eat re] tH [teetene * Dia. 26 Dia, 27 +H In Dia. 26, White's stones are in danger of being captured, but White can save them with the oiotoshi tesuji. White begins by sacrificing two stones with 1 and 3 in Din, 27, then descending to 5. Having reduced Black's liberties, White delivers the final blow with 7 in Dia. 28; the four marked stones can’t avoid capture because they can‘t get out of atari. Dia, 28 Dia. 30 Diagonal Moves In Dia. 29 the marked black and white stones are in a capturing race. Black has three liberties, but White has only two. It is White's turn to play. Ordinary ‘moves like White 1 in Dia, 30 fail. The tesuji is the diagonal move of White 1 in Dia, 31. Itis the only move that can turn this situation around. BE Dia: 31 Dia. 32 Dia, 33 If Black ataris with 2 in Diz. 32 he loses a liberty. Black 4 is then answered with a sacrifice at 5. When Black captures with 6 White ataris with 7 and 9 in Dia. 33; there is no escape for Black. Playing Black 2 in Dia. 34 instead of ‘a’ still lets White play on the vital point of 3. Black 4 is the only possible response, but White sets up a snapback with 5. (Black can’t play at‘a’ without putting himself into atari.) -8—