bgj125-2

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Dec 2001 Journal

8/1/02 4:55 pm

Page 14

A POINT HERE, A POINT THERE… ~ PART II Andrew Grant

a-grant2@talk21.com Diagram 3 and make a big dent in Black’s territory, and in sente too.

4 A

1 2 3

1 2 3

1

In Diagram 1, Black wants to seal off the territory on the right. 2 A 3 1

2

So he plays 1 and White answers at 2. Obvious, but Black 1 is wrong. Black needs to put in another move at 3, so he ends in gote, since White is unlikely to answer 3 at a until the very end of the game.

4

Playing atari at 2 in Diagram 4 is usually a blunder. If White were to docilely connect his stone it wouldn’t be too bad, though Black would still have to defend and end up in gote – but the real danger is that if White has enough ko threats he can start a ko in which Black risks losing lots of territory whereas White risks next to nothing. A

3

3 elsewhere

But if Black plays elsewhere as in Diagram 2, White can hane at 4 in

The best White can do about this threat is to push at 2 and capture at 4 in Diagram 6. Black takes sente and his territory ends up only two points smaller than in Diagram 2. The advantages are that, unlike Diagram 2, Black doesn’t end in gote - unlike Diagram 3, he doesn’t have to fall back - unlike Diagram 4, there’s no risk of a ko. C A B 1 2

1

2 8 4 6 7 1 5 9

6

5

Correct

Returning to the original position, jumping to the edge with 1 in Diagram 5 is the correct move. Black is threatening to pull out at A, saving his stone and killing White’s. 14

7

Now let’s turn the position around and look at it from White’s point of view. If it’s White to play, 1 in Diagram 7 looks obvious, but after Black 2 you can’t go any further. White A will be answered by Black B and White will be unable to connect; while White C is worth a measly one point in


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