:: Igo Hatsuyôron 120 (2021)

Variations of Our Solution (IIIb)

Tricking KataGo (Triple-Ko)

VAR (C) (A) (.2) (.2) (.1)

: ( 222ob)
Black connects at the upper edge immediately.

:
White decides to do Black a favour - for the time being - and occupies the guzumi point, so that Black can try his idea of entering some kind of Joachim's Ko-Semeai.

As a matter of course, she could simplify the issue by playing at , instead, securing two eyes for her centre group, as we can see in the alternative subvariation.

:
Black cuts at the right, creating the ko shape there.

:
Black's throw-in creates false eye for White.

:
Finally, Black has to reduce White's centre group to only one eye.

:
White connects her single stone in the centre, leaving Black's large group at the right eyeless.

:
Black creates another ko shape at the top ...

:
... before descending at the upper edge, preparing to occupy White's liberty there.

:
The mutual occupation of opponent's liberties continues.

:
Black captures White's five stones in the upper left.

:
White recaptures, creating another ko shape at the top.

:
Black has to block immediately.

Otherwise, White would extend to this point, and gain an additional approach-move liberty for her centre group.

:
Black captures the ko at the left, but his hopes for a triple-ko will end in vain.

:
White simply starts the ko in the upper right.

:
Black uses his atari in the hanezeki as a ko threat.

Connecting the hanezeki's tail with , instead, would end in a disaster, as White's centre group has too many liberties left (six liberties, without counting the ko at the top), and would win the semeai with his then connected bottom group (that had only five liberties remaining then).

:
White erases Black's last ko threat at the upper edge.
Next, White will recapture the ko at the right, and connect thereafter.

White will win the game by a large margin.

Copyright © 2021 Thomas Redecker.

Design by Jan van Rongen, modified by Thomas Redecker.

L e g a l   n o t i c e