( 987)

(Referenced by 940; 1046)

If Black did without Michael Redmond's kikashi in the bamboo joint ( / ), White would be unable to exchange for .

In order to simplify the presentation, we will take of the board, instead of .

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White's solid move in the centre does neither add a liberty to White's centre group, nor takes Black's large group in the upper right a liberty.

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Black should connect his two partial groups on the left, simultaneously occupying a liberty of White's centre group. Otherwise, if White got the opportunity to take this point, Black would suffer from the well-known weakness of the bamboo joint. would enforce , the latter occupying an own liberty.

As usual, White's centre group has five liberties (2 * w, 3 * c). But Black's group has eight liberties (3 * c, 5 * b), not counting the potential approach-move liberty in the ko. This is a disaster for White.

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Black simply connects the hanezeki's tail, and wins the semeai with White's centre group outright.

White's slow, and solid, move in the centre has turned out to be a fatal mistake. This implies that it might be technically correct for Black to do without Michael Redmond's kikashi in the bamboo joint, because this cuts down White's valid options of play.

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Had White not played at in the centre, but from above at , instead, the same procedure with connecting at would not work any longer for Black.

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Eventually, after the mutual occupation of liberties in the further semeai, Black is unable to give atari at .

Capturing the ko with a move at does not help Black, just because there is only a false eye in this area.