( 982)

(Referenced by 287; 291)

White's kikashi of / can be played for sure if the shape in the centre of the upper edge is fixed, with and on the board already.

Here, we will consider what happens, should White have played this kikashi "early", so strengthening Black's shape in the upper left.

In order to create suitable conditions on the upper edge for our research, we have to take six pairs of / off the board.

Additionally, it might help White to have played the gote-sente combination of , , in the hanezeki, instead of simply occupying one of Black's liberties in gote, with . This measure will turn Black's ko-threat of in the hanezeki in to a suicidal one.

!!! Please note that - for the first part of this investigation in this section - we still kept Michael Redmond's kikashi in the bamboo joint ( / )on the board. !!!

In the hanezeki, , , and , display the above-mentioned gote-sente combination.

White might choose between to . We will analyse , and , in detail here; , and , will have similar results, or end in changes in the order of moves.