:: Igo Hatsuyôron 120 (2019)

Follow-up: KataGo's Bad Shape Move

for White (2019)

KataGo's new atari resulted in capturing a single Black stone in the lower left in sente.

In this new situation, a decisive weakness in Black's formation can be easily overlooked.

KataGo, however, found an ugly but effective forcing move that fully utilised this "new" weakness.

Ugly but Effective 1093d
      A Variation for Black 1093d

We ask for your kind understanding that we have not been able to adjust the structure of our website according to the new correct order of moves, but only added a corresponding note in the affected variations.

Ugly but Effective

KataGo found a very amazing follow-up move for White, , which is bad shape but surprisingly effective. The value of this move is comparatively small, so it will be played after the completion of the other endgame on the left side of the board.

Black gets caught on the wrong foot, due to the cutting point in his formation (, ) that resulted from White's earlier moves () in the lower left quadrant of the board.

KataGo recommends Black's connection at .

White's sente push at is blocked by Black . This exchange results in a loss of one White liberty in the Main Semeai that continues with .

Due White's loss of one liberty at the left (related to the Main Semeai), Black is able to reduce White's territory in the upper right a bit with e.g. , spending the just won liberty.

Compared to the position in Our Solution, where Black played at , ...

– White gained two points by destroying Black territory in the left centre (, ).

– Black gained one point by destroying White territory in the upper right ().

In total, White gained one point, so the Capture Variation will now end in


Jigo.

A Variation for Black

So, what about Black blocking immediately at here?

The combination of White and is tesuji, exploiting Black's weakness in the centre. Black is forced to connect his troops with .

White enables a throw-in at , and also threatens to realise some points of additional territory in the centre (with a move at ).

Black and prevent this additional White gain, where after the continuation from White to White is the same as in the variation before.

Compared to the course of Our Solution, ...

– White gained two points by destroying Black territory in the left centre (, ).

– Black gained one point by destroying White territory in the upper right ().

In total, White gained one point, so the Capture Variation will again end in


Jigo.

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