:: Igo Hatsuyôron 120 (2022)

New Story Line 2022

Joachim's Wedge in the Centre

(Joachim's Ko-Semeai #3)

VAR

: ( 2029)
Black starts the process of saving his nakade stones.

We inserted this move manually.

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White follows Black with the Nakade Sequence for a short time.

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White sacrifices her cut-off three stones at the lower left edge, in order to create an independently living shape for her left-hand group.

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White gives atari at Black's seven stones at the left edge, further closing the borders of her potential eye space.

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Black is forced to connect.

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White ends in gote, securing a second eye for her left-hand group.

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After the skirmish at the left edge of the board has come to its end, Black spoils and reduces White's eye space at the top as in the superordinate variation.

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White's atari prepares for ...

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... KataGo's already known attack on Black's upper left corner from the inside.

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Here, KataGo favours playing tenuki, in order to continue with the Central Semeai.

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Black must prevent White from descending to this point.

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This White connection is an unsusual move for us.

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White reduces the size of Black's eye.

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White continues with the interrupted attack inside Black's upper left corner, ...

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... aiming at cutting Black's forces apart.

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Black gives atari on White's invasion group.

Please note that Black will have to take White's stones of the board, with a move at , before approaching White's centre group from the left.

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The mutual occupation of opponent's liberties in the Central Semeai continues.

Liberties:

Black:

  • Six direct liberties (including one eye point) + two approach-move liberties = eight liberties in total.

Please note that the shared liberties only count for White, as she is the side with fewer liberties.

White:

  • Eight direct liberties (including one eye point) + one approach-move liberty = nine liberties in total.

White's centre group has one liberty more than Black's large group in the upper right.

Consequences:

  • Black will be unable to give atari at White's centre group.
  • White will capture the hanezeki's tail with at an appropriate moment, and win the Punishment Semeai thereafter.

White will win the game by a large margin.

2029

Copyright © 2022 Thomas Redecker.

Design by Jan van Rongen, modified by Thomas Redecker.

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