New Story Line 2022
Joachim's Capture of White's Left Side
We will present Joachim Meinhardt's alternative move suggestions, which basically capture all of White's stones at the left side of the board, but leave Black's upper left corner vulnerable to attack, due to the unfinished Crosscut Sequence in the left centre. We will also address a topic here that should comfort many amateurs: Even professional tsume-go specialists do not always succeed in having all the specific mechanisms of the problem consistently at hand. KataGo - as usual - has some sharper moves on offer, but in principle fully confirms the validity of Joachim's considerations for handling the semeai in the upper left corner, which, despite all their efforts, ultimately end in Black's defeat. | |
Let's go back in time and enter the world of amateurs ... | |
: ( 2022MainLine) Please note that White's group in the upper right must seek independent life, as capturing the hanezeki's tail with in the case of emergency will not lead to success overall. Please also note that the forthcoming fight for life and death may not be limited to the upper left corner, but could spread to the upper side of the board and eventually result in a semeai between White's centre group and Black's large group in the upper right. | |
: : : : (A 2035) As you will see further below ( 2035), KataGo's favoured sequence basically follows Joachim's elaboration (which is why this is not shown again in detail here). Black might consider blocking at , instead, but which will not benefit him either. | |
So let's take a detour to China first ... | |
: However, we found that his corresponding sequences were erroneous, which is understandable considering that solutions to 203 other problems still had to be addressed for the new edition of his 1988 book. Further details of our analysis at that time can be found at ... | |
, , : | |
: (A 2035) ( 2035) Cheng also showed a few variations after KataGo's favourite in his 2010 book. | |
: : ; : In each case, KataGo favours here, resulting in a change in the order of moves with the correct continuation. : ( A 2035a) Again, KataGo favours , resulting in a change in the order of moves with the correct continuation. Playing the hane at the left edge first would also result in a change in the order of moves. | |
: Capturing White's just played stone with will not help either. : For another time, KataGo favours , resulting in a change in the order of moves with the correct continuation. | |
: : : ( A 2035b) KataGo favours , instead, resulting in a ko-fight that Black will be unable to win. | |
: | |
: : ( A 2035c) As Joachim discovered, Black must play at , instead, taking White's cut-off group a decisive liberty. | |
: : | |
: : He is unable to connect at , instead, as White would continue with giving atari at , killing the entire corner. : Please note that Black cannot hope on a semeai between his large group in the upper right and White's centre group. | |
All of Black's groups in the centre and the right half of the board are dead, so this would be a great success for White. Please note that White willnot capture the hanezeki's tail with a move at . White will win the game by a large margin. | |
And now let's find out what KataGo thinks about this matter ... | |
Referenced by ( 2035)
: ( 2035) | |
: White pushes into Black's formation at the top, aiming at creating cutting points. : : : : ; : | |
: : : Alternatively, she might consider immediately occupying a liberty of these stones with a move at . : White's group in the upper left is independently alive, so Black now sets his hopes on a semeai with White's centre group, aiming at forcing her to capture the hanezeki's tail with a move at . This starts a variation of Joachim's Ko-Semeai, in principle. For further details, please refer to section "Joachim's Hiki at the Upper Edge (Joachim's Ko-Semeai #1)" ( 2034) : | |
: : : | |
: Joachim answered Black's previous push by immediately blocking at , and destroyed Black's shape at the top with a move at later. | |
: : : | |
: Not playing to before (as Joachim used to do), creating another ko-shape at the right edge, does not make a difference. : : | |
: The outcome of the semeai in the right half of the board is yet decided. | |
: White will win the game by a large margin. | |