:: Igo Hatsuyôron 120 (2022)

New Story Line 2022

Prof. Jeong SooHyun's Advice

to Start the Endgame Early

VAR

: ( 2043)
Black resists with the atari from the outside.

We inserted this move manually.

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White gives counter-atari.

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It is best for Black to capture White's pivotal stone immediately.

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White's atari starts the rescue of her stones in Black's corner.

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KataGo inserts Black's kikashi in the hanezeki, ...

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... before defending his upper left corner.

Black does not really want to throw-in at (aiming at reducing White's eye-space at the top), so the order of and does not matter here.

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White connects her five stones.

Please note that this move does not lose a tempo in the Main Semeai, as it creates an approach-move liberty for her left hand group.

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Black solidifies his formation in the lower left corner through this atari.

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White captures the nakade.

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The endgame in the lower left corner starts with the "usual" hasami-tsuke.

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White's push at the left edge destroys two points of Black's territory, without losing any Main Semeai Liberty.

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Black must play a protective move.

White threatened to throw-in at , aiming at capturing Black's four stones to the right (with , , , ).

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Black plays Jérôme Hubert's Solid Connection here, as there are no other valuable moves left on the board.

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KataGo's Wedge in the left centre.

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KataGo's Bad-Shape Move in the left centre.

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Black answers immediately with KataGo's Solid Connection.

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The Main Semeai continues.

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Black must add a protective move in his upper left corner.

Otherwise, he would be unable to approach White's left-hand group with and from above, due to .

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Black must not play any reduction.

After her decision point, White will play the hane of at the upper edge. Black will have to connect at before the end of the game.

White could also do so after the borders of her territory in the upper right have been settled. She would lose one tempo in the Main Semeai by this hane, Black Black would not have any point on the board available for compensation (in the Capture Variation).

Capture Variation:

Compared to the superordinate variation, ...

  • White's cumulated gain in the upper left corner is three points.
  • Black's cumulated gain at the top is four points.
  • White's cumulated gain in the left centre is one point.
  • White destroyed three points of Black's territory in the lower left corner.

In total, Black lost three points.

Black + 2 => White + 1

Semeai Variation:

Compared to the superordinate variation, ...

  • White's cumulated gain in the upper left corner is two points.
  • Black's cumulated gain at the top is four points.
  • Black captured two White stones more in the upper left, so gaining two points.
  • White destroyed three points of Black's territory in the lower left corner.

In total, Black gained one point.

Jigo => Black + 1

2043

Copyright © 2022 Thomas Redecker.

Design by Jan van Rongen, modified by Thomas Redecker.

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