:: Igo Hatsuyôron 120 (2026)

News From the Main Semeai World

Early Reduction of White's Upper Right Corner

During the Hanezeki Sequence




VAR   (cont.)

: ( 2720)
After the wandering of the Hanezeki's Tail through the centre of the board ( / ), the Crosscut Sequence ( / ), and the first move of the Nakade Sequence (, Black pushes into White's upper right corner.

:
White connects her four stones to the left.

:
Black plays Joachim's Hiki at the upper edge, securing his territory in the upper left corner, as well as endangering the life of White's centre group.

: (A 2710)
White defends her centre group.

Alternatively, she can secure the life of her large group at the left edge with a move at (), but will not succeed either.

:
After some Kikashi in the Nakade and in the Hanezeki, Black plays the Guzumi.

:
White resists by preventing her left-hand group from becoming captured.

If she completed the Guzumi Exchange with a move at , instead, so returning to the Main Semeai, she would lose the game outright, due to Black's now larger upper left corner.

:
Black secures two eyes for his large group at the right.

:
White starts a fight in the lower left corner.

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Finally, there is a Ko.

White will win this Ko, due to her Ko-treats in the Hanezeki, starting with . However, ...


Black will win the game by about 20 points.




VAR

: ( 2710)
White prevents that her large group at the left edge becomes captured.

:
Black makes an eye in the centre, also preparing for an attack at White's centre group.

:
White stops Black's large group at the right from getting life easily.

:
Black's throw-in reduces the liberties of White's centre group decisively.

:
Black continues with reducing White's group to also only one eye.

:
Thereafter, it starts the mutual occupation of opponent's liberties.

:
If White captures the Hanezeki's Tail with , instead, she will bring her centre group to life, but still lose the game by a large margin, due to Black's now larger upper left corner, and the cancelled repeated capture of Black's Nakade stones.

:
Black connects the Hanezeki's Tail.

:
If White threw-in at , Black would capture her centre group outright.

:
Black secures two eyes for his Tail group, and thus also seals the fate of White's groups in the Hanezeki and in the centre.

:
It does not make sense to fight the Ko at the upper edge.

:
Black connects the Ko for a giant Seki in the centre, but which is temporarily only.

:
White brings her left-hand group to life, but ...


Black will win the game by a very large margin.

Copyright © 2026 Thomas Redecker.

Design by Jan van Rongen, modified by Thomas Redecker.

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