:: Igo Hatsuyôron 120 (2026)

News From the Main Semeai World

White's Options In Her Upper Right Corner

After the Hanezeki Exchange




VAR   (cont.)

: ( 2700)
After the Crosscut Sequence ( / ), the Nakade Sequence ( / ), and the reduction of Black's upper left corner after Yamada Shinji's Tsuke ( / ), White continues with the Hasami-Tsuke in the lower left corner, as usual.

: (A 2730)
In between, White gives the usual Atari in the upper right corner. We habe reached a CHITOOM to the "usual" Main Semeai.


White will win the game by 2 points (Capture Variation, Komi = 1).


White may also continue in the lower left corner at , without inserting this Kikashi in between.




VAR

: ( 2730)
White continues with the reduction of Black's lower left corner.

:
White connects her single stone in the top right centre.

:
Black extends to in the upper right corner (taking the point that White had refused), threatening to cut at .

:
White throws-in at , preventing a Black connection at this point.

:
Black connects his stone in Atari.

Alternatively, he might also capture White's just played stone with a move at , which will result in a CHITOOM.

:
As a matter of course, White connects.

:
Black continues with the Double-Atari below the Nakade.

:
White will not connect at here, so she captures the Nakade instead.

:
White continues with the mutual occupation of opponent's liberties in the Main Semeai.

:
Black captures White's two single stones.

:
White connects her single stone at the upper edge.

:
The Main Semeai continues as usual.

:
White gives Atari at Black's two stones in the upper right corner.

:
Black has to capture.

: (A 2730)
Here, Black does not connect his three stones that are in Atari.

Alternatively doing so will not change the final outcome of the game.

:
Finally, White captures Black's three stones at the upper edge.

:
White's well-known Kikashi in the left centre.

:
White cuts.

:
Black starts a Ko that he cannot win.

He could simply let White connect the Ko, instead.

:
White connects the Ko.

:
White chooses the Capture Variation.
Black's large group at the right has "only" nine liberties (), which is one too few to win the Capture Variation.

At the end of the game, Black will have to connect at .


White wins the game by 2 points (Komi = 1).




VAR

: ( 2730)
Black connects his three stones that were in Atari.

:
White's well-known Kikashi in the left centre.

:
White cuts.

:
Here, Black does not fight the Ko in the left centre (which he couldn't win anyway), but continues with occupying White's liberties instead.

:
White captures Black's four stones in the Nakade.

:
White chooses the Semeai Variation.

Black's large group at the right has "only" eight liberties (, ), which is one too few to win the Semeai Variation.

At the end of the game, Black will have to connect at .


White wins the game by 2 points (Komi = 1).

Copyright © 2026 Thomas Redecker.

Design by Jan van Rongen, modified by Thomas Redecker.

L e g a l   n o t i c e