Beginner Exercise 20 / Solution

Easy?  

splice: White plays on the vital point. Possible continuations:

Black captures  

Black captures the two white stones and White throws in...

Black captures  

Black is reduced to one eye.

Shortage of liberties  

Anonymous: It should also be mentioned that , which would normally secure the second eye, does not work in this case, because of shortage of liberties. captures!

TimH (18k): Huh? Why do you say "would normally secure the second eye"?

extra liberty  

Answer to TimH: Lets give Black an extra liberty. must be played at the outside liberty. captures the two white stones. With the throw in is no longer a problem.

Black connects  

Second variation, Black connects and White can almost fill the eyespace with three in a row. Black is dead.

another solution?  

Why doesn't this work?

Tas: because that allows black to create a straight four, which is alive.

Life  

And then Black plays on the other vital point. This is a miai for life, where black can play at either 3 or 4 if white plays at the other one.