Beginner Exercise 25 / Solution

Ah! My eye! I can't see!  

hits the vital point and kills the group by making miai of the kill at a or b.

Only one eye  

If , prevents a second eye.

Throw-in  

If captures, still holds White to one eye.

It would do White no good to capture , even as a ko threat, because the resulting eye would be a false eye.

Bent four - but with the two vital points occupied  

And if White blocks the other direction, she still dies after .

Black must answer  

Alternative white response that needs to be answered.

Question: I followed this line pretty easily, but I am having a hard time following past this point. If White plays , what must Black answer with? And why?

Answer: To clarify, if the answers below weren't clear enough: If Black doesn't answer, White can live by playing at instead. Black cannot play at b in this case since it would be suicide, which allows White to make a second eye.

Jacob4Jesus: I believe that a is a better choice than because it provides a stronger external shape for B. and b then (as above) become miai for death.

JoelR: Any of , a, or b will kill, but is best because it gives White no ko threats. Black b allows as a threat which must be answered at b again, and a allows two threats. Black is strong enough outside; I cannot see a way an approach move could threaten to rescue the group and also have some outside effect.