One Thousand and One Life-and-Death Problems / Problem 593 discussion

Page 148, problem 593, solution diagram

[Diagram]
1  

If black plays at 1, there is no way that white can kill him.


[Diagram]
2  

Erratum: White can make a seki, by playing W2 and W4.

AlexanderYoshi: So this...? Seki equals life.

Skelley: Of course, Black is still alive. But without points; i.e. it is not the best way to play for White.

Grauniad: Do you mean it's not the best way to play for Black? But how can Black do better?

unkx80: No way Black can do better. But in life and death problems, the unspoken assumption is that seki equates to life. Also, the problem author may want to show what he thinks is the not so obvious variation.


Bill: How should White play after B1? It's an interesting question.

[Diagram]
Small life  
[Diagram]
Seki  

White can hold Black to 3 points in sente, or make seki with gote. Which is better?

To answer that question we have to know what happens when Black plays first.

[Diagram]
Larger life  

W2 tenuki.

If Black lives with B3 he gets 6 points.



So White's sente in the first diagram is worth 3 points. And White's gote in the second diagram is also worth 3 points (miai). This is an ambiguous position. White has a choice between sente or gote, depending upon the circumstances. Either play could be correct.


One Thousand and One Life-and-Death Problems / Problem 593 discussion last edited by PJTraill on February 10, 2019 - 18:10
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