Six die but eight live

Paths: <= Go Proverbs => · <= Life and Death =>

Difficulty: Beginner Keywords: Life & Death, Proverb

Table of contents
Eight live

Seven are unsettled

Six die

Surrounding conditions

See also

This concise proverb means: Six stones in a row on the second line die, but eight stones in a row live. Seven stones in a row depend on sente. ^[1]

This applies to the life of any group which has no eyes but a solid row of connected stones on the second line. As long as the group is firmly enclosed on the second line, the number of external liberties is irrelevant.

[edit]

Eight live

Here are eight white stones, firmly enclosed on the second line. They are alive.

Even if Black has sente, White will end up with a straight-four eyespace, which is alive. The two marked points are miai.

[edit]

Seven are unsettled

With seven stones and sente, White also ends up with a straight-four eye space, which is alive. The two marked points are miai.

With seven stones and gote, White ends up with a straight-three big eye. After 5, White is dead.

[edit]

Six die

With six stones, even with sente, White ends up with a straight-three eye space. After 4, White is dead.

[edit]

Surrounding conditions

[1] It is assumed no surrounding conditions affect this local truth:

Six stones can live under a condition

If there is a white stone at one of the points a, White can threaten to connect by descending to b and make a living shape next. Therefore, depending on the surrounding position, the points a and b serve as useful aji for White.

Demonstration

If Black ignores the threat, White escapes.

The following exercises include such, slightly varying, conditions.

Six die exercises

[edit]