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Endgame Clamp
    Keywords: EndGame

The Endgame Clamp


[Diagram]
Diag.: Black to play.

How should black play for the greatest endgame profit? Is it the monkey jump, or what?


[Diagram]
Diag.: Using the monkey jump.

We shall try the monkey jump... looks fairly good, isn't it?

For details, please go to the monkey jump page.


[Diagram]
Diag.: Using the endgame clamp.

Now we shall see the endgame clamp at 1.


[Diagram]
Diag.: Using the endgame clamp.

White responds with 2, and the result up to 8. Which is better?

Comparing the monkey jump and the endgame clamp diagrams:

  • In the monkey jump diagram, white has one extra point of terriroty at 'a'.
  • In the endgame clamp diagram, black white has one extra point of terriroty at 'b'.

So, we conclude that the endgame clamp is two points better than the monkey jump for black.

--unkx80




[Diagram]
Diag.: Variation

How about White 4 ? DieterVerhofstadt


[Diagram]
Diag.: Continuation

One point better for Black, but White has sente. But of course, if Black leaves 7-8-9 unplayed, then he can come back to take two points in gote later.


[Diagram]
Diag.: Counting value

unkx80: I shall count the value of the sequence up to white 6, assuming that the territories are defined by the marked stones.

Comparing it with the endgame clamp diagram, white has one extra point of territory but black has captured one more stone than white.

The value of white 4 in this variation is the same as the one shown in the endgame clamp diagram. :)

BillSpight: Indeed that is so. :-) It might be interesting to compare it with the solid connection in a DifferenceGame: ClampConnectionComparison.



[Diagram]
Diag.: Overdoing it.

It's interesting to note that this black 1, which seems more severe, is one point worse off, and looses sente!


[Diagram]
Diag.: Same result.

Black pushing at 4 instead of at 3 is one more point worse off (If I've read correctly).

--MortenPahle

DieterVerhofstadt writes: Morten, this is called sinchronicity. I was about to make exactly the same comment !


[Diagram]
Diag.: Another way ?

Either Black has sente or there is an extra reduction at A, resulting in a large ko for both or another loss for white.


[Diagram]
Diag.: But

But White sacrifices a stone. Again: same result, one point worse off and losing sente.

DieterVerhofstadt

The sad thing is that I would play this (and similar non-optimal moves) if this were a real-game situation.... The temptation to play something which looks bigger to begin with , although I have a nagging feeling from having seen it in a book or in a game that it is inferior.... is often too big :o(( --MortenPahle


BillSpight: Looks can be deceiving. The clamp is gote.

(unkx80: You are not wrong, but you have to take into account the actual situation. Most Chinese Go books written by professional players say that the clamp is sente.)

(Bill: Most Japanese go books do, too. ;-))


[Diagram]
Diag.: Gote

W 2 protects the corner. That reduces the local temperature. White should view the marked stones lightly. Later B 5 is sente. Later the following is Black's sente.


[Diagram]
Diag.: Sente

B 1 is tesuji. If Black starts with B 3, he loses sente.




This is a copy of the living page "Endgame Clamp" at Sensei's Library.
(C) the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.