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Basic Instinct
Path: StonesWalkingPath   · Prev: RunningFight   · Next: Magari
    Keywords: Shape, Tactics

Go is a game of tactics and strategy. There are, however some basic techniques that in itself require no reading or positional judgment, but which make a fundamental part of good play.

We will list these techniques here, and call them basic instincts. Below, we will elaborate them further or refer to other pages where they are elaborated.

  1. Basic instinct [1]: atari --> stretch
  2. Basic instinct [2]: contact play --> hane
  3. Basic instinct [3]: hane at the head of two
  4. Basic instinct [4]: diagonal attachment --> stretch
  5. Basic instinct [5]: angle play --> block
  6. Basic instinct [6]: peep --> connect
  7. Basic instinct [7]: thrust --> block
  8. Basic instinct [8]: bump --> stretch

How to use your Basic Instinct

In all cases, the suggested move is the first move one should think of. They are natural moves. If this move seems to bring no bad result, then it is highly probable that this is the best move. Of course, there are always exceptions, but one should not consider other options first! Only if investigation of the Basic Instinct shows a bad result, then other possibilities can be explored.

Advantages

The advantage of knowing the Basic Instinct is twofold:

  • You increase the probability of finding the best move
  • You reduce time and mental effort in finding it

Basic Instinct [1]: If in atari, extend

[Diagram]
Diag.: Atari -> Extend

"Of course I extend when given atari!" Well, if you're going to extend, you shouldn't have considered other possibilities.



Reasons:

  • Increasing liberties.
  • The stone is important: giving it up gives White a ponnuki or worse, influencing the whole area.

Exceptions:

  • The stone is caught in a ladder or a net. Extending only increases the loss or destroys aji. Basically: when increasing liberties is not possible.
  • The stone is not important enough to save: it represents merely two points.

Basic Instinct [2]: Answer the tsuke with a hane

[Diagram]
Diag.: Tsuke -> hane

Tsuke means stone played next to an opponent stone, while disconnected from any friendly stone. The hane blocks it, bending around it.



Reasons:

  • Decreases liberties of opponent stone
  • Blocks development of opponent stone into that direction

Exceptions:

  • When the cutting point left by the hane is cumbersome
  • When the opponent is seeking sabaki and aims for a counter hane or a crosscut

See RespondToAttachmentWithHane


Basic Instinct [3]: At the head of two stones, hane

[Diagram]
Diag.: 2 à 2 -> hane

See HaneAtTheHeadOfTwo.



Reasons:

  • Getting ahead
  • Pressing down
  • Creating a weakness

Exceptions:

  • When the cut is a serious threat.

Basic Instinct [4]: Stretch from a kosumi-tsuke

[Diagram]
Diag.: kosumi-tsuke -> stretch


Reasons

  • Increasing liberties
  • Denying a powerful hane, which would block with a tiger shape.

Exceptions

  • When it is the opponent's intention to make you heavy, and you need sabaki. In that case, ikken-tobi is an option.

Basic Instinct [5]: Block the angle play

[Diagram]
Diag.: Diagonal block

White 1 strengthens White's stone and weakens Black's. It also blocks Black's approach to the area below. The next diagrams show related positions.


[Diagram]
Diag.: Diagonal block (ii)

[Diagram]
Diag.: Diagonal block (iii)

Sometimes it is better to push and cut (White a - Black b, White c).



Basic Instinct [6]: Connect against a peep

[Diagram]
Diag.: nozoki -> connect


Reasons

  • Connection

Exceptions

  • Specific tactical reasons

See also EvenAMoronConnectsAgainstAPeep


Basic Instinct [7]: Block the thrust

[Diagram]
Diag.: thrust -> block


Basic Instinct [8]: Stretch from a bump

[Diagram]
Diag.: bump --> stretch


Reasons

  • Attachments are usually answered with a hane [2], but here the attachment is strengthened by the marked stone. If Black hanes instead, White cuts and is the first to extend from a crosscut.

Exceptions

  • Specific tactical reasons

Authors:



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This is a copy of the living page "Basic Instinct" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2003 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.