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Snapback
Path: Tesuji   · Prev: CraneSNestTesuji   · Next: Shicho
Path: Mistake   · Prev: Slow   · Next: Soft

  Difficulty: Beginner   Keywords: Tactics, Go term

A snapback (Japanese: utte-gaeshi or utte-gae) is a play which captures enemy stones using one or more sacrifice stones.

Example with one stone

[Diagram]
Diag.: A snapback

White 1 in the diagram captures the marked black stones in a snapback.


[Diagram]
Diag.: If Black captures

This means that Black can capture the white stone just played with 2, but it puts the group into atari. Thus White can capture the stones by playing at a next.

So, White 1 above effectively captures the two black stones in a snapback although White 1 itself can be captured.

Black should not play 2, but it can be used as ko threat.



Example with two stones

[Diagram]
Diag.:

It is possible to set up a snapback of two stones, like in this diagram. :) --unkx80



Example from joseki

Threatening to capture stones in a snapback is an effective tesuji, as in this joseki:

[Diagram]
Diag.: A common joseki

This diagram shows the result of a common joseki (for the 4473 enclosure) where White invaded at the 3-3 point under Black's 4-4 point. Usually this joseki ends with Black playing where White's marked stone is. But if taking sente has priority it is not uncommon to omit this move.

So in this diagram White played at this point. If Black now plays around a or extends along the upper side Black is in for a nasty surprise: White plays 1. This threatens a snapback at 2 and is tesuji. In order to avoid losing stones to capture, Black plays 2. But White follows with 3 and captures the whole group. There is no way out for Black (Black b is answered by White c).

-- Arno Hollosi



Hail hail to the snapback

The snapback is one of the first tesujis aspiring Go players learn and employ with satisfaction.

(Arno Hollosi)

A snapback could be seen as a basic kind of under the stones play. -- Doug Ridgway?


See also Snapback Workshop.



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Path: Mistake   · Prev: Slow   · Next: Soft

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