[Welcome to Sensei's Library!]

StartingPoints
ReferenceSection
About


Aliases (info)
BasicTechnique

Paths
GoProverbs
ElementaryMoves1
DiagonalAttachmen...
StonesWalkingPath

Referenced by
AnswersToTheHaneD...
Tactics
Technique
33PointShoulderHit
StaircaseStatistics
DocumentModeVsThr...
CrossCutThenExten...
WhatActionsTheSto...
BlockingOff
BQM74
JosekiAsASourceOf...
BermudaTriangle
SixKyuNoseki
VernalEquinoxReng...
PagesForBeginners
RatingMappingsAnd...
AdvancedTechnique
BQM31
SplitShape
ExamplesOfTechnique

Homepages
CharlesMatthews
Mat

 

Basic Instinct
Path: DiagonalAttachmentPath   · Prev: 44PointLowApproachDiagonalContactThenPincer   · Next: JosekiAsASourceOfBadHabits
Path: StonesWalkingPath   · Prev: RunningFight   · Next: Magari

    Keywords: MiddleGame

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]
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]
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 cross-cut

See RespondToAttachmentWithHane


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

[Diagram]
head of two stones -> hane

See Hane At The Head Of Two.



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]
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, the one-point jump (to a) is an option.

Basic Instinct [5]: Block the angle play

[Diagram]
Diagonal block

W1 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]
Diagonal block (ii)

[Diagram]
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]
Peep -> connect


Reasons

  • Connection

Exceptions

  • Specific tactical reasons

See also Even A Moron Connects Against A Peep


Basic Instinct [7]: Block the thrust

[Diagram]
thrust -> block



Hikaru79: This seems to me to be the most controversial one... The two dangerous cutting points left by this B2 can be very severe, and yet this was the only Basic Instinct that did not have an explanation. In what cases is B2 a good move?

Niklaus: This position only occurs if for some reason (for example ignoring a ko threat) basic instinct 6 is not followed. However, B2 is without any doubt the best move in this situation. Any other move, for example the diagram below, results in a much more severe cut! At least the cut in the original diagram is dependant on the surrounding situation, such as the ladder working or not.

[Diagram]
much worse

[Diagram]
The cut



Hikaru79: Yes, I agree with most of what you are saying, but that's because this example is given in complete isolation of the rest of the board. I think often I would rather play the "much worse diagram" and at least choose which side I'm throwing away rather than let my opponent choose for me... or maybe that's the coward in me talking ;)[9]


Basic Instinct [8]: Stretch from a bump

[Diagram]
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

[9]

TJ: Basic instinct is what should go through your mind first...I think all examples are just "minimalist". At a thrust, you should think about blocking first, because it's usually correct. Imagine the black stones extended just a bit, even, say one stone on either side, with a one point gap between...if white thrusts in, black usually wants to block to avoid a nail being driven through his wall. The minimalism of this page is good for seeing basic shapes to trigger a basic instinctual thought, I think, so I don't propose making another diagram, though.

Re-reading Kageyama. He has a similar example, and this page came back to my mind. He says to block the thrust, period. You end up better after the cut. Maybe there are times when you shouldn't, but as one of his fundamentals, apparently don't over-think it and use, yes...your Basic Instinct. Someone should do a WikiMasterEdit, methinks, if we're done.:)

Charles Blocking is played 75% of the time, when I checked. Good enough: it's rarely going to be such a bad play.

[Diagram]
Thrust -> dodge

An answer like B2 here is the other kind of play to consider (if one answers locally).



One can't call that good shape in an unqualified way: see the related split shape.

Fhayashi: I think what it boils down to is that as long as you block, both black and white end up at least temporarily separated. If you don't block, white is connected and black is not.


Authors:



Path: DiagonalAttachmentPath   · Prev: 44PointLowApproachDiagonalContactThenPincer   · Next: JosekiAsASourceOfBadHabits
Path: StonesWalkingPath   · Prev: RunningFight   · Next: Magari

This is a copy of the living page "Basic Instinct" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2004 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.