Cutting stones
Difficulty: Beginner
Keywords: Tactics, Strategy, Go term
A group of stones that divides the enemy forces into two or more groups. May initially consist of a single stone at a cutting point.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/50/16788283247f0e9d4bd1404792bc5179.png) | Cutting stone |
Here the stone is a cutting stone.
Black shouldn't sacrifice it, because if it lives the white group above it will be weak, and the white group on the side a little weak.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/44/51abf3852753c82fd9e8e2aafc240477.png) | Pulling out the cutting stone |
here is a good way to save the cutting stone from capture.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/40/49eb150bcb25fa7b6674fc2894a842a6.png) | Black's cutting group out into the centre |
If the game goes this way breaks the possible ladder (White at ).
The result is clearly advantageous to Black. The two stones have become very weak and it would be very troublesome to save them. But they are themselves cutting stones: if Black captures them, the initial cutting stone connects to the corner.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/2/c0dddb5d1159eb068123fd2b57553d62.png) | Fight in the other direction |
Therefore White should take better care of the upper stones.
This development is fine for Black, though.
In general, cutting stones shouldn't be sacrificed if they keep separated groups of the opponent which are even a little weak (they are key stones).
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/41/21b167e769cb569f3e3634aa6043c808.png) | Non-cutting stones |
If however stones are non-cutting, like these two stones, saving them may have no strategic meaning and can be pointless.
Charles Matthews
This is a copy of the living page
"Cutting stones" at
Sensei's Library.
2004 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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