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34PointHighApproa...

 

Ladder strategy
  Difficulty: Intermediate   Keywords: Joseki, Tactics, Strategy

Moved here from Messages to people currently present in the Library.

Kritz

This may be a very elementary question, but is there a reference to a standard "set" of moves to set up an opponent into a ladder. For example, how to approach a single stone to do it.

Another problem, when approaching the 4-4 point before, I would be concerned about which side of the board I would like to stake out as my own. Now I see I need to think about which side of the 4-4 to play, and whether it is low or high to determine which way I approach the opposing 4-4 corner. Wow - smack on the side of the head - This is Fun. Maybe I need to play in the center so I don't need to worry about this!

Charles As for ladder strategy, that to some extent still seems to be a 'trade secret': no one really writes it up.

[Diagram]
Ideal double approach: 4-4 point, double high approach

One idea that recurs is this: WS+WC is the most severe of all the double approach to 4-4 combinations. Therefore White would often choose one of those plays as ladder breaker in this corner.



This you can see in games of Go Seigen, Cho Hun-hyeon, Cho Chikun, amongst other greats.

kritz thanks Charles - your trade secret comment makes me think I asked the right question. Looks like it is time for me to review some games!

kritz It looks like the pages attach-crosscut or atari-cross-cut? or cross-cut then extend page describe the basic set of moves. charles Are these what you were referencing as the "trade secrets"?

Charles Not really: there are a number of such standard shapes, but I was thinking about the strategies for exploiting a ladder when it's there.


Charles An instructive example from the recent opening game of the 28th Meijin match. Black was Yoda Norimoto, White Yamashita Keigo.

[Diagram]
Moves 39 to 48

White initiated the taisha in the lower left: that implies a number of ladder questions. The connection B1 assumes a good ladder. The key point here is that BC not only makes a ladder for Black, it is hard for White to play a good ladder breaker against it.



That explains B7. Normally Black simply captures at a.

Presumably White felt it was too passive to play W8 to capture the BS cutting stone.

[Diagram]
Moves 49 to 58

Black fights confidently on the left side.



[Diagram]
Moves 59 to 68

Black manages to capture WC as part of the fighting: quite a gain in efficiency.



See also /Discussion.



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