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Hanami Ko
Path: SecondCourseOnKo · Prev: TakingSenteInAKo · Next: SenteKo
Keywords: Ko
Japanese: 花見劫 Following on from lopsided kos:- I've always seen this translated as a 'flower-viewing Ko', but I am not sure how literal that is. Anyway, the gist is that it is a ko where one of the sides stands to lose a lot, whereas the other stands to lose very little. For the side which has nothing to lose, it is the best type of ko possible, because anything he gains from it will be to his benefit and he doesn't have the risk of losing anything.
An example of a hanami ko is given on GTL review 1558 cut and fight ko. For other examples see Throw-in ko and Yose from Games 5 / Solution. See also Sente Ko. 'Flower-viewing ko' is a reference to the Japanese tradition of having a picnic under the cherry trees in spring when they first come into blossom. This is called the 'flower-viewing festival' (can someone supply the Japanese?). So when you can start a hanami-ko that is in your favour, you are happy, you have no worries, the sun is shining. That sort of thing. --TimHunt
Jasonred : I was fine with this up til a while ago, when I suddenly remembered that Go is a zero sum game! How can there be such a thing as a picnic ko? There's no such thing as nothing to lose, since forcing your opponent to lose 10 points is the same as winning those 10 points yourself!
Bill: Jason, you are right. Hanami kos arise when a player ignores a play that threatens to make the ko. Another way they arise is from a mistake. BobMcGuigan: While it is true that both players would lose something by losing the ko, the term hanami ko usually refers to a ko where one side loses very little and a great deal is at risk for the other. For example, a ko where one side would lose one point while for the other the life of a group is at stake. In those cases the side for whom the ko is very heavy will have to ignore a ko threat larger than what the other side would lose by losing the ko. Thus, the side for whom the ko is light is almost guaranteed to come out ahead. On the other hand, it sometimes happens that the side for whom the ko is heavy can find enough big ko threats to win the ko. In that case it probably would not be called a hanami ko. Path: SecondCourseOnKo · Prev: TakingSenteInAKo · Next: SenteKo This is a copy of the living page "Hanami Ko" at Sensei's Library. ![]() |