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Vital point
    Keywords: Life & Death, Tactics, Go term

The vital point (Japanese 急所, kyuusho) of a group is the point where you want to play in order to assure life for that group. The word "vital" has Latin roots meaning "life".

There are also vital points for making shape, for connecting, sabaki, etc. Often the vital point for one player is a vital point for the other, as well.

Example 1

[Diagram]
Vital point

The vital point of this white group is a. You can explore nakade to find out more about vital points.



[Diagram]
Vital shape point

Bob Myers: I've never seen an eye-making move like the one above referred to as vital point. The classic example of vital point that I am aware of is a in this shape example . Vital point is used, of course, in life-and-death, but to indicate a point that is key to the rest of the solution.



Example 2

[Diagram]
Vital point for shape

W6 is a vital point for shape.

From Jowa, Powerful Fighter (Gohwan Jowa) by Takagi Shoichi, p. 60.



SnotNose: I've seen the term "vital point" used to refer to a point on the board that has nothing to do with life and death but has high strategic importance. I wonder if this is a mistranslation or another meaning. The term "key strategic point" would be synonomous with the sense I'm talking about. It is using another definition of "vital", namely "important" rather than "life giving." I can't provide any examples right now but I know there is at least one reference in TournamentGo1992 and I think I've seen this usage elsewhere too.

Bill: Vital point is by no means restricted to life and death. John Power would not mistranslate the term. Would you post the example? Thanks. :-)

SnotNose: Below are examples from TournamentGo1992, page 152 (left column) and page 154 (right column). They are taken from the game record and commentary from the game Otake Hideo (White) vs Kobayashi Koichi (Black), 30 September and 1 October 1992, the third game of the 17th Meijin Title. [1]

[Diagram]
From TournamentGo1992, Dia. 3, p. 152

Takemiya is quoted as saying "White should play...at W1 in Dia. 3. After B2, he can take up position with W3. I think that the latter is the vital point of the whole board." (Italics mine--Snot.)


[Diagram]
From TournamentGo1992, Fig. 4, p. 154

Takemiya is quoted as saying "Black 61 (BC). As mentioned above, this is the vital point, the key point of the whole board." (Italics mine--Snot.)



SnotNose: Since neither BC in the previous diagram nor W3 of the one above that have to do immediately with the life and death of any stones, I think vital point is used here as key point. In fact, this latter term is used in the second quote above. Moreover, BC and W3 are not at the exact same point. Yet, Takemiya clearly refers to both of them as the same (strategically, I think). Note the use of "as mentioned above" in the second quote, which is a reference to the first quote. Thus, vital point here isn't even a point, but an area. I think key strategic area would be the right idea, though, perhaps, not the right words.

Bill: Very interesting. Thanks. :-)

John F. I suspect the original Japanese was something like tennouzan here.

Bill: Oh, dear! How disappointing, if so. OTOH, I can see how John Power would shy away from Focal Point.

MrKoala: Actually, the japanese characters mean urgent and location. I think that he meant the most urgent location or point not in terms of space, but rather in terms of ideas. Black playing first in this (spatial) area preventing white from playing first there, and the other way round, was exactly the point of dispute, and the most urgent. I think this way because Japanese tend to use the same words for talking about space, time and ideas.


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[1] I hope I am permitted to post this material for the purposes of illustrating the use of the term "vital point." If not, I hope, at least, it can stay up long enough for Bill to see. If it must go, I can replace it with an example that is made up.

Bill: I think that this falls under the Fair Use doctrine of copyright, and have been freely posting such examples.



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