Beginner Exercise 33 / Solution

Sub-page of BeginnerExercise33
[Diagram]

Solution

There is already an eye in the corner, but Black needs to create a second eye. The only way to make the second eye and to save the black group is to set up the ko at B1.

Hawkeye - Could you show the continuation of the ko solution? I am a beginner and although I thought I understood the ko I still don't follow how a white play at D18 doesn't eventually take the black group. Are we to assume black can create something urgent elsewhere on the board?

unkx80: Yes and no. The point is, this is a local situation, we do not know how many of these "urgent points", known as ko threats exist on other parts of the board, and which player owns them. Please see ko threats - basic for more discussion on this matter.

Hawkeye - Understood. Thanks!

Toey: I still cannot understand how black can make the second eye after white took black at E18. I cannot see how white cannot win the ko, and, thus, successfully kills black. Or does black at D19 allow himself a chance to survive?

Andre Engels: After white takes, black plays a ko threat somewhere. If white has to answer, black retakes. Now either white has to make a ko threat that black answers, or black has the chance to connect at D18, causing him to live.

[Diagram]

Black connects to live

Black is not certain to live, it depends on the number and size of ko threats. But at least he has a chance to live.

zinger: Just to be thorough: in a real game, black would end the ko by capturing at a instead of playing B1. After this, white cannot pervent black from playing B1 later to make two complete eyes.

[Diagram]

Failure

B1 connects, but W2 destroys the eye instead. Now Black is dead.



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(OC) 2005 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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