Kyuuba

    Keywords: Go term

急場 

From the Japanese, an urgent point or area in the opening, as distinct from an Ooba, a so-called "big" opening point or area. Not to be confused with Kyuusho, the vital point of a shape.

We say "point or area" because in most cases it is not a specific point which is either urgent or big, but rather a group of points in the same vicinity. For instance, kyuuba could refer to an area where either a knight's move slide or a diagonal move was urgent, just as an Ooba could be any of a group of extensions one point higher or lower or narrower or wider.

The proverb holds that urgent points should be played before so-called "big" points. See Kyuuba before Ooba. Ooba, which are normally corner enclosures or extensions along the sides, tend to be points or areas which the players can occupy in turn, somewhat leisurely. Kyuuba, by contrast, are points or areas which change the dynamic of the opening, for example, by making one side stronger and the other weaker at the same time. A typical example is a move which simultaneously stabilizes your group while destabilizing the opponent's. A kyuuba is characterized by the fact that if one player fails to play there, taking an Ooba instead, the other player will invariably leap at the chance to play that kyuuba, changing the dynamic of the game in the other direction.

The following two examples come from the insert, "Ooba, Kyuuba, Dameba", in the April, 1989 issue of Kido.

[Diagram]

Example 1

B1 is an urgent point or kyuuba. It secures Black's group and threatens WC. If Black instead plays a so-called "big" point such as in the middle of the lower side, White may immediately play at 1 and take the initiative, or play elsewhere such as along the left side in such a way as to force Black to seek to stabilize his group.

[Diagram]

Example 2

In this position, B1 takes away White's potential base and secures the corner. If Black instead plays a so-called "big" point such as an extension on the top, White will slide into the lower right corner, stabilizing himself and setting up attacks on Black's stone on the right or even Black's stones in the lower right.

The following example from Jowa, Powerful Fighter (Gohwan Jowa) by Takagi Shoichi, pp. 60 - 61), illustrates the fact that kyuuba refers to any move in a contiguous area, not just one specific point. It is urgent for White to do something in the upper left. Normally W5 would be considered the vital point for shape, but Takagi recommends starting with W1, assuming that Black will respond with B2. This shows how the kyuuba is not confined to a single point.

[Diagram]

Kyuuba alternative plays (1)

B8 fills at WC.

[Diagram]

Kyuuba alternative plays (2)

Takagi comments that White is thick on the top side and BC is too close.


Contributions from John F, Bill & kokiri.


This is a copy of the living page "Kyuuba" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2005 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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