Basic Instinct

  Difficulty: Introductory   Keywords: MiddleGame

Go is a game of tactics and strategy. There are, however some basic techniques that in itself require no reading or positional judgment, but which make a fundamental part of good play.

We will list these techniques here, and call them basic instincts. Below, we will elaborate them further or refer to other pages where they are elaborated.

Table of contents Table of diagrams
Atari -> extension
Tsuke -> hane
Head of two stones -> hane
Kosumi-tsuke -> stretch
Diagonal block
Diagonal block (ii)
Diagonal block (iii)
Peep -> connect
Thrust -> block
Bump --> stretch

Introduction

How to use your Basic Instinct

In all cases, the suggested move is the first move one should think of. They are natural moves. If this move seems to bring no bad result, then it is highly probable that this is the best move. Of course, there are always exceptions, but one should not consider other options first! Only if investigation of the Basic Instinct shows a bad result, then other possibilities can be explored. See Basic Instinct Counterexample.

Advantages

The advantage of knowing the Basic Instinct is twofold:

  • You increase the probability of finding the best move
  • You reduce time and mental effort in finding it

List of the Basic Instincts

From an atari, extend

[Diagram]

Atari -> extension

"Of course I extend when given atari!" Well, if you're going to extend, you shouldn't have considered other possibilities.

aLegendWai: It is controversial. It appears to tell beginners every stone is usually valuable. In real game, it is not. Pro players often discard their stones. See sacrifice tactics.

kirtar: That's right. Maybe if the picture was changed to show MANY stones in atari, it would make a difference. However, you don't always extend. If I could capture one of the stones putting me in atari, I would. Something that is not mentioned, is that if the ladder leads to connecting to one of your stones, you can play it out and use double atari against them.


Reasons:

  • Increasing liberties.
  • The stone is important: giving it up gives White a ponnuki or worse, influencing the whole area.

Exceptions:

  • The stone is caught in a ladder or a net. Extending only increases the loss or destroys aji. Basically: when increasing liberties is not possible.
  • The stone is not important enough to save: it represents merely two points.

Answer the tsuke with a hane

[Diagram]

Tsuke -> hane

Tsuke means stone played next to an opponent stone, while disconnected from any friendly stone. The hane blocks it, bending around it.


Reasons:

  • Decreases liberties of opponent stone
  • Blocks development of opponent stone into that direction

Exceptions:

  • When the cutting point left by the hane is cumbersome
  • When the opponent is seeking sabaki and aims for a counter-hane or a cross-cut

See RespondToAttachmentWithHane


Hane at the head of two stones

[Diagram]

Head of two stones -> hane

See Hane At The Head Of Two.


Reasons:

  • Getting ahead
  • Pressing down
  • Creating a weakness

Exceptions:

  • When the cut is a serious threat.

Stretch from a kosumi-tsuke

[Diagram]

Kosumi-tsuke -> stretch


Reasons

  • Increasing liberties
  • Denying a powerful hane, which would block with a tiger shape.

Exceptions

  • When it is the opponent's intention to make you heavy, and you need sabaki. In that case, the one-point jump (to a) is an option.

Block the angle play

[Diagram]

Diagonal block

W1 strengthens White's stone and weakens Black's. It also blocks Black's approach to the area below. The next diagrams show related positions.

[Diagram]

Diagonal block (ii)

[Diagram]

Diagonal block (iii)

Sometimes it is better to push and cut (White a - Black b, White c).


Connect against a peep

[Diagram]

Peep -> connect


Reasons

  • Connection

Exceptions

  • Specific tactical reasons


See also Even A Moron Connects Against A Peep


Block the thrust

[Diagram]

Thrust -> block


Reasons

  • If the opponent cuts, she will be cut herself
  • Make the opponent choose the side to cut

Exceptions

  • Specific tactical reasons (extra stones on the empty spots)
  • Local weakness forces one to dodge

More at Block the thrust


Stretch from a bump

[Diagram]

Bump --> stretch



Reasons

  • Attachments are usually answered with a hane, but here the attachment is strengthened by the marked stone. If Black hanes instead, White cuts and is the first to extend from a crosscut.

Exceptions

  • The cut is not important, or is protected
  • Specific tactical reasons

About this Page

Please write your comments in the /discussion page.

Authors:


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