Vital point

    Keywords: Life & Death, Tactics, Go term

Chinese: 急所 (jísuǒ = ji2 suo3)
Japanese: 急所 (kyuusho)
Korean:

Key point (for either player), in either the local, or, perhaps less commonly, the global context. Not be confused with kyuuba, referring to a an urgent play.

[ext] This hikaru no go web site offers the following explanation (loosely rendered).

A point that maximizes the effectiveness of the stones. Similar to tesuji or best move, but with a different nuance. A tesuji is a strong move within the context of a sequence of moves, but if you occupy a vital point, it's hard for the opponent to gain a good result no matter where he plays. Of course, the two are not completely distinct.

Example 1

[Diagram]

Vital point

The classic example of vital point is at W1 in this shape example.



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.


Example 3

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."

[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." Here is is using the term in the sense of Tennouzan.


Vital point in life and death

Vital point can refer to the key point in the context of a life and death problem. See Vital point method - simplifying the outside and Vital point method - with one-point eyes.

Authors


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