Dropping back

Path: GoodPlay   · Prev: Dodge   · Next: Dynamic
  Difficulty: Beginner   Keywords: Shape, Tactics

Dropping back (Japanese hazusu) means to yield some ground to your opponent instead of directly blocking or cutting. You may also find the English term dodge.



Example 1

[Diagram]

Keima watari: Black 1?

White connects underneath with WC, a keima watari.

How to answer B1 and preserve the connection?

[Diagram]

Dropping back

W2 is the basic dropping back idea. By conceding a little, White stays out of trouble.

[Diagram]

Dropping back - Succeed in connecting 01?

B cannot continue on with B3.

[Diagram]

Immediate cut is wrong

W2 this way is a bad idea. After B3 White is in difficulties on the left side (reading problem).



Example 2

[Diagram]

A middlegame position

This is from a game Qian Yuping-Nie Weiping (B) 1989-07-13.



How should White react to B1?

[Diagram]

First jump back ...

White concedes first with W1. Black's wedge B2 invites White a.

[Diagram]

Then run along ...

But White plays W1. After W5 Black has some sente profit. On the other hand White's shape is improved.

[Diagram]

Bad style

W1 here is quite a bad idea. Black's cut at B4 is strong, and suddenly Black can see some use for the BS stone.

Charles Matthews



Path: GoodPlay   · Prev: Dodge   · Next: Dynamic
This is a copy of the living page "Dropping back" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2005 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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