Peep

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  Difficulty: Introductory   Keywords: Go term
[Diagram]

Peep

Chinese: 刺 (ci4)
Japanese: (nozoki)[1]
Korean:

A peep in go is a threat to cut.

The white move W1 peeps Black's loose connection: what it actually threatens is a push through and cut (called degiri in Japanese). Not all moves that threaten to cut are peeps though; if the cut is too indirect or the cutting point only just formed then the word wouldn't be used..

[Diagram]

Examples

B1 and W2 are both peeps, threatening Black a and White b respectively.

Bob Myers: Is W2 really a peep? Of course it threatens to cut, but my intuitive impression is that a peep is more often a stand-alone stone threatening to cut. More generally, I'd hope that this page could be expanded to discuss the issue of why to play a peep, if that's not been covered elsewhere. The idea of a peep as a sort of probe or forcing move, making the opponent commit himself; classical sequences such as a peep against a one-point jump in preparation for a jump on the other side.


W1 creates the cutting point at a, and sets up the chance of cutting there. But it isn't a peep. This would be called an example of atekomi.


[1] Also but rarely called peek or poke in English.

By the way, 'poke' must die. There is some explanation on English Go Terms / Discussion about the possible rudeness of 'peep'; I think native speakers of English will find this hilarious unless they have lived an extremely sheltered life.

-- Charles

Bill: "Poke" is the brainchild of one translator who thought that "peep" was salacious. I guess he did not think about all the meanings of "poke". ;-)

Charles Yes, indeed; such was my implication. Not for a family web site, though.

Jasonred : In certain situations, when you ignore bad aji, and your opponent takes advantage of it, "Oh, no! He poked me! Now I'm poked!"

DougRidgway Craig Hutchinson, writing in Go Winds, has used at least two of these terms to refer to slightly different threats to cut. I'm not sure of the distinction he's trying to draw, however. He also uses the terms "peg" and "pin" to refer to various ways of connecting.

Bill: Well, anyway, this is a poke:

[Diagram]

Poke


[Diagram]

With a standard tesuji?

I saw this siuation in a game and it was handled like this instead of just blocking at a. This was described to be a standard tesuji.. Any comments on it? - Reuven



Charles I remember something written in an old BGJ - in reply to a pro saying a play was standard, an amateur 2 dan saying he wished he could find such things in a game.

[Diagram]

With a standard tesuji? (ii)

Here the point is that W2 can be played, but then after B3, White has big worries about Black at b later. If White plays b to capture, right now, then the peep at WC turned out to be gote, so Black will be happy.



[Diagram]

With a standard tesuji? (iii)

One variation: White gets into big trouble.



Maybe some exceptions could be put at the "Even a moron connects against a peep" proverbs page? Or on some other "How to handle a peep?" page?

aLegendWai (9k? KGS): As request, I tried my best to add more notes to the insufficiency of the proverb alone. See "Am I really a moron if I don't connect against the peep" for details.

By the way, don't be misled by the proverb that connecting against the peep in nearly a definite response, say, in 95-99% of all cases. Proverbs usually exaggerate the fact. There're lots, lots more different responses to a peep.


Further reading


Contributors


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