Six Die But Eight Live

  Difficulty: Beginner   Keywords: Life & Death, Proverb

Table of contents

This concise proverb means: Six stones in a row on the second row die, but eight stones on a row live. Seven stones in a row depends on sente.[1]

This applies to the life of a group which has no eyes and which has a solid row of connected stones on the second line. As long as the group is firmly enclosed on the second line, the number of external liberties is irrelevant.

Eight live

[Diagram]

Eight stones live

Here are eight white stones, firmly enclosed on the second line. They are alive.

[Diagram]

Demonstration

Even if Black has sente, White will end up with a straight-four eyespace, which is alive. The two x points are miai.


Seven are unsettled

[Diagram]

Seven stones live with sente

With seven stones and sente, White also ends up with a straight-four eye space, which is alive. The two x points are miai.

[Diagram]

Seven stones die with gote

With seven stones and gote, White ends up with a straight-three big eye. After 5 White is dead.


Six die

[Diagram]

Six stones die

[Diagram]

Demonstration

With six stones, even with sente, White ends up with a straight-three eye space. After 4 White is dead.


Surrounding conditions

[1] It is assumed no surrounding conditions affect this local truth.

[Diagram]

Six stones can live under a condition

If there is a stone at one of the points a, White can threaten to connect at b and make a living shape next. Therefore, depending on the surrounding position, the points a and b serve as useful aji for White.


The following exercises include such, slightly varying, conditions.


See also:


This is a copy of the living page "Six Die But Eight Live" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2012 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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