GSATE problem 142

    Keywords: EndGame, Tesuji, Problem

I'm really enjoying this book, but I have to admit to being puzzled by one of the tesujis the author provides.

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The question (problem 142) is: How should Black play after exchanging 1 for White 2?

[Diagram]

This is the answer he gives. He claims that Black now threatens to play both a and b.

[Diagram]

But it occurs to me that White could simply recapture at 4, creating a pretty complicated ko.

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Or, if he preferred, White could ignore 1 and capture at 2, creating an even more complicated life and death/ko situation.

Can anyone shed some light on this? What /is/ the best black response after 1 in the first diagram?

- antic

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Dieter: After W6, the corner is ko and Black can capture first. This is a success.

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For comparison

If Black plays a hane connect twice, he has wasted the potential of the position. He takes two points (at most) in sente and robs points from White, but the potential damage to either side of White's position, done by the ko and even though ko, is much greater.


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