BQM 275

    Keywords: EndGame, Life & Death, Question

Unoptimal pro move?

Taken from a pro game:

[Diagram]
Yamashita Keigo vs Cho Chikun (2004-01-04) - move 175  

W2 is required to secure life. However, doesn't a white move at a secure life and gain more points (by reducing black's territory)?

[Diagram]
Sweet life  

W4 at a a also works.


I think this has to do with endgame quirkiness which I don't understand. My analysis is that the original pro move has a sente (for white)-gote (for black) followup in the endgame, while my suggested move is gote (for white)-sente (for black).

[Diagram]
Original pro move - sente endgame followup for white  
[Diagram]
Original pro move - gote endgame followup for black  
[Diagram]
My move - gote endgame followup for white  
[Diagram]
My move - sente endgame followup for black  

However I still can't see why the pro choice is better than mine.

Agro1986 (16k KGS)


[Diagram]
White sente  

Bill: After playing sagari at white+circle, White has the sente, W1 - B2. (I expect this was actually played in the game.) That achieves the same local result as if White had played hane at W1.

[Diagram]
White plays hane  

Bill: So it probably made no difference at all.

On the plus side for the sagari White has the sente as a possible ko threat. On the negative side, Black has the possibility of playing the reverse sente and picking up one point. If there are no kos or potential kos where White could use the threat, White should play the hane.

There is a potential ko on the top side, but one that is rarely played. White has the choice of whether to play the ko or not. If White never got to use the ko threat retained by the sagari, the sagari was probably a tiny technical error that made no difference in the game.

(A little later): I found the game and looked at it. No ko, but White played the sente soon afterwards. Slight technical error, but no difference.


Charles Matthews A less purist explanation: in byoyomi, this can give you the option of a two-minute think a little later.


BQM 275 last edited by 71.192.5.223 on February 13, 2006 - 16:26
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