Black to Live  

The Problem

This looked pretty straightforward to me. Black can play at either A16 or C16 and will live. Escape is just not an option so far as I can tell. I played through this a dozen or more different ways and it always comes out the same: Black lives. I couldn't even see why this was a problem. So I flip to the solutions page.

Black to Live -- Solution?  

The Purported Solution

Well, colour me surprised: it shows Black playing at A16 for the win. But it also showed some other symbols in there that usually indicate some kind of commentary. So I started the process of painful translation. Now according to that commentary if Black plays at the spot marked a, White plays wherever it likes (I imagine filling in one of the escape routes Black has), Black plays at , White answers back at the point marked with a circle and Black dies. And that's where my problem is. I can't for the life of me see a scenario where Black will die without going out of the way to play stupidly.

Am I missing something obvious (or inobvious, for that matter!) here, or is the book just plain wrong?

Black Dies 1  

Goantti: Hi! You overlooked the throw-in.

If Black starts with , White adds one more stone at . After White throws in one stone at 2 giving:

Black Dies 2  

Now the shape point at a and the throw in at b are miai for White to kill Black.

Black is Dead  

Can you see why?

Black to Live Solution (2)  

... and Black runs White's group in the corner out of liberties. Playing 2 at 3 would let White play at 2, and the second eye is false. Now, after the first three moves of the original with the marked stone added ...

Black is Dead Solution  

... a and b are miai for the kill.