All instinctive responses

• Key:
  •     : trigger (optional), : instinctive response
  •     w: weakness (possible reason to deviate), x, (y,z): alternative, s: subsequent possibility
• Index:
  •   a: Atari → extend
  •   b: Tsuke → hane
  •   c: Head of two stones → hane
  •   d: Kosumi-tsuke → stretch
  •   e: Angle play → block
  •   f: Angle play → block (ii)
  •   g: Angle play → block (iii)
  •   h: Peep → connect
  •   i: Thrust → block
  •   j: Bump → stretch

Atari → extension  

A stone in atari can usually increase its liberties by extending. This is basic instinct.

Reasons

• Increasing liberties. Even if the stone cannot be saved, extending can give you free moves on the outside as your opponent needs more time and stones to capture yours. See "Add A Second Stone And Sacrifice Both" for more.
• The stone is important: giving it up gives White a ponnuki or worse, influencing the whole area.
• The stone is a cutting stone; saving it allows you to split the opponent's groups apart.

Exceptions

• The stone is caught in a ladder or a net. Extending only increases the loss or destroys aji. Basically: when increasing liberties is not possible.
• The stone is not important enough to save: it represents merely two points.

Answer the tsuke with a hane

Tsuke → hane  

Tsuke means stone played next to an opponent stone, while disconnected from any friendly stone. The hane blocks it, bending around it.

Reasons

• Decreases liberties of opponent stone
• Blocks development of opponent stone into that direction

Exceptions

• When the cutting point (at a) left by the hane is cumbersome
• When the opponent is seeking sabaki and aims for a counter-hane or a cross-cut
• In either of these cases, you should generally stretch (e.g. at a)

If one considers the hane and stretch below the two stones as well, there are generally 4 reasonable responses to an unsupported contact play.

See Respond To Attachment With Hane, How to attack

Hane at the head of two stones

Head of two stones → hane  

See Hane at the Head of Two Stones.

Reasons

• Reduces opponent's liberties
• Getting ahead
• Pressing down
• Creating a weakness

Exceptions

• When the cut at a is a serious threat .

Stretch from a kosumi-tsuke

Kosumi-tsuke → stretch  

Reasons

• Increasing liberties
• Denying a powerful hane, which would block with a tiger shape.
• Making the opponent's diagonal formation weak (White c or d will be powerful later).

Exceptions

• When it is the opponent's intention to make you heavy, and you need sabaki. In that case, the one-point jump (to a) or press (at b) is an option.
• When it occurs away from the edge of the board, then you want to stretch on the larger side.

See also how to attack, and the related 'Diagonal attachment - as inferior shape.'

Block the angle play

Diagonal block  

strengthens White's stone and weakens Black's. It also blocks Black's approach to the area below. The next diagrams show related positions.

Diagonal block (iii)  

Sometimes it is better to push and cut (White a - Black b, White c).

Reasons

• Increase your liberties while decreasing your opponent's liberties.

Exceptions

• Specific tactical reasons

Connect against a peep

Peep → connect  

Reasons

• Connection

Exceptions

• Avoiding kikasare (getting pushed around)
• Specific tactical reasons

See also Even A Moron Connects Against A Peep.

Block the thrust

Thrust → block  

Reasons

• If the opponent cuts, he will be cut in return.
• Make the opponent choose the side to cut

Exceptions

• Specific tactical reasons (extra stones on the empty spots)
• Local weakness forces one to dodge

More at Block the thrust

Stretch from a bump

Bump → stretch  

Reasons

• Attachments are usually answered with a hane, but here the attachment is strengthened by the marked stone. If Black hanes instead, White cuts and is the first to extend from a crosscut.

Exceptions

• The cut is not important, or is protected
• Specific tactical reasons

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See also

• Hottest basic move discussion