Beginner Exercise 231 / Solution

Solution (6 at 3).  

immediately makes an eye, forcing . Without playing anything else, immediately make a throw-in at and catch the three White stones in a connect-and-die with for the second eye. If is played at a or b, then continue as shown in the diagram.

Variation.  

If avoids the connect-and-die, then captures three White stones in a connect-and-die.

Failure I.  

Do not make unneccessary sente moves like , because it reduces Black's liberties. After , Black cannot atari at a without putting the entire Black group into self-atari, so Black dies. at is a similar failure, at kills similarly.

Failure II.  

Ahthough captures three White stones for an eye, it is played in the wrong order and so destroys the other eye and kills. Note that this is similar to the box connection, a and b are miai for the connection.

Realistic play  

Bill: After lives, - are sente, as are - .

Realistic play (iii)  

Then - are sente, leaving behind the small ko.

proto: I'd venture to say that this is not "realistic play" separate from the "solution" to this problem. I would say that this is the solution to the problem. This should be the solution at the top of the page, not an add-on footnote at the bottom of the page.