Beginner Exercise 56 / Solution

Main line  

The descent at is key for life. If makes a placement, then and forms a seki. This is the main line. ( is necessary as shown later.)

Life  

If plays the hane, then divides the eye space into two eyes very nicely.

Failure 1  

If Black ommits in the Main Line diagram, kills. Because White at a later will be atari and reduces the eyespace into a three-point nakade shape.

failure 2  

Descent on the wrong side. The points a and b are miai for the kill.

failure 3  

doesn't live. White kills with and . Black can capture by playing at but this only creates a false eye.

failure 4  

is a greedy move that fails. followed by the throw-in at reduces Black to only one eye.

Failure 5  

is no good either.