Beginner Exercise 92 / Solution

White lives with 1  

Lonestar: If Black answers at , White gets one eye with . The second eye White gets by the capture of the marked black stones.

Playing 1 at 3 for the start looked like a good solution, but a black reply at a takes the bottom white stones

PaulL: Wouldn't at A be self-atari?

JoelR: Only with on the board. The comment is that White can't skip the / before making the eye at top.

White lives with 1  

If Black answers at , White gets two eyes at the bottom with a play at or a.

HolIgor: Which move is better? or a?

Lonestar: Maybe a is better?!

White plays last  

This gives White eight points.

White has a follow-up  

This is better for White, because if Black plays at a, White does not need to answer, or White has the follow-up at a??

unkx80: The play at a is better, for both the reasons you just stated.

Black needs to connect out?  

agong: What about this variation? Aren't a and b now miai for life, or am I missing something?

Never mind. Black 2 should be played at a. White can't cut at b. I'll leave the diagram up for reference.

Better for Black?  

Zyflair: If White tries to save , then it gets caught in a ladder.