Hamete

Table of contents Definition Disagreements about the definition Etymology Examples Alternative English terms In Chinese

Definition

Hamete is a Japanese go term, also used in English, referring to a trap, typically a tricky but incorrect play that requires skill to refute. The term is usually used for variations in corner joseki, but can be used for any prepared trick play.

Typically a hamete play has an "obvious" answer that yields a poor result. To qualify as hamete, the trap must be challenging--it needs to be something that could deceive even a dan-level amateur. A mere tactical trap, such as inducing oiotoshi, or a bad move that a weak opponent might answer incorrectly, is not hamete--see trick play.

The following is from the preface of "Shin Hayawakari Hamete Sho-jiten" (compact hamete reference, ISBN4-8182-0364-5), published by the Nihon-Kiin:

During the process of establishing any joseki there develops a vast hidden store of moves that failed to be adopted as correct--strong, bullish, exquisite, vulgar. Hamete is the tactical use of such variations, in some cases requiring high-level techniques such as kikashi and korigatachi, in many others involving life-and-death situations which can result in catastrophic loss if handled incorrectly.

If you think it's enough to just learn the official moves of established joseki, you may, as the proverb has it, learn joseki and drop two stones. Learning hamete is a thing of unalloyed goodness--it stretches your powers of reading and sharpens your judgment and attention, while also teaching you the true meaning of joseki. It's much like a good driver who in addition to the main streets also is familiar with the back roads.

Disagreements about the definition

There are disagreements about the correct definition. Some say the term only applies to joseki situations, and others disagree. There was some /discussion on SL about this. In any case, we have some evidence of a Japanese expert explictly saying it only applies to joseki. Hayashi Yutaka, historian par excellence and also head of the Nihon Ki-in editorial department, defined it thus: "A move which, in the course of a joseki line, traps the opponent through a way of playing that is not correct and is tinged with an element of trickery. A trick move in the middle game or later is not called hamete."

There also seems to be some disagreement about whether a hamete is necessarily an incorrect play.

Etymology

Hamete is composed of hame and te (move), where hame derives from the verb hameru, the transitive form of hamaru, basically meaning "to fit tightly into an opening". And its derived meaning is "to be sucked into, taken in, trapped, deceived, fall into". In go, it means "to trap the opponent into a set pattern of play". So hamate can occur in typical joseki variations, middlegame positions or life and death shapes - on the other hand, traps set up on the spot by the player are not hamete.

Hamete also applies to shogi.

Examples

• Nineteen point trick play
• Trick play example 2
• Trick play example 3
• Trick play example 6
• Hamete in the 3-4 point high approach low extension joseki
• Hamete in the small avalanche joseki
• A hamete analysis by Alexandre Dinerchtein (it is dead, Jim) Archived version on archive.org from 21 Aug 2011
• Gokyo Shumyo, Section 1, Problem 50 is an example of life and death hamete.

Alternative English terms

Hamete is a useful term since it distinguishes more sophisticated joseki tricks from low-level, run-of-the-mill tricks, and no English alternative has been agreed upon. Some suggestions include "joseki trap", "opening trap", "garden path sequence", "garden path joseki", and "joseki sting".

In Chinese

A word-for-word translation of 骗着 (piàn zhāo) is "deceiving move". Also to be noted, 骗着 (piàn zhāo) does not seem to be specifically related to the Japanese word hamete but just seems to be the word for a trick play.