Hikaru Problem 9

    Keywords: Life & Death, Problem

Hikaru no Go Problem 9

Chris Hayashida: This is the first go "problem" in Hikaru no Go. When Hikaru visits Shirakawa-sensei's go class, the sensei is explaining this problem on the magnetic display board.

I have problems understanding the Japanese, and I don't know if the English translation by Shounen Jump makes sense, so I am posting the problem, the Japanese, and the English translation here.

[Diagram]
Shirakawa-sensei's lecture  

Chris Hayashida: As the teacher plays B1, he says (in Japanese):

...Kore wa kuro no sagari ga koushu de... Shiro ga osaete kite mo kochira kara atari ni iki shiro ni 2 shitorase... Sonoato kochira no me o ubaeba shiro wa shinimasu ne.

The Shonen Jump translation is:

...Then, Black descending here is a good move. Even if White were to play Black's move, Black captures two stones. Then all of White's stones in this area are dead.

The problem is, I don't understand what the English translation is talking about! I am not good at translating Japanese, but I think the second sentence (in English) is wrong. Perhaps it should be something like:

White will block (and come?) From here, White will atari and take two stones. After that, if Black robs White of this eye, White will die.

Bill: How about this? Even if White plays osae (W2 below), Black plays atari here (B3) and forces White to capture two stones (W4).


[Diagram]
Solution  

Chris Hayashida: I suspect this is the solution that the sensei is talking about. I was told that this is the "tower tesuji," but I can't seem to find the reference on Sensei's.

Willemien: stone tower tesuji

[Diagram]
Solution, continued  

Chris Hayashida: White can't connect at a because it is oiotoshi. B3 reduces the group to one eye.

HolIgor: The throw-in B1 is not necessary. B1 at B3 kills as well.

[Diagram]
Alterntive B3  

This B3 seems to work as well. If white captures, black can use the throw in. If white makes an eye at a, there's the snapback at b. If white takes b, black can simply destroy the other eye with a. White can't play c directly because of a shortage of liberties. But black must be careful not to play c after white a because then white can play an under the stones move at b.


Hikaru Problem 9 last edited by willemien on October 3, 2010 - 20:08
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