Ladder problems and exercises

PageType: Path Keywords: Tactics, Problem

If you don't know ladders, don't play go.

A ladder problem is a special kind of go problem, in which the reader is asked to read out whether a given ladder works or not. Specially constructed ladder problems can take over one hundred moves, and will contain all sorts of twists and turns.

Ladder exercises are way less artistic but still a good reading practice. In fact it is one of the fundamental lessons in go to read ladders out, visualizing all the stones, without any shortcuts.

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Ladder Problems on Sensei's Library

These ladder problems were specially composed to make for an interesting challenge.

Nakayama Noriyuki is well known for his skill at composing ladder problems. His book The Treasure Chest Enigma has twenty fine (long and twisted) ladder problems, most of them composed by himself. Hayashi Gembi's loose ladder, the Nakayama name problem and the Valentine's Day problem are but three of the problems featured there.

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Ladder exercises

Here are some reading exercises on ladders, taken from actual games or game-like situations.

Ladder Exercise 1 (pro game)
Ladder Exercise 2 (pro game)
Ladder Exercise 3 (amateur game)
Ladder Exercise 4 (amateur game) and the associated Ladder exercise 4b
Ladder Exercise 5 (pro game)
Ladder Exercise 6 (unknown)
Ladder Exercise 7
Ladder Exercise 8
Ladder Exercise 9
Ladder Exercise 10
Ladder Exercise 11
Ladder Exercise 12
Ladder Exercise 13
Ladder Exercise 14

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Ladder problems and exercises

Ladder Problems on Sensei's Library

Ladder exercises

See also