Nerai examples

Here are some examples of nerai and its verb form, nerau.

I (Bill) expect that some SL readers may be puzzled. On the nerai page there is a lot of discussion about the meaning and translation of an unfamiliar go term. I thought that some examples might help people get an idea of what is being talked about. :-)

As John Fairbairn points out, nerai/nerau is a fairly common Japanese go term. It occurs four times, for instance, in Go Seigen's commentary on his first game in Now I Would Play This Way: Go Seigen looks back at 18 games (Go Seigen: Omoide no 18 Kyoku: Ima Nara Ko Utsu). I thought that various examples from that book in different contexts would be of help. :-)

(Note to other deshis: Since the purpose of this page is to illustrate discussion, please move any discussion, except possibly for a few brief comments, to the nerai page, or start a new one. Thanks. Additional examples are welcome, OC. :-))

kmr - next 4 examples are from game Hashimoto Utaro 4dan - Go Seigen 1928/09/04 B+6.

Example 1 (Game 1, p. 11.)

Moves 13 - 14  

My translation follows. How I rendered nerau is in italics.

"If is the one space jump at a, Black will probably protect at b and aim at an intrusion into White's top side position."

The phrase with nerau in it is, "Johen no shiro ye no shinnyu wo nerau desho."

Example 2 (p. 13)

Variation at move 18  

My translation: "If White sinks roots on the right side with - and targets the stone, the progression up to comes to mind, but then White will probably be too busy."

Phrase with nerau: " isshi wo nerau no wa".

Example 3 (p. 22)

Move 101  

"So at this time is quite obvious. It is clear that it covers White's number one target, the peep at a."

"Shiro no ichiban no nerai de aru A no nozoki".

Example 4 (p. 23)

Move 115  

"Black advances up to , and targets the customary Black oki at a."

"Rei no kuro A to oku te wo neratte imasu."

Bill: Many thanks to John Fairbairn for a few pointers. :-) Any inaccuracies are mine.

BobMcGuigan: Here's an example of the use of nerai from a Japanese book on countering large moyos. It comes up in the context of discussion of White's invasion at in the following diagram:

19x19 diagram  

Black has just played and White responds with the invasion at .

Now suppose Black defends the corner with in the next diagram and pushes White toward his thickness, White attaches with and plays the double hane of :

19x19 diagram  

The moves and in the next diagram are recommended as "strongest", denying White a straightforward life, but is described as nerai no kikashi.

19x19 diagram  

If Black connects at White plays , a ladder break, and if Black plays around the point labelled a he will probably capture the right side but White b, destroying Black's center moyo, at one stroke makes the game favorable for White.

Discussion:

RobertJasiek: From the examples, I see some contexts where nerai is used but I learn nothing what nerai actually is. Can there please be examples explaining the latter? If nerai is translated with words like 'threat', then I also want to see examples for threats that are versus are not nerai and why.

CD: Not sure how I ended up here but Michael Redmond has an entire book based on his NHK lectures on the nerai of tesuji: レドモンドの狙え!戦いの手筋. There, nerai is spelled 狙え, as opposed to the main page which I believe uses hiragana for the second sound (happens in other words too).