virtual ko threat

A miai pair of gote plays which act like a tertiary ko threat, in Bill Spight's ko terminology. Although not a ko threat, like a tertiary threat the miai pair hinders the komaster from making an additional gain on top of winning the ko by reducing the size of the alternative plays that the koloser gets in exchange for the ko. It may help keep the komaster from becoming a komonster.

See ko threat functions.

Also see /Discussion.