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Dochi Yose Tesuji
  Difficulty: Advanced   Keywords: EndGame, Tesuji

In a game played on November 24, 1705 between Honinbo Dochi (Black) and Yasui Senkaku (White), Dochi was losing by a few points in the endgame, when he suddenly played a brilliant yose (endgame) tesuji.


[Diagram]
Diag.: Moves 225-232

Black 1 began the brilliant sequence of moves that saved the game for Dochi.


[Diagram]
Diag.: Continuation (Moves 233-236)

The invasion made Black 1 and 3 sente, because if White does not capture the marked stone with White 4, Black would play at a and make a seki.

The invasion does not work if it is played after the hane-connect sequence.
-- Eric Suh?


You may wonder whether White has no other way to play. Let us have a look:

[Diagram]
Diag.: If White plays 4 instead of ''a''

The other reasonable move for White is to play 4 here instead of a. Black next plays 5 and 7. Is this sente, one may ask? If not, White has refuted Black's play.


[Diagram]
Diag.: Black fails

Black 1 is an eye-stealing tesuji, as it makes the eye at a false, but White 2 is a good response and Black's attack runs into nothing. No matter how hard he tries, e.g. with Black 3 and so on, Black cannot get a seki, ko, or anything else.


The solution for Black is to play on White's vital point himself, with Black 1.

[Diagram]
Diag.: Black forces a seki

White 2 is forced, as a move here would be rather awkward for White. Next, Black 3 is tesuji and Black 7 establishes an eye in the corner. Thus the position becomes a seki.


As can be seen, if White did not reply, he would lose his corner territory (in a seki with Black). Therefore, White had to add another move to defend his territory after Black played hane-connect at the top border. The hane became Black's sente and enables him to win the game.

--Arno



This is a copy of the living page "Dochi Yose Tesuji" at Sensei's Library.
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