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Dont Attach When Attacking
Path: GoProverbs   · Prev: KeshiIsWorthAsMuchAsAnInvasion   · Next: FiveGroupsMightLiveButTheSixthWillDie
  Difficulty: Beginner  

"Don't Attach When Attacking" tells you not to touch the stones which you are trying to attack.

[Diagram]
Diag.: Attaching strengthens the opponent

In the case where there are no other stones around, if White wants to attack the black stone, attaching to it (playing tsuke) will prompt Black to extend to a, or to play hane at b.
If Black extends to a, he has strengthened his stone and White finds herself stuck on a wall which is stronger than she is.
If Black hanes at b, White finds herself with a lack of liberties whereas Black can make shape if White responds.



In both these cases, the black stones will be stronger after the attack than before, whereas White will be weakened.


The natural way to attack a stone is from afar. The circled point is as close as White should ever go, and sometimes that is too close already.

When attacking, all you are trying to do is to limit the opponent's possible movements. In the case above, an approach from the circled stone already robs him of the possibility to extend on that side to create a base or an eye.

Attacking with a view to kill is almost always wrong. Living is easy, killing is difficult. Always attack to gain something (influence, territory...) not to take something away from your opponent. If, after you have managed to gain what you wanted, you can kill the opponent, then by all means do so, but don't make it the prime objective.

Also, take a look at RespondToAttachmentWithHane, RespondToAttachmentWithHaneDiscussion and CrosscutThenExtend.

--MortenPahle (10kyu)

--Sbaguz: I think this proverb is very, very important for beginners like me: we play in panic next to opponent's stones when we want to stop his invasions... and this way we lose more.



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