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Beginner Exercise 14 Solution
  Difficulty: Beginner   Keywords: Problem

[Diagram]
White first, what happens?

KarlKnechtel: In order to live, Black must either make two eyes out of the circled points, or one out of those and one at the squared point.


[Diagram]
White kills

The placement of W1 prevents the first way right off the bat. W3 at B2 would mean no eye at the squared point, so Black must play there to have any hope. W3 threatens to falsify the eye at b, but Black cannot play there because of shortage of liberties.



Without W1 this play would be possible. Thus W1 is a dual-purpose move of sorts - well, it accomplishes two things, but both are oriented towards killing the black group, so I don't know if you'd count that. If Black captures the W1 stone with a, White goes ahead with W5 at b to falsify the eye.


Let's consider other options for White. If White tenukis, B1 at W1 would save the group, but I think B1 at B2 or B4 do as well. So maybe W1 at B2 or W3 can be made to work. W1 at W3 certainly isn't answered by B2 at B4:

[Diagram]
Can White kill this way?

Connecting the three stones in atari would be an example of dying in gote. However, Black can force the capture later with a play at a. So this is Black's best response - it gives him a ko threat. Note that making the liberty-shortage move in the first line is a similar ko threat.


[Diagram]
A good try, but...

This doesn't work for Black either, after White makes a throw-in.


[Diagram]
A different approach.

brindis: But what happens if Black plays B4 at W5? B3 and B4 are miai. It looks like the only killing move for White is at B2...

KarlKnechtel: Oops, you're right. The other problems around here have made me throw-in happy. That's the right play - B4 is a key point for solidifying the eye space and B2 is key to divide the space. So capturing the throw-in would be a horrible mistake.


Some other possibilities:

[Diagram]
Another way of resistance by Black

[Diagram]
Last try - looks like this move kills for White.

So it looks like this first move works for White as well.


Let's look at the last candidate move for White:

[Diagram]
White failure

This one doesn't work - a and b are miai for Black to live. Alternately, White a can be answered at c, removing a tiny bit of aji (after the a-b exchange, White could kill with three local moves in a row). Not worth the one-point sacrifice, probably. Not at my level of play anyway.



[Diagram]
Another possibility (4 at 1)

Grech: What if White calls the tune like this?


[Diagram]
Black can live

Stefan: Black should answer differently. If he answers the atari at W3 at B4 here, White may capture one stone in ko, but the rest of the black forces survive if Black calmly makes the second eye at B6.


[Diagram]
White 1 is wrong, but...

unkx80: W1 is incorrect, but after that the placement at W3 still can create a ko.





This is a copy of the living page "Beginner Exercise 14 Solution" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2004 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.