Basic Instinct

  Difficulty: Introductory   Keywords: MiddleGame

Go is a game of tactics and strategy. There are, however some basic techniques that in itself require no reading or positional judgment, but which make a fundamental part of good play.

We will list these techniques here, and call them basic instincts. Below, we will elaborate them further or refer to other pages where they are elaborated.

Table of contents Table of diagrams
Atari -> extension
Tsuke -> hane
Head of two stones -> hane
Kosumi-tsuke -> stretch
Diagonal block
Diagonal block (ii)
Diagonal block (iii)
Peep -> connect
Thrust -> block
Bump --> stretch

Introduction

How to use your Basic Instinct

In all cases, the suggested move is the first move one should think of. They are natural moves. If this move seems to bring no bad result, then it is highly probable that this is the best move. Of course, there are always exceptions, but one should not consider other options first! Only if investigation of the Basic Instinct shows a bad result, then other possibilities can be explored. See Basic Instinct Counterexample.

Advantages

The advantage of knowing the Basic Instinct is twofold:


List of the Basic Instincts

From an atari, extend

[Diagram]

Atari -> extension

"Of course I extend when given atari!" Well, if you're going to extend, you shouldn't have considered other possibilities.

aLegendWai: It is controversial. It appears to tell beginners every stone is usually valuable. In real game, it is not. Pro players often discard their stones. See sacrifice tactics.


Reasons:

Exceptions:


Answer the tsuke with a hane

[Diagram]

Tsuke -> hane

Tsuke means stone played next to an opponent stone, while disconnected from any friendly stone. The hane blocks it, bending around it.


Reasons:

Exceptions:

See RespondToAttachmentWithHane


Hane at the head of two stones

[Diagram]

Head of two stones -> hane

See Hane At The Head Of Two.


Reasons:

Exceptions:


Stretch from a kosumi-tsuke

[Diagram]

Kosumi-tsuke -> stretch


Reasons

Exceptions


Block the angle play

[Diagram]

Diagonal block

W1 strengthens White's stone and weakens Black's. It also blocks Black's approach to the area below. The next diagrams show related positions.

[Diagram]

Diagonal block (ii)

[Diagram]

Diagonal block (iii)

Sometimes it is better to push and cut (White a - Black b, White c).


Connect against a peep

[Diagram]

Peep -> connect


Reasons

Exceptions


See also Even A Moron Connects Against A Peep


Block the thrust

[Diagram]

Thrust -> block


Reasons

Exceptions

More at Block the thrust


Stretch from a bump

[Diagram]

Bump --> stretch



Reasons

Exceptions


About this Page

Please write your comments in the /discussion page.

Authors:


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