Play Kikashi Before Defending

   

To "play kikashi before defending" is an idea, derived from choshi, where if you must defend in an area in order to live, make good shape, or remove aji, it is usually correct to play kikashi in the area before doing so. Sometimes playing kikashi in this way will
- create more aji for later or force your opponent into bad shape;
- deny your opponent sente moves against your group (once you have lived or fixed up shape, usually in gote); or
- enable the life of your group in the first place (before playing on the vital point).

All of the above points are usually more desirable than simply living or playing in gote. The reason it is not always correct is because kikashi moves can destroy aji as well as create it. See kikashi for more ideas about the term itself.

See /Discussion for debate about the currently ongoing WME.


Example 1

(from Shape Problem 1)

[Diagram]

Ex1 Starting position

Black to move and save the black+circle stones.

[Diagram]

Ex1 Success - play kikashi first

Forcing with B1 and B3 (in that order) before capturing with B5 follows the proverb. B3 leaves behind ladder aji, practically forcing White to capture at W8 to fix up his shape, allowing Black to end in sente. (There is still aji - B3 is still not captured yet!)

White does not follow the proverb here, since Wb is a good ko threat later (at this time, Black's descent at c is not a threat, since Wb is sente against the lower side).

[Diagram]

Ex1 Failure

Failing to play kikashi first gives White too many options, even allowing him to follow the proverb himself to make good shape, for instance at W2 and W4 here. If the left side is not important now or later, White may ignore a later peep at a.


Example 2: Life with kikashi

(from Joseki-Related Life-and-Death Example 4) This example is currently under debate whether or not it is valid; see /Discussion.

[Diagram]

Ex2 Starting position

Black to live.

[Diagram]

Ex2 Success - kikashi before defending

Black plays kikashi with B1 and B3 before living in the corner. B3 turns the corner into a J group with an extra hane, which will live.

[Diagram]

Ex2 Failure - just "living"

If Black plays to turn the corner into a J group directly with B1, then it will die. See J group.


Examples 3 and 4: Professional games

[Diagram]

Takemiya Masaki-Kato Masao, moves 112 to 116

White (Takemiya) forces first with W1 and W3 before returning to live at W5 - these two stones are useful moves that contribute to finishing off Takemiya's moyo on the lower side.


[Diagram]

Cho Chikun - Yamashita Keigo

In a game vs. Yamashita Keigo in the 29th Meijin league, Cho Chikun plays kikashi with W1 - W7 before strengthening his center group with W9. (See commentary at [ext] http://www.asahi.com/igo/meijin29/16/05.html.) As it turns out here, despite the proverb about sacrificing kikashi stones, only W5 happens to be in any danger!


See PlayKikashiBeforeLiving/Discussion for old discussion.
See PlayKikashiBeforeLiving/Old for previous content.
See /Discussion for current discussion.


This is a copy of the living page "Play Kikashi Before Defending" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2008 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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