Technique on getting first capture in a ko
It is important to get first capture in a ko, because it will save one ko-threat. The purpose of this page is to describe a basic technique on getting the first capture, and I will illustrate it through an example problem.
In this easy life-and-death problem, it looks like Black has two eyes. However, these eyes are a bit too close to each other. How can White exploit this?
A possible exploitation is to first atari at , forcing
, and then creates a throw-in ko at
. If White wins this ko, then White can capture at a, rendering the eye at b false.
However, Black gets the first capture for this ko. Can White do better?
The answer is yes. Instead of making the atari on the two Black stones first, White can make the throw-in at first. Then when
captures,
is a double atari. Now when Black plays at a to save the two stones, White gets the first capture at
.
This basic technique, to throw-in first and avoiding having to create a throw-in ko, is a recurring technique in many life-and-death situations in games. Hopefully, the reader will find it useful.
--unkx80