Dropping back with a diagonal play

  Difficulty: Beginner   Keywords: Shape
[Diagram]

Dropping back one line

This is from a game Nie Weiping-Ma Xiaochun (B) 1990-09-02.



Black has a problem with many cutting points here.

If Black plays at one of a or b, and White at the other, Black will block but have two cutting points.

The idea of B1 is to reduce the number by one [1], compared to playing at a or b. It is a bargain to do this at a cost only of one point of territory when White later plays at a.

Charles Matthews

By the way, something more to say here: White would actually think more about cutting this way, across the knight's move (marked stones). But now Black can answer not just at a (when White can create two cutting points), but at b or c.

[Diagram]

Continuation

Black's shape here is reasonable.


[1] aLegendWai: To make it clear, it is the idea of B1 is to reduce the number by one on the right (ie c only).. So it will get 2 cutting points (ie c and e) in total (intead of 3).

It is nearly always good to make this kind of concession. Don't be mean with 1 territory. :P


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