LongestLadderProblem/Solution

The answer is "no!".

[Diagram]

The first side.

Note the opening sequence, which is forced. Then a is the only direction, which works.

[Diagram]

The next 3 sides...

The key to the puzzle is seeing that White can turn Black back against the stones again... into a spiral. If you haven't read ahead for the rest yet, do so before scrolling down, it's very rewarding to have read that many moves ahead!

[Diagram]

The pattern emerges... read the rest of the way!

[Diagram]

Atari!

hotcoffee: Black probably regrets not tenuki-ing after the very first white move...

Harry Fearnley: When White plays atari at _1_, why does Black not simply capture all the white stones by playing at _a_?

fractic: When White plays W1 the white chain has two liberties left. One at a and the other one under B2.


This is a copy of the living page "LongestLadderProblem/Solution" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2009 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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