Ponnuki
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A ponnuki is the process of capturing a single stone, leaving a diamond shape.
This move and its resulting shape, radiating influence in all directions, is considered a very good one, as is witnessed by the proverb "A ponnuki is worth thirty points".
That does depend on the positions of other friendly black stones: a good ponnuki is under-concentrated, not overconcentrated
Comments
(earlier on, the definition was limited to the diamond shape)
DaveSigaty: The interesting question here is whether the value comes from the shape or the act of capturing a stone. I seem to remember reading somewhere that the ponnuki is efficient when it is formed by capturing a stone (effectively building this shape with only three moves). However, if Black constructs the shape without capturing a stone it is inefficient. This makes a lot of sense when you think about it. This type of thinking is an important point for us amateurs to understand.
urusainaa ponnuki is from the Japanese verb "nuku" which means to move c.f. te-nuki, meaning to remove ones hand or play elsewhere. "nuki" is the noun form of the verb. "pon" in the sound though why taking one stone would make a "pon" sound is quite a mystery.
Charles Matthews The ponnuki definitely refers to the act of capture, not the shape itself. Dave's point is correct. See diamond for the shape without its history.
Bob Myers Yes, ponnuki is indeed limited to the case where the stone is captured, but that is not to say that the diamond shape is inefficient when constructed directly -- to the contrary. I just saw this a day or two ago, in a Fujitsu Cup game between Park YoungHoon 4p and Kobayashi Satoru 9p played on 2003-04-14 (Kobayashi, who made the diamond shape on move 46, won.)
Charles I think it's always going to count as a slow move to do that. In the hands of a pro, a slow move can of course be good.
Reminds me of a Kobayashi Koichi play.
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/11/e9af28edd1370772cd32d20ead8d65da.png)
Yamashiro Hiroshi-Kobayashi Koichi (B) 1992-01-29
We should get round to discussing these types of play on their own page.
See also:
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