Baai no te
Baai no te (場合の手)[1] is a Japanese term for a move that is playable depending on circumstances. The phrase is typically used to describe a move that is not usually considered a joseki move but could be good in certain circumstances, in other words, a special case move.
Example 1
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/50/4b8a58b7fc111539ab7b70d353823d5c.png)
O Meien (W) vs. Imamura Toshiya
This example comes from this Japanese site.
is 場合の手. Ba is usual. But Imamura played at
because he probably did not want to approach the strong stone,
, even by one space.
Example 2
![[Diagram]](../../diagrams/6/19b8619609370bbd0dc5bca1c7adc87d.png)
Honda Kunihisa (W) vs. Kato Masao
@
This example comes from this Japanese site. Kato's attacking play,
, is 場合の手.
Discussion:
Bob Myers: Is this distinct from makeshift?
Bob McGuigan: I'm not sure about the technical go meaning of "makeshift" but it looks like it might be something improvised in a special situation, while a situational or circumstantial "joseki" refers to a situation that is likely to occur relatively often in regular play. Actually, to me, the term "makeshift" suggests something that gets the job done but isn't elegant or well-designed, e.g. a makeshift shelter in a storm.
Bill: I don't think of makeshift as a go term. It's just English. I think it might apply to certain zokusuji, as in "zokusuji nagara...."
Maybe the definition of baai no te should be tightened.
Tamsin: I have encountered the word 間に合わせ (which my dictionary translates as "makeshift") used to describe plays that serve a purpose, e.g., retaining sente, but are not completely satisfactory, because, for instance, they leave defects behind.
John F. Some Japanese go dictionaries list it as a term, and it is very common. In go, "makeshift" seems slightly wrong, as that implies a temporary measure - you make do for the moment but you expect to get round to doing the job properly later. In go "expedient" seems more accurate, i.e. you do something slightly improper in the hope you'll get away with it. The sort of thing this covers is where you answer hanetsugi not by a final solid connection but by a move on the other side of your territory that protects the cut from a distance. It's improper in that it may backfire if, say, a ko develops, but you would not usually expect to have to add another move (i.e. do the job properly) as would be the case with a makeshift. FWIW I checked my understanding of makeshift and expedient with the OED, but Americans/Australians etc may have a different angle on this. It should be noted that maniawase in normal Japanese also implies a time element, and "makeshift" certainly fits there. But as it seems that go uses the term in a subtly different way from everyday Japanese, it seems it should indeed by classed as a technical term (although no doubt the everyday meaning also occurs in go texts!). It's important to note also that maai (definitely a technical term) and maniau/maniawanai also occur using the same kanji.
[1] From the Japanese word 場合 【ばあい】 (n-adv,n) case; situation; (P) as noted in Jim Breen's WWWJDIC Server