BQM 440

    Keywords: Life & Death, Problem, Question

This page I hope will become a place of discussion for players to place go problems which have confused them in some way, even after seeing the solution.
Many of us (beginners, mostly, maybe, maybe not) have encountered go problems that are devoid of discussion. Whether the answer is given or not, some problem sources do not have the goal of discussion in mind. This page is meant to fill the gap. If you've found a problem you don't understand, and isn't explained, discuss it here (or present it here for discussion).
Basically, this differs from other, similar pages in that it is meant to address specific problems that a given player wonders about.


atimholt: This confuses me. I found this problem in a go problem book of mine:

[Diagram]

Black to play


kb: The solution is a case of capture two, recapture one.

[Diagram]

Black is alive

kb: Instead of playing B3 at a to save the black+circle stones, it is played to make an eye in combination with B1.

[Diagram]

Black is alive (2)

When W4 captures, Black can recapture at circle to form two eyes and live.


kb: Why can't Black just capture the two White stones and live?

[Diagram]

Black is alive?

If White plays 2 at white+circle, then Black can play B3 to live.

However, White has a better way to play.

[Diagram]

Black dies!

The vital point has been revealed to be the right 1-2 point, so White should play W2 there. Since this move is sente to capture the three black+circle stones (W can push in, starting at a, Black must defend at b - but then White throws in at white+circle and Black dies.


atimholt: Thanks for the instantaneous response. I'm a beginner, and will have to look this over a couple times before I really get it.

[Diagram]

Wrong

I didn't see the white throw in at the circle (and I thought white would play 2 at 3)


This is a copy of the living page "BQM 440" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2016 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
[Welcome to Sensei's Library!]
StartingPoints
ReferenceSection
About