Squeeze tesuji

  Difficulty: Beginner   Keywords: Tesuji, Shape

Chinese: 滚包 (gun3 bao1); 滚打 (gun3 da3)
Japanese: シボリ (shibori)
Korean: 조여 붙이다

Table of contents Table of diagrams
Squeeze tesuji
Squeeze tesuji
Continuing pressure
Final position
Lethal squeeze (W4 connects)
Black can't resist
White solves a larger problem
Black is dead

Introduction

A squeeze (or squeeze tesuji) is a play or sequence that forces a player's stones into an inefficient shape by wringing out the liberties of a group through combination of sacrifice and forced capture? exchanges. Beneficial exchanges, leading to the squeeze, can be forced by ataris and atari/capturing race threats.

Squeeze plays are very rewarding and can range from easy to spot to highly sophisticated. Nonetheless, with a bit of practice you too can see how to set up squeezes and force your opponents into inefficient shape, and conversely, avoid being squeezed yourself.

Example 1

[Diagram]

Squeeze tesuji

In this example, after White plays W1, Black invites the cut with B2, sacrifices B4 . . .

[Diagram]

Squeeze tesuji

. . . in order to force with B6 and then squeeze with B8 and B10 - ending up with good shape and leaving White in a dango shape.

[Diagram]

Continuing pressure

Black continues to squeeze White, making territory in the process.

[Diagram]

Final position

White's group is still weak.


Example 2

[Diagram]

Lethal squeeze (W4 connects)

The squeeze can also be used as a capturing technique. In this example, Black sacrifices the marked stone to squeeze with B1 and B3 and subsequently kills with B5.


Example 3

[Diagram]

Black can't resist

Before connecting, White pushed a little bit into the center with W1. Black could not resist B2. Instead of trying to save the marked stone, White plays W3 . . .

[Diagram]

White solves a larger problem

. . . followed by W5, which seals the black group in.

[Diagram]

Black is dead

B6 leaves Black with a very bad shape, and White plays out to W7, guarding against a cut at a, and sealing off Black's escape route through b.


Notes

  • The top two examples on this page are shamelessly copied (with permission) from goproblems.com, which also has many other tesuji problems.

See Also


This is a copy of the living page "Squeeze tesuji" at Sensei's Library.
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