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2009-11-09

Problem diagram.
White plays.

Source:
Tesuji Dictionary, Vol. 1, Hasami-tsuke #30,
Segoe Kensaku & Go Seigen, Ishi Press

Analysis: Myron Souris

Solution follows    (or click here to download SGF)






























Best!
Although this problem is only rated as mid-kyu, in the heat of a game, a dan level player could easily miss the subtle move at 1. White 3 is an important forcing move. Black has no choice but to save the bulk of his bottom group with 4. But White 5 lives by capturing part of Black's group.


Black variation.
Black cannot hold onto all his stones with 4. White cuts off the bottom group with 5. And after White 7, Black will lose the semeai at the bottom for all his stones.


A mistake.
Cutting off Black's group with 1 wastes a good opportunity. Black 2 takes the vital point. Now White no longer has the mainline sequence shown in the 1st diagram above to capture the 5 stones. Furthermore, with Black's group alive, White would have to connect with 3 to live in gote. If White foolishly played 3 elsewhere, as this diagram shows, Black would cut with 4, after which White is left with the famously dead "door" group on the right. For example, if White 5, Black forms a dead shape with 6.


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