Go a famous one from Maeda Nubuaki

  
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Lionel Vidal    (2006-11-13 19:45:55)
Go: a famous one from Maeda Nubuaki

Here is a famous life and death problem from Maeda Nubuaki , 9-dan. Not really easy, but a great start for opening a problem section with something stunning enough :-)
Black situation seems hopeless, but strange things happen in the corner!
Black to play.
GoPosition (see diagram)


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   a b c d e f g h j k l m n o p q r s t




Thibault de Vassal    (2006-11-13 21:16:17)
Maeda Nubuaki, problem

Interesting...

My expected sequence would be : b1 a3 b1 a1 a2 .. then it seems clear..

2nd black move is not easy ! .. Right ?


Lionel Vidal    (2006-11-14 15:03:57)
Ok you got it!

Black b1 is the eye-stealing tesuji. White takes at a3, and Black throws in at b1 (a2 looses). White must take at a1 and then Black takes the ko at a2... then White cannot connect! So the ko goes on.
Of course Black will have to ignore two threats to win, but this result is still very good if you consider how bad his position was in the proposed diagram.
The lesson is: never despair, there may be something left to fight!
BTW, these problems are meant to be solved in your head only, that is without actually moving stones... to improve one's reading ability!


Grindel Redmage    (2006-11-29 15:20:36)
b2

b2 - a3 - a2 at this point is a point of contention if white were to respond to a2 with a1 that would be a an error. whites best response to a2 is tenuki. Black cannot approach without self atari. however if black fills at a3 then it will be in trouble as well so at this point of black playing a2 the shape is seki a special life condition that neither shape is unconditionally alive. for scoring purposes non of the moku in this area are counted.


Grindel Redmage    (2006-11-29 15:29:53)
Correction

It cannot be seki the ko scenario must be correct. if black simply played a2 after the white capture of blacks stones and left it that way thinking seki white could fill the outside liberties at c5 and a5 placing black stones in atari with a capture at a3. so that means ko is the only option. I hate go problems with a ko solution they seem so artificial. Well have fun.


Thibault de Vassal    (2006-11-29 15:44:33)
Positional superko rule

Hello Grindel.

I do not understand much what you say (I'm still a beginner), but you may read FICGS rules about Go and particularly positional superko rule. The same position can't happen twice.

http://www.ficgs.com/membership.html#playing

Best wishes.


Svante Carl von Erichsen    (2006-12-11 00:05:15)
If you don't like ko...

... don't play Go ;o) Having been playing this game for quite a while now I can say that the ko rule is very relevant in real games, far from "artificial". The ko rule also is an integral part of the rules, being needed to prevent endless cycles, and can create relations between seemingly totally unrelated parts of the board. I would go so far to say that this is a big part of what makes go such fun to play. By the way, the name is "Maeda Nobuaki".