rip-off

A swindle. The less respectable end of trick play or hamate. Players must be on their guard throughout the game, especially towards the end of what looks like a certain victory. A rip-off refers to when a player "steals" the game from his opponent, not necessarily by the use of clever hamete, but more likely by merely giving his opponent the opportunity to make a gross blunder. The two diagrams show a typical rip-off scenario. As long as Black retains life in the corner he will win comfortably. White 1 is perhaps best played with a poker face. To ensure two eyes, Black should reply at A, but if complaceny leads him into playing black 2, as in the demonstration sequence of the second diagram, the black group is doomed!