aji keshi
Refers to a proponent move that counter productively leads to the removal of some of the opponent's positional defects. Given that it is impossible to foresee exactly how the game will continue, any forcing move that is not urgent (i.e. at the next turn, the opponent cannot profitably remove the opportunity owing to more urgent concerns), is probably aji keshi because, at the very least, it is likely to remove a potential ko threat. Middle kyu players often play in this way in the mistaken belief that their move is sente.
Although it is easy to detect potential aji keshi, detecting actual aji keshi is more difficult because this necessitates reading out the many alternative continuation sequences. However, the first diagram shows a fairly straightforward example with White to play. The white stone marked with a cross, although dead, possesses aji because it reduces the liberties on the two black stones below, thus preventing black playing at C (which would allow White to capture) and so prevents the connection to, and rescue of, the five black stones to the bottom left. It should be obvious that White must play at B to prevent capture of the three white stones at the top right, but the temptation is to play the forcing move at A first. Unfortunately this is aji keshi because it removes the aji of the single dead white stone. The potential effect is shown by the sequence in the second diagram. White should be content with playing B immediately! |
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