Answers To Problem Corner

British Go Journal No. 9. October 1969. Page 5.

The problems to these answers are on page 4a.

Question 1

Diagram 1

The correct answer is as in Dia 1. Black 1 and 3 are indispensable to the solution. See issue Number 7 for this joseki.

Question 2

Diagram 2

Diagram 3

1 in Dia 2 is the correct answer. If Black replies with 2, then white 3 captures the black stones as can be seen in Dia 3.

Diagram 4

Diagram 5

Should Black play 1 in Dia 4, instead of as in Dia 3, then White must answer with 2 and this will produce the same result as Diagram 3.

If he answers as in Dia 5, then black 3 captures a white stone and escapes.

Diagram 6

Diagram 7 4 at 1.

Dias 6 and 7 show how Black saves his stones if White plays another move apart from 1 in Dia 2.

Question 3

Diagram 8

Diagram 9

Dia 8 shows the correct response. With 1 and 3, Black has effectively captured the white stone on the left and formed a large potential territory.

Should Black play 3' in Dia 8 at the marked stone in Dia 9, then White can force Black to overconcentrate his stones badly by following this diagram.

Diagram 10

Black 1 as in Dia 10 would just be foolish as White, with the sequence up to 4, has ruined any potential black territory, and Black has obtained no compensation for this loss in terms of influence because of the single white stone.

Question 4

Diagram 11

"Play at the centre in a symmetrical formation" says the Go proverb, and this is the correct answer here, see Dia 11.
[However the problem is not symmetrical, the black stone on the edge breaks it! === sgb]

Diagram 12

After Dia 12 white has two eyes.

Diagram 13

For what happens if White plays at next to the black stone, see Dia 13. All the white moves are forced.

Diagram 14

However, should Black play his 1' at 3 in dia 13 instead, then a White answer as in Dia 14 gains him two eyes.