Basic Mistakes

British Go Journal No. 19. January 1973. Page 9.

Part 1

Sakakibara, 8d

This series is aimed at players of l0-kyu to 5-kyu strength. It consists of examples and hints which cover many fundamental situations.

1. "Dont play tsuki-atari towards the centre"

Diagram 1

The meaning of this proverb will become apparent later. Dia 1 shows a basic corner position. White has just played 1. How do you play now?

Diagram 2

Black 2 in Dia 2 is a perfect example of a horribly bad move, which is often played by beginners. It is a tsuki-atari (it bangs into Whites position). You should notice that white 1 and 3 and the stone already there form the hane at the head of two stones in a row - c.f. Go Proverbs by Segoe.

Let us consider the position after black 6. White has at least 10 points of territory and considerable influence along the side. Black has played the same number of stones and has only six points of territory and no influence. Furthermore a white approach to A would put Blacks position under attack. Blacks troubles stem from 2, a very bad move.

Diagram 3

Diagram 4

In Dia 3 Black plays 2, a tsuki-atari towards the edge and the sequence up to 4 is the start of the nadare joseki, as you probably know.

In Dia 4. when White attacks to the outside, Blacks tsuki-atari 2 is the correct way to play.

In conclusion we see the tsuki-atari of Dias 3 and 4 are the correct way to play. The direction of both these moves is towards the edge. In Dia 2 the tsuki-atari is in the opposite direction, towards the centre, and is a poor move. Blacks resultant position is inefficient.

2. "The direction of the kake-tsugi" - Examples.

Diagram 5

The kake-tsugi is a diagonal connection, e.g. black 2 and 4 of Dia 5. In Dia 5 black 4 is an example of bad play. White has played an outer attach, 1, and a drawback, 3 (tsuke-hiki). Black 4, a kake-tsugi, is played into the corner, but is in the wrong direction.

Diagram 6

Diagram 7

Compare this with Dia 6. White 1 is an inner attach and finally Black plays 4, a kake-tsugi, towards the side. In Dia 6, black is promised possibilities of growth, by playing at A or B - his direction for further play is along the side. In Dia 5, black has little potential - he is bottled up in the corner.

In fact, Black should have played as in Dia 7. White will cut, either on the inside or the outside, but this is quite alright for black.

3. An example from handicap go.

This example will to grasp the new which we have just studied.

Diagram 8

Diagram 9

Dia 8 shows a common position in handicap Go. White plays the attachment 1 and black 2 is a tsuke-atari towards the centre (a bad move). Black hasnt secured all his territory on the left side, and has managed to strengthen white. There is of course no need to play the tsuke-atari. Black 1 in Dia 9 is good and black 3 is much better than the result of Dia 8.