Problems

British Go Journal No. 54. October 1981. Page 19.

This issue we present a double page spread of problems to tax you. The range is considerable with some quite easy problems at the beginning and difficulty jumping up severely at the tail. Problem 8 looks really easy but in fact it is the hardest problem we've ever printed and it may take you all evening to solve.

Problem 1

White to play and live.

Problem 2

This position regularly occurs in games between weaker players. Both sides tenuki, both being under the illusion that the white group is 100% alive. See if you can work out why it isn't.

Problem 3

Black to play. Things look desperate as black has only two liberties and white has three. However, this is the corner and Black can find a move but he has to be very resourceful.

Problem 4

White to play. The lower white group seems to be as dead as a dodo, as it is separated from the upper group by a very resilient looking black position. But appearances are deceptive here and black does have a weakness.

Problem 5

White is caught in the notorious "crane's nest" so he can't run away but must win the semeai locally. However, the white stone in pre-atari leaves white with a problem.

Problem 6

This is a good old fashioned 'Black to play and live' problem. Black can, in fact, make two eyes, but it's not easy going.

Problem 7

It looks as though White has plenty of room to make a second eye in spite of being open skirted. Black to play and prove that White is more vulnerable than he looks.

Problem 8

Black to play and kill. This one is rather hard, but there are not many possibilities, so a bit of patience should suffice. You are warned that the marked Black stone is necessary.

The solutions to all these problems are to be found on pages 26 and 27.