Hot Off the Press: Excerpts from New Go Books

All About Ko
Mastering the Basics, Volume 6
by Rob van Zeijst and Richard Bozulich
published by Kiseido
The latest volume in this series presents an ex- ko, and how to evaluate ko threats. The latter two
haustive analysis of all aspects of ko: from the thirds of the book consists of 122 problems and 11
most basic points to the most esoteric. It covers example games. The discussion of these is very thor-
the various types of ko, techniques for creating a ough. This is a book for serious students of the game.

Here’s a sample from the book:

Problem 1 Answer to Problem 1

1 2 1
2

What is the status of the Dia. 1. Double ko Dia. 2. Unlimited ko

white stones in the corner? threats
The black stones are alive because of a double ko. However, once White
plays 1 in Dia. 1, Black must capture with 2 to get out of atari. If a ko is being
fought elsewhere, Whtie has unlimited ko threats. That is, White can play 1
in Dia. 2 as a ko threat. Black is in atari, so he will answer with 2. White has
another ko threat when he captures at the marked stone. At the end of the
game, Black can remove any remaining white stones from the board.

Problem 78

Black to play

After Black captures the ko with 1, White jumps to 2, threat-

1
ening to cut at A. How should Black answer White’s threat?

A 2

1
 3
19 19
17 15 16 21 6 7
4 2 12 8
7 5 11 9 13
10 9 8 6 12 11 10 16
13 18 A 14 18 20 17 14 15
Dia. 1. Correct Dia. 2. Continuation Dia. 3. Variation
White 2 in Dia. 1 is an ineffective ko threat. Black should resolve the ko by connecting with 3. If Whtie cuts with
4, Black will block with 5. White 6 is the tesuji for attacking this black shape, but Black cuts through with 7 and 9,
then descends to 11 and 13. The life of the black stones now depends on the outcome of a capturing race between
them and the five white stones above.
White starts by filling one of Black’s liberties with 14 in Dia. 2. White wedges in with 15. White ataries with 16
and Black connects with 17. White would like to atari at A, but he must first capture with 18, so Black can atari with
19, winning the capturing race by one move.
White might also resist with 6 in Dia. 3. Black would first make a placement with 7, cut through with 9 and 11,
then block with 13. The sequence to 21 is inevitable, and Black again wins the capturing race.

Example Game Four

The game in Dia. 1 was played in the 19th Fujitsu Cup on June 6,
2006 between Yi Ch’ang-ho (Black) and Yi Se-tol. The moves through 3 31 10 9 11
8 1
50 are relatively uneventful except we can already sopt the emergence 24
of a ko starting with White 34. Black 53 is a flexible move, but it al- 30 26
lows White to capture with 54 and 56. Black 57 and 59 reinforce Black’s 58 25 32 12 13
center group while weakening White’s group in the upper left and they 59 34 57
7 27 29 33
prevent White from linking up underneath below 59. White 60 is an 56
interesting move for our study of ko. Of course White will not connect 14 18 36 28 52 37 54
at 25 — that would show a lack of fighting spirit. However, letting 35 44 48 49 55
46 38 41 45 50
Black win the ko without any resistance is not good either.
5 23 42 39 40 51
White 60 eliminates a lot of black ko threats in the lower left; it is a 17 47 43
way of preparing for the ko while taking territory as well. 15 21 4 19 2
60 16 22 20 6 53

Dia. 1 (1–60)
White 62 in Dia. 2 was an unexpected assault and immediately led to a
perilous fight that became more urgent than the ko at 61. The moves
through 71 are a one-way street. Although Black A is the shape move,
61 Black 71 is better because it offers White fewer forcing moves. More-
over, Black A would force White B and leave White with no room for
error. (You always want your opponent to have plenty of room for er-
rors.)
86 80 77 78 71
87 94 76 69
With 73 and 75, Black’s position has become too low. Next, a move
95 79 64 65 A at Black C would be safe, but to elevate his position, Black extends to
63 62 67 66 68 70 B 74 98 81. The game immediately goes into high gear when White plays 82.
72 96 91 92 81 Black 83 is a clever move. If White blocks to the left of it, Black con-
100 99 90 83 73 82 75 84 C
88 85 89 93
nects his stones with 84. By the end of this diagram, both the black and
white groups in the lower left lack eyes.
Dia. 2 (61–100)
2