The Magic of Go
Computers have led to a flourishing go community, with participants from around the world and all levels of expertise.

On Web sites, there is a wealth of infomation on go, ranging from its history, philosophy and the profiles of many strong players, to libraries of games, standard sequences and commentaries. There are also players who offer lessons for a fee.

Next week, I will provide a list of the most popular Internet sites and links. Some sites require a fee to play, while others are not available in English or Japanese. One site that is available for free and in many languages is Kiseido, at www.kiseido.com

Personally though, I prefer the atmosphere at go clubs. This is where you can actually see your opponent and discuss the game afterward. Lists of go clubs with addresses and telephone numbers can be found on the Internet by country or city.

The second step--part 2

Last week, we changed the rules of the game a little. First, we were set the task of capturing just one stone to win, then we needed to capture three stones for victory. After a few practice games, we can increase this to five or 10 stones.

A stone is captured by taking away its last liberty. Two or more stones can be captured by taking away their last liberty.

Diagram 1: Where should Black play to capture the four marked stones?

Diagram 2: The marked stones in Diagram 1 have only one liberty so black 1 is the right move as it takes that last liberty away.

Diagram 3: The marked white stones are in danger. Where should Black play to capture them?

Diagram 4: Black should play at 1. However, isn't it possible for White to capture black 1 by playing at 2?

Diagram 5: After White has captured the stone, the situation looks like this. Notice the three marked stones have only one liberty left.

Diagram 6: Therefore, with his next move (black 3), Black can capture the three marked stones.

This play in which one side (in this case, Black) sacrifices one stone to capture more at a later time is called "snapback." Needless to say, White shouldn't have captured the stone Black was offering.

Solutions to last week's problems

Solution 1A: Black's marked stones have only two liberties. White should play at 1 (or 3) to fill in one of Black's liberties. Then, even if Black threatens to capture White's surrounding stones with a move such as black 2, white 3 (or 1) takes the last liberty to capture Black's four stones.

Solution 1B: If Black captures with 2 in response to white 1, Black reduces the liberties of his group to one.

Solution 1C: Because of this, Black's five stones can be captured if White plays at 3. Notice that White doesn't even have to play at 3 right away as Black cannot escape. White can play there anytime he wishes.

Solution 2: The marked stones are on a collision course. Filling in the opponent's liberties as quickly as possible decides the outcome. White should play at 1, forcing Black to capture with 2. Next, White can play at 3 to reduce Black's liberties to only one. (The order of White's moves can be reversed.) Even if Black plays at A or B, White would take away Black's last liberty by playing at the spot where his stone was captured by black 2.

Solution 3: In this situation, it is again vital to reduce liberties. White 1 is the right move. Even if Black kills two white stones to create two liberties, White can next play at 1 to reduce Black's liberties to one. The Black stones are doomed.

Reference 1: White should not play at 1. Black will capture with 2. Now we arrive at the position as in Reference 2.

Reference 2: White cannot play at A or B to reduce Black's liberties to one. Look at the rule for capturing again: A stone is captured by taking away its last liberty. Neither A nor B achieves this objective. On the other hand, a White move at A or B is problematic, because that stone has no liberties. In other words, it would be suicide to play there, and this is forbidden by the rules.

Next week, I will discuss a little more about the natural consequences of the rule for capturing stones, or you can find out tomorrow at Ben's Cafe in Takadanobaba (Tel: 3202-2445 or www.benscafe.com) where the English-speaking go community (Japanese also welcome) congregates every Sunday starting at 11 a.m. You can enjoy free lessons until 1 p.m.

Rob van Zeijst is a four-time European champion and European representative at the Fujitsu World Championship.

By Richard Bozulich

By Rob van Zeijst

  1. Example of a pro game
  2. Insight to the pro game
  3. The basics of territory
  4. Be proactive
  5. Take the Initiative
  6. The endgame
  7. The Last Points
  8. Last week's problem
  9. The endgame
  10. Endgame Tesuji
  11. As expected,
  12. Kisei Title
  13. Balancing attack,
  14. Balancing attack and defense
  15. Tobi, kosumi, keima
  16. Tobi, kosumi, keima
  17. The end of the game
  18. O Rissei keeps Kisei title
  19. Solutions to last week's problems
  20. Over the next few weeks
  21. Efficiency calls for good shape
  22. Get an eye for shape
  23. Middle of three stones
  24. Kosumi: pros and cons
  25. Defects of kosumi
  26. Kosumi
  27. Hazama
  28. Attacking
  29. Where there is a keima, there is a cut
  30. Cutting keima the right way
  31. Visualization is a must
  32. Function over form
  33. Rationality
  34. Intuition
  35. Realistic approach
  36. Connecting stones
  37. The so-called cosmic style
  38. Ponnuki
  39. Ponnuki
  40. Ponnuki
  41. Sabotage
  42. Ponnuki and Ko
  43. Fighting ko effectively
  44. Handicap go
  45. Handicap go
  46. The nine-stone handicap
  47. Basics of handicap go
  48. 5 more basic principles of handicap go
  49. Yoda defends Meijin Titlego
  50. Original ideas
  51. The third part of the game
  52. In go, it is easier to...
  53. A good way to improve a game
  54. A big gap between genders
  55. World Championship for Women
  56. Hane defends the Tengen Title
  57. 7-stone handicap
  58. Let's start the New Year...
  59. 9x9 pro game
  60. 9x9 pro game
  61. The following is...
  62. The Go player's...
  63. Of the three most prestigious titles, ...
  64. This is the third installment in a series...
  65. Achallenger has to overcome many obstacles....
  66. In the battle for the 42 million yen.....
  67. Only one week after losing his Kisei.....
  68. After recently losing his Kisei title.....
  69. It is a well-established fact that.....
  70. Go--The first step
  71. Some basics about the pro world
  72. How deep can a pro read?.....
  73. Who are the best go players.....
  74. Can computers play go?.....
  75. Last week, we established.....
  76. Computers have led to a flourishing.....
  77. Though I recommend that you join a go club.....
  78. Last week, we finally got to the point where we discovered that.....
  79. Some people like to offer quotations aimed at showing .....
  80. One of the best and most authoritative Web sites for.....
  81. At the beginner levels, go is an easy game to play.....
  82. We often do things in life without thinking.....
  83. We are often told to do the right thing.....
  84. Following a pattern set by others is easy.....
  85. This week's Go Weekly, a Japanese weekly go newspaper.....
  86. How fast can you do a job and do it right.....
  87. When I am asked by go students how they can.....
  88. Books have been written on the subject.....
  89. Go players are always quick to point out that go is a superior.....
  90. The last few weeks were devoted to tactical issues.....
  91. The fifth and final game in the best-of-five Gosei title match .....
  92. The dividing of land, property, and things of .....
  93. Fireworks are expected between current Meijin .....
  94. Dividing land, property or living space in one's own favor is .....
  95. The dream match between the current Kisei .....
  96. Three games have now been completed in the best-of-seven series.....
  97. We have talked strategy over the past few weeks.....
  98. In study, in all branches of sport.....
  99. The most important things a go beginner.....
  100. In many games and sports,.....
  101. How do you do confront your fears?.....
  102. In go, you cannot expect to deal with.....
  103. When your opponent is much stronger than you.....
  104. Using the power of your opponent for.....
  105. The combination of aggressiveness, .....
  106. Last week, there was some good news for.....
  107. On Dec. 18, in the fifth game of.....
  108. Go Weekly, which hits the nation's newsstands every Monday.....
  109. In go, the beginner must try to master the basics of life and.....
  110. Last week, we started a new series on life and.....
  111. This is the third article in a series on life-and.....
  112. In this article, the fourth in a series, we will take.....
  113. This is the fifth installment of tsume go.....
  114. Practice, practice, practice. This is the way to improve.....
  115. The Kisei title match, worth more than $400,000.....
  116. The Kisei title match, worth more than $400,000.....
  117. For a champion, 25-year-old Keigo Yamashita has.....
  118. In two-day best-of-seven matches.....
  119. Naoki Hane has iron nerves.....
  120. The game of go can be as easy or as difficult.....
  121. On April 18 and 25, the TV Tokyo network will.....
  122. Give and take is widely used in daily life to strike.....
  123. Although go has a history of almost 4,000 years.....
  124. The adage "Chess was invented but go was discovered".....
  125. Unlike chess, in which a board position.....
  126. Over the past few weeks we have concentrated.....
  127. Go is sometimes perceived as a more difficult game than chess
  128. Last week, I stressed that the objective of go was to.....
  129. Anyone can learn the basics of go.
  130. Go can be considered a zero-sum game as .....
  131. If you play a strategic game like go, taking or keeping .....