These days go players take glory in Deep Blue's defeat of Garry Kasparov in 1997, because this essentially made go the last board game to be mastered by a computer. All of the above would seem to show that go is indeed deeper and more strategic than the superficial and, above all tactical, game of chess. The writer, Tim Krabbe, also makes the following points:
- Go has far more permutations than chess, perhaps more than a computer can master.
- Some chess players have become very good go players and most strong early go players in Europe used to play chess. After they picked up the game of go, they made swift progress thanks to the experience they had gained in chess.
Unfortunately, this only touches the surface of the issue as it only relates the stories of a few beginners and advanced players. There is little comparative study on this subject once we move on to the topic of advanced strategy.
Any information on this topic is welcome at zaphod@inter.net and I personally invite all chess players to take up the game of go to see if they can make swift progress. Of course, go is also a tactical game and to help improve tactics and playing, it is useful to try and solve problems.
But how should these written problems be dealt with? There are several methods. The best one is to avoid looking at the solution until you think you know what it is. However, problems can also be viewed as a form of thought-provoking entertainment that also provide some playing ideas. Readers might even be surprised by the simplicity and elegance of some solutions.
Problem 1: Last week we talked about loose ladders and squeezes. Here is a prime example. Where should Black play to free his marked stones and kill the marked white stones?
Problem 2: Black's corner group is dead. Therefore, Black just played the marked stone to try to capture the marked white stones. Will this work?
Problem 3: The marked white stones have only one eye. To free them, White must capture the marked black stone. How does he do it?
Problem 4: This looks like a joseki (standard corner exchange), but in fact, the white combination 8 through 12 consists of somewhat rudimentary moves. Because of the weaknesses inherent in this shape, black 13 should not be answered with white 14. Therefore, white 14 is a mistake. How can Black profit from this move and capture white 4 using a loose ladder?
Problem 5: This is a great double ladder problem. Black has just played the marked stone--a grave mistake. How should White counter and capture the black stones?
Solution 1A: Black 1 through 9 set up a perfect squeeze.
Solution 1B: If White connects with 10 (where he captured black 1), black 11 and later moves capture him in a ladder. White is helpless.
Solution 2: The combination white 1 through 5 sets up a loose ladder for White to capture the marked black stone and set his own marked stones free. After white 11, Black's five stones are captured and his corner group dies as well.
Solution 3A: To free his marked stones and capture the marked black stone, White cuts with 1 then sets up a loose ladder with 3 through 11.
Solution 3B: (Black 18 connects where 15 is captured) Black first connects with 12, but White keeps squeezing with 13. Black looks safe when he plays at 14, but white 15 is the coup de grace. If Black captures with 16, white 17 through 21 will finish him off. Instead of capturing with 16, Black could also play at 17, White would answer with A and Black would capture with 16. But after a white move at 20, Black would be left without options and uncaptured stones.
Solution 4: Black 1 is a nice placement in response to the marked white move. If White connects at 2 to save his stone, Black will cut with 3, then set up a loose ladder with the moves through 11. White 12 and 14 come too late. Black can put the white stones in atari with 15.
Solution 5A: White should cut with 1. Black can play the ladder out all the way to move 20, but after white 21 and 23 he is in atari.
Solution 5B: He has to connect with 24. However, White sets up another ladder with 25 and 27. In the end, Black runs out of space to escape and all of his stones are captured.
Does this kind of stuff actually happen on the go board? You bet! Only very rarely do people play it out. But can people actually read this far into these kinds of problems and their possible solutions? Yes, and not only professionals. If you are serious about the game and play for a couple of months, depending on your level of concentration, you will be able to read the board in a similar way, too.
Want to find out more? Come to Ben's Cafe in Takadanobaba (03-3202-2445 or www.benscafe.com), where the English-speaking go community congregates every Sunday starting at 11 a.m.
Van Zeijst is a four-time European go champion and European representative at the Fujitsu World Championship.