Whenever a player asks a top professional ...
By Rob Van Zeijst
Whenever a player asks a top professional how he can become stronger in go, he invariably receives the standard answer: tsume-go. Tsume-go is the generic term for solving problems, not only life-and-death and endgame problems, but also the best move in certain situations. Many aspiring players have difficulty following this advice because it is, well, difficult.
This situation can be compared to children learning mathematics. Will they become better at adding and subtracting by using a calculator? Of course not! They need to practice on paper first and then in their heads. This is true of tsume-go as well.
Beginners may want to use stones to see how a situation changes, but once they improve, they should play out a situation in their heads. It may be best to practice with a stronger player who could provide hints when solving problems.
Incidentally, the current Meijin and Honinbo, Cho U, who last week successfully defended his Oza title, composes tsume-go problems as a hobby.
Solution to last week's problem
Solution 1: After Black plays the marked stone, white 1 is a good move. This looks odd, but it stops a black throw-in at that point and wins the capturing race to 9 by one move.
Problems
Problem 1: This is a good problem for both Black and White. Determine the best move for Black when he plays first and then do the same for White.
Problem 2: Black plays first and kills the white group. Hint: Don't be too greedy.
Problem 3: Black to play first and live unconditionally (without a ko).
Problem 4: This is a problem about greed. Black plays first, and if he is not greedy, can live. How?
Problem 5: Give and you shall receive. Black to play first and kill the white corner.
Solutions
Solution 1a: Yes, black 1 is correct, although this lets White capture six stones with 2.
Solution 1b: This shape will result. Black 3 now kills the white group. White 4 is fruitless as black 5 turns this space into a single eye. White is dead.
Solution 1c: If it is White's turn (or if Black plays at A instead of at 1 in Solution 1), he will capture four stones with 1.
Solution 1d: We then get the shape shown here. Black's best move is to put the marked white stone in atari. White should now play at 3 rather than connect at 4 or capture at A, as this formation would die. This becomes a ko when Black captures with 4.
Solution 2: Black 1 is a clever move. If White tries to free his marked stones by capturing at A, Black captures three stones by playing at the spot where his marked stone was. White has no choice but to extend to 2, but it is all in vain as black 3 will kill the White group.
Solution 3: Black 1 is unexpected but correct. In response to 2, black 3 ensures life with two eyes (at the marked spots).
Reference 1: (White 8 captures at the spot where his marked stone was) Why doesn't Black capture with 1? Because White would then hit the vital point at 2. In the sequence to 7, Black captures two stones, but White would play at the point where his marked stone was, putting the black group in ko.
Reference 2: If after black 1 and white 2, Black blocks at 3, he will get in trouble again. White's move at 4 is clever. Black has no choice but to capture at 5, but white 6 then puts the marked stone in atari and turns the entire Black group into a ko.
Solution 4: Black 1 is correct. The elegant combination 1, 3 and 5 give the black group two eyes as White cannot play at A.
Reference 3: Black 1 expands Black's eye-space, but is doomed after white 2 and 4. In the sequence to 5, Black is dead. White 6 and 8 are not really necessary, but just to prove the point, Black is dead after white 8.
Solution 5a: Black 1, which sacrifices a stone, is correct. Black 3 then forces white 4.
Solution 5b: This leads to this position. The throw-in at 5 is the key, leaving White with no option but to capture at 6. Black 7 turns this white space into a false eye. White is dead.
Van Zeijst is a four-time European go champion and European representative at the Fujitsu World Championship.