Last Sunday, NHK-E broadcast a documentary about ...

By Rob Van Zeijst

Last Sunday, NHK-E broadcast a documentary about the life of top pro Masao Kato, who recently died of a stroke. Six of his closest rivals discussed Kato's career, and gave examples of his strengths and weaknesses through games they had played against him.

Kato, who was chairman of Nihon Kiin at the time of his death, had a variety of nicknames, including Killer Kato, Kato the Attacker and Endgame Kato. To illustrate how Kato earned these nicknames, a number of games were shown in which Kato killed huge groups, along with the game in which he won the Judan title in 1983. Three of these games he won by half a point. Among his records, Kato had the longest run--14! years--of being in possession of at least one major title, and being the oldest at 55 to win a major title, the Honinbo.

We will use part of a game shown on television to see how Kato used the threat of tsuke-koshi tesuji to clinch victory and take the 11th Meijin title with four straight wins.

Tsuke-koshi

Diagram 1: For the past few weeks we have discussed the keima, a shape formed by the two marked white stones. When the marked black stone is present, Black can use tsuke-koshi to cut with 1. If White plays at 2, black 3 completes the cut. The ensuing battle depends on the ladder (black A, white B, black C, white D, black E, etc.) and the placement of stones nearby, such as white A.

Diagram 2: In the fourth game in the Meijin title match between Kato (White) and titleholder Koichi Kobayashi, we get this situation. In response to the marked white stone, Black protects with 1. This looks like his best move, but it induced a dazzling tesuji by Kato. After thinking for more than an hour, instead of forcing A for B and switching elsewhere, Kato chose to capture the marked black stone in gote with 2. On TV, Kobayashi said he could not see how White could lay waste to his territory and played elsewhere to make 6.5 points. White seemed to have blundered, but had he?

Reference 1: White can force A for B at any time. White 1 is tsuke-koshi. The moves through 4 seem to be forced. After 5, Black needs to set up a defense, e.g., at 6, as this leaves the fewest sente moves for White. White 7 seems good, but after black 10 and 12, White cannot make two eyes. Therefore, this is no good for White.

Diagram 3: In the game, Kato played at 1. This brilliant move won him the game and the title with his fourth straight win. What is Black's best response?

Reference 2: Black 2 looks good, especially in combination with the tesuji 6 and 8. However, the sacrifices 9 and 11, followed by 13, make a ko in the corner. If he loses the ko, Black would lose most of his territory when White jumps all the way to B. So Black had better think again.

Reference 3: Black 2 is the severest. However, White would play sente moves with 3 through 9, then push at 11. Black's best answer is 12 to prevent White from cutting here. But when White plays at 13, he is alive because of the forcing moves at A, B and C. Black would lose this way.

Reference 4: Black 2 seems good, but the placement at 3 is a strong move. If Black connects with 4, White would play the tsuke-koshi combination 5 and 7, and 11 would give him life. Again Black has failed.

Diagram 4: Therefore, Black responded with 2. After the placement at 3, Black was forced to connect with 4. With the exchange 5 for 6, White earned seven points in sente. This stunned Kobayashi, and he never recovered.

Solutions to last week's problems

Solution 1: We asked how White could save his stones after black 1. The tsuke-koshi at 2 is White's best move. Black 3 is a good answer, but White forces the issue with 4 and 6 before engulfing Black's marked stones and making an eye in sente with 8 through 14. White's other eye is at A so he is alive.

Solution 2: This situation sometimes occurs in handicap games. Black looks sealed in, but actually this is a bad situation for White. After black 1, the tsuke-koshi plus hane combination of 3 and 5 break through White's wall. After 11, Black is alive in the corner while White has two groups to worry about. Moves around A and B threaten to capture four white stones and in the worst case, Black can squeeze through the sequence black C, white D, black E, white F and black G. White can connect where black 1 was taken, but his shape is eyeless and clumsy.

Want to find out more? Come to Ben's Cafe (03-3202-2445, www.benscafe.com) in Takadanobaba, Tokyo, where the English-speaking go community congregates every Sunday. You can enjoy free lessons, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

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