For Satoshi Yuki fans, last week was ...

By Rob Van Zeijst

For Satoshi Yuki fans, last week was a huge disappointment when he lost the final game in the best-of-seven Kisei title match 3 to 4 against defending champion Naoki Hane. In the match, Yuki was trailing 1-3 but he fought back to even the score. The final game was exciting with battles that made the heart race, but, in the end, everything was decided in the endgame. In winning the final game, Hane defended his title for the first time and took home 42 million yen in prize money. As luck would have it, the crosscut--the object of the column last week--appeared in this game. Let's check this game out. Hane is black

Kisei title match

Diagram 1: (Black 17 connects where white 10 is captured) After black 9 is played in response to white 8, the moves through 21 are a joseki, a pattern in which both sides are roughly equal. In this exchange Black gets the lion's share of the territory while White gets thickness and sente to attack with 22. A complicating factor is that A builds center thickness in sente for either side. Black 23, 25 and 27 set up the crosscut combination 29 and 31. This crosscut aims at settling Black's stones. How should White deal with this? Problems 1 and 2 offer two alternatives.

NEC Cup Final

Diagram 2: Last week, we started this game between Ryu Shikun (white) and Cho U. When White played a crosscut where the marked stones are, a furious battle ensued. Black 1 (move 37 in the actual game) is a strong nozoki (peep). White cannot afford to connect so he decides to strengthen his position in the corner with 2. Black seizes the initiative in the center with 3 through 16, then attacks the corner. However, White was ready with a clever move at 20 (see Reference). Black attacks again in the center with 23 through 29. In response to 31, White surprisingly decides not to defend, sacrifices his top right corner and goes out on a limb to attack Black's center group with 32 and 36. If he does not capture the stones in the center or otherwise profit hugely during the attack, the loss of his top right corner may prove to be too great. Black fights back with 37 and 39, but then White strikes hard with 40. Oops! How will Black get himself out of this mess? We will see how this battle ends next week.

Reference: After white 20 in Diagram 2, if Black plays at 1, he can capture a minor stone with 3, but White will stay alive with 2 and 4. The latter move also threatens to connect White's two marked stones with A, which would cause major problems for Black's group at left. White is alive in the corner because black B would be followed by white C, black D and white E, which would give White two eyes.

Solutions to last week's problems

Solution 1A: If White responds with 2 after Black's probe at 1, Black must crosscut. White 4 is a common response. But after black 7, White has not increased his territory by much, while Black has built a presence in what should have been White's sphere of influence. Black usually should not play at B as this becomes a heavy shape, but he can make a light and flexible shape with a move like A.

Solution 1B: In response to Black's crosscut at 3, White often resorts to more aggressive moves such as 4 and 6. After 10, White has more territory, and depending on the rest of the board, Black's stones 3 to 9 may come under attack.

Solution 2: White 1 is a stunning move. If Black connects at 3, white 4 puts him on the spot. Black 2 is the best response, but white 3 forces black 4. White can then seize two stones with 5. The moves 6 and 7 are miai, meaning that if Black plays at one spot, White will play at the other. Black is doomed. This is not a really difficult problem when presented like this, but it is hard to spot in an actual game.

Problems

Problem 1: After Black crosscuts with 1 (31 in Diagram 1), White could try to split Black's groups with 2 through 8. How should Black deal with this? Work out the next few moves for both players.

Problem 2: What about the combination 2 and 4 for White? How should Black respond and what would happen after that?

Problem 3: In Diagram 1, find as many alternatives as you can in response to black 31. Generally, players become stronger if they are able to find many variations.

Problem 4: After white 40 in Diagram 2, how would you extricate Black from the mess he is in?

Come to Ben's Cafe (03-3202-2445, www.benscafe.com) in Takadanobaba, Tokyo, where the English-speaking go community congregates every Sunday, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

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