The pain associated with a loss often ...

By Rob Van Zeijst

The pain associated with a loss often is so strong that many people will go to any length to avoid even the possibility of such a loss. Frequently, this pain is aggravated by a refusal to accept what happened. In go, stones or whole groups of stones can be captured. Recovering quickly from such a calamity is important so that you can get on with the game. At an even higher level of the game, it is often necessary to make a sacrifice in order to gain some compensation later.

Now let's have a look at the first game for the Meijin title between current Meijin Cho U (Black) and challenger Satoru Kobayashi, a former Kisei titleholder.

Diagram 1 (1-24): The first remarkable move is black 9 (see Reference 1 for an alternative). White 10 looks like a trick play. Alternatives are attaching at 11 and starting a cut with 22. After white 10, Black must be careful. Black quickly settles the left with 15, 17 and 19. With 20, White attacks Black's entire group at the top. Black 21 aims at pulling his stones toward the center, inducing White to trap two black stones with 22 and 24. In other words, Black sacrifices two stones in order to connect his stones with 23 and to get sente (take the initiative). How should Black proceed now? Remember White's strength in the upper left. We will continue this game next week.

Reference 1: The moves 1 through 9 are a joseki. However, White abandons one stone to play 10 through 14, creating a perfect balance with his marked stone. Therefore, Black rejected the standard approach, i.e. playing at 1.

Reference 2: Instead of 17 in the game, if Black plays at 1, white 2 would be strong response. Note that this is the reason White made a hard connection with the marked stone instead of a hanging connection at A. Black naturally resists with 3 through 9, but after 16, he is lost. Black B would be answered by white C.

Hints for improving your game

Most beginners try to save their stones regardless of whether they are important or a burden. When stones are not that important, try to sacrifice them in such a way that you get some compensation in return.

Diagram 2: In this example, White sacrifices his marked stone when Black pincers at 1. White, of course, could jump to A and fight, but if Black is strong at the top and the right, White will not prevail. If Black wants to capture the marked stone, he must play 3 through 9, but White maps out a good position with 4 through 10.

Diagram 3: In the game for the Meijin title, after White plays the marked stone (20), Black can play 1 (instead of 21) to save his marked stones. However, after white 2 he is surrounded. He can live with 3 through 11, but even if White merely protects with A, he has a strong center position while Black's territory is small. This is a disaster for Black. Therefore, it is better for Black to sacrifice his marked stones.

Solutions to last week's problems

The main point is to make your stones work together.

Solution 1: In response to 1, White should protect his corner with 2, 4 and 6. Black's marked stones are overconcentrated now.

Reference 3: If White plays at 2, Black takes the corner with 3 through 9. White cannot use his thickness to attack the marked black stones and has to worry about the defect at A.

Solution 2: When White invades with the marked stone, Black should play at 1. The moves through 11 are a joseki. The location of Black's marked stone is consistent with Black's wall.

Reference 4: Black 1 is bad. If the same joseki through 11 follows, Black's marked stone is in the wrong place, while White can play around A to negate Black's thickness.

New problems

Problem 1: This is the beginning of the large nadare (avalanche) joseki. How should Black proceed and sacrifice some stones?

Problem 2: The same joseki, only Black now plays at 13. This move changed the entire joseki. Now White makes a sacrifice. How?

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

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