In gymnastics or martial arts, ...

By Rob Van Zeijst

In gymnastics or martial arts, flexibility can determine whether a person will remain a mediocre athlete or become a gold medal winner. In daily life, flexibility can increase your popularity as you will be able to interact with many different types of people. In go, flexibility is the ability to exchange old ideas for new ones, change your strategy or sacrifice stones to make gains elsewhere.

Titleholders are flexible

Although flexible and ever willing to try new ideas when young, some veteran titleholders come to a dead end in regard to creativity and ideas. After two or three years at the top, they fall back into the ranks of ordinary players. Why is that? It takes a tremendous amount of focused energy, willpower and ability to get to the top, but to stay there is even more difficult because of burnout. However, even after slipping out of the top ranks, some make a comeback by reinventing themselves, often using a different style. They have learned to detach themselves from their early successes and regained their flexibility and ability to question fixed ideas and thinking habits.

Diagram 1: Last week, we started this game between Hideyuki Sakai (black) and Rin Kono, two players with distinctly different styles. White sacrificed his marked stones in the righthand corner for a position at the top center. Black wound up with a heavy group, indicated by the marked stones. In the current position, Black just played at A, while White responded with a good move at B. Black 1 is the correct response (and provides the answer to last week's Problem 2). Ensuring a connection, white 2 is a clever throw in, but after 4. White cannot pull out his stone with 6. White 8 and 10 are another clever combination and after 24, Black finds himself eyeless. Another 50 or so moves later, Black resigns.

Reference 1: If Black plays at 1, he threatens to capture the white group. However, instead of trying to make eyes, White seals Black in with 2 through 8. After 19, the two enclosed opposing groups cannot approach each other at A or B. This situation is called seki, a kind of standoff. After White defends with 20, he looks forward to gaining a huge territory in the center. This is a disaster for Black.

Diagram 2: In this Honinbo title match between Meijin Norimoto Yoda (Black) and Honinbo Cho U, Black sacrifices stones on the left and the right to gain territory. After 14, instead of connecting at 20, Black takes the corner with 15 through 19. Black 9 and 13 become casualties, when White plays at 20. However, Black does not fight back with A, sacrificing these stones to make a base with 21 and 23. Next, Black invades with 25. This move looks like an overplay, because White can easily corner it (see Reference 2). In the sequence through 32, Black aims to give away a "finger" (black 25), while White tries to take the entire "hand" (capturing black 25 on a large scale). In other words, Black tries to sacrifice while White refuses to comply. Note that Black makes a nice corner territory.

Reference 2: The usual joseki is black 1 through 5. However, in this case, black 7 is a good extension. This move is also aimed at ensuring an escape with A. While Black reinforces his positions everywhere, White is left holding the bag.

Solutions to last week's problems

Solution 1: If Black does not play at 1 (as happened in the game), White can play at 1 and 3. Whatever Black does, White can make some kind of ko. The sequence white 7, black 8 and white 9 is an example of a ko in this corner.

Solution 2: See Diagram 1 and Reference 1 for solution.

Solution 3A: White played the marked stone as a sacrifice to obtain the result through 7, and then jumped to 8, leaving behind another potential bomb at A to wreck Black's corner.

Solution 3B: In response to the marked stone, black 1 is too passive. White could then play at A, threatening to cut at B, or play at E first as C is definitely sente (holding the initiative). As an alternative, White can also attach at D to make a good shape.

Solution 3C: Black 1 and 3 are a good combination. Note that white 4 forces Black 5, giving White another forcing move at 6, before jumping into the center with 8. White has successfully sacrificed one stone to gain tempo in the center.

Problems

Problem 1: In this situation, where is White's vital point? Where should he play to attack Black's group?

Problem 2: After solving Problem 1, look at Diagram 2 and try to find the vital point for Black to attack White's position at lower right.

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