Keeping in shape

It is better to be beautiful than to be good. But...it is better to be good than to be ugly. - Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

What is beauty?
Beauty often implies simplicity, harmony and naturalness. We find these characteristics in literature, music and other forms of art. A computer programmer friend recently remarked that the difference between a good programmer and a mediocre one is the beauty in the way his or her programs are structured. Elaborating, he said that if the separate blocks that make up a program have a good structure, they have universal applications and that makes them efficient in the long run.

Go also recognizes beauty in the sense of good and bad shapes. Last week, we started to discuss the basics of this idea. Although every move applies to a specific situation, good shapes are essential and a thorough knowledge of the aesthetic value of a move helps a go player improve his game.

We established that a bamboo connection was effective and therefore a good shape. We also saw that an empty triangle is intrinsically ineffective and therefore stronger players recognize this as bad or ugly shape, regardless of the merits it may have.

Diagram 1 shows an example of the bamboo connection.

Problem 1: After black 1, how does White establish a bamboo connection ?
Problem 2: How does White make a good shape after black 1 ?

When Black has a bamboo connection (Diagram 2), it is a waste of time for White to play on two sides with the marked stones as one of these stones seems uncalled for.

Diagram 3 shows a joseki (established corner sequence with an even result).
Diagram 4, this is not a joseki as the result is not even. From the explanation for Diagram 2, you can deduce that the black stone at 3 is not effective. Due to the poor role that black 3 plays,

White can now choose from A to D for his next move.

Problem 3: By looking at Diagrams 3 and 4, can determine what the next couple of moves both players should make after black 1 ?

Let's have a look at the other side of the coin now.

Diagram 5: This is an empty triangle, ineffective because the marked stone is unnecessary for connection.
Diagram 6: Due to the presence of the marked White stone, Black, in order to escape, has to make do with 1. The marked White stone, therefore, occupies a vital point and threatens the original three black stones.

Diagram 7: After White strikes at the vital point with 1, Black is forced to defend with 2. But this move makes two empty triangles at once. It is hard to find a move that is less aesthetically appealing.
Problem 4: It is White's move, but where is the vital point ?
Problem 5: Here again, White must play and strike at the vital point.

Diagram 8: The moves to 18 represent a joseki.
Problem 6: After white 20 in Diagram 8, if Black plays tenuki (elsewhere), where should White play ?

The diagrams and problems offer a rudimentary idea of what represents a good and bad shape.
The reason why the shapes here are bad is because

the stones are working inefficiently. Another reason is that empty triangles eye shape. In contrast, imagine a black stone where White's marked stone is in Diagram 6. Or, a black stone at 1 in Diagram 7. These moves provide an eye space and make efficient use of all stones. In go, beauty is not in the eye of the beholder, but rather beauty is the eye !