David’s Go Dojo

Continuing my thoughts from the good shape question I posted here, I have some comments about three different approaches to the situation. For review, White making the simple connection between his groups at K5 is considered inefficient, and trades away short sighted security for diminished influence and reduced territory. What therefore is the “right” move?

The move to J5 forms what is known as an “empty triangle” between the stones J4-J5-K4. When you recognize yourself making a move that makes this shape, reconsider and look to see if there is another, stronger, and more efficient move available. The empty point surrounded by these three stones is worth a single point being traded for three moves, a horrible exchange! Even if Black plays into the “trap” at K5, when white takes at K6, it gives away the initiative (gote). But worse is if Black responds at J6, and gives your empty triangle atari. This is a bad path to go down for White, almost certainly.

The hanging connection: K6 forms a connection of sorts between Whites two groups of stones, but also ends up poorly for White when black responds at the key point, J6. This places White’s stones in danger creating the need for him to connect at K5, allowing Black freedom to strengthen his stone at J6 and by extension his position at the top at J8 (not shown).

This is the strong attack from White, and forms the good shape we have been looking for. It sets up White for a follow up move at K6 to create “a bamboo joint“, a strong shape that creates an almost unbreakable connection. It also gets ahead of the Black stones very well, so that a follow up from Black at H6 is met by White at J7.

This problem was presented in Kageyama’s “Lessons in The Fundamentals of Go” in chapter 8 on “Good Shape and Bad”. For a review of this book, see here.