© 1985 by Kano Yoshinori
English Translation © 1985 Richard Bozulich

Graded Go Problems
For Beginners

Volume Two
Elementary Problems

Kano Yoshinori 9-dan
Translated by Richard Bozulich

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Graded Go Problems For Beginners are the ideal books for players who have just learned the rules of Go, bridging the gap between a beginner’s book and some of the more ‘advanced’ elementary books.

The almost 1,500 problems these four volumes contain thoroughly drill the reader in the fundamentals of the game. Once you have finished studying these four books, you will have mastered the elements of capturing and defending stones, life and death of groups, elementary tactics, the opening, and the endgame, thus laying a solid foundation for his future progress.

Volume Two contains 327 elementary level problems. (25-kyu to 20-kyu)

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About the Author & Translator

Kano Yoshinori was born on April 14, 1928 in Kyoto and died on May 2, 1999. He came to Tokyo at the age of nine and became a disciple of Suzuki Hideko 5-dan. He became 1-dan in 1943 and in 1968 he attained the top rank of 9-dan. In 1948 he won the Young Professional’s Championship, in 1955 he won the top section of the Oteai, and in 1961 he won the 5th Prime Minister’s Cup. He played in the 14th, 20th, 25th, and 26th Honinbo leagues. In 1975 he went to Austria and Russia, then in 1979 he led a team of high school go players to China for a goodwill match. He graduated from the Japanese Literature Department of Japan University, making him one of the few professional go players to have graduated from university. His most prominent disciple is the Taiwanese go player, O Rissei 9-dan, winner of the 2000 and 2001 Kisei titles. In 2001 he won the Judan title which he currently holds.

Richard Bozulich is the president of Kiseido Publishing Company. He learned how to play go in 1958 while a studying mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley. He came to Japan in 1967 to study go and founded The Ishi Press for the purpose of publishing go books in English. In 1982, he founded Kiseido. Invincible: The Games of Shusaku by John Power was its first publication.

Copyright Page

Kiseido Publishing Company
Tokyo, Los Angeles, Amsterdam

Published by
Kiseido Publishing Company
Kagawa 4–48–32, Chigasaki-shi,
Kanagawa-ken
Japan 253–0082

Copyright © 1985 by Kano Yoshinori

English Translation Copyright © 1985 Richard Bozulich

All rights reserved according to international law. This book and parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Contents

Graded Go Problems For Beginners – Volume Two

About the Author & Translator

Copyright Page

Preface

Glossary

Elementary Problems Level One

How to Capture Stones

Connecting and Separating Stones

The chapters in gray are included only in the full book.

Defending Your Positions

Ko

Capturing Races

Living Groups and Dead Groups

How to Play in the Opening

The End of the Game

Elementary Problems Level Two

How to Play in the Opening

How to Capture Stones and Related Problems

Defending Your Positions

Life and Death

Ko

Capturing Races

Endgame

Elementary Problems Level Three

How to Play in the Opening

How to Capture Stones

Connecting and Separating Stones

Defending Your Positions

Life and Death

Ko

Capturing Races

Endgame

Elementary Problems Level Four
Life and Death Problems

Making Life

Killing Groups

Seki

Ko

Capturing Races

Appendix: Eye Spaces, Nakade and Bent Four in the Corner

Go Books from Kiseido

Buy This Book

About SmartGo Books

Preface

This volume is a continuation of the first volume of Graded Go Problems For Beginners and is aimed at the 20-kyu to 25-kyu player.

The problems presented here will require a bit of thought, but none of them is so difficult that a player who understands the rules and has studied the first volume wouldn’t be able to solve them in less than a minute.

Since the main aim of this series is to present as many examples of go technique as possible, I have avoided giving a lot of different variations of possible answers. The reader is advised to attempt to ‘refute’ the correct answer until he knows beyond doubt that the correct answer works. By pondering each problem in this way, the reader will develop an instinct for finding the winning move in his games.

Kano Yoshinori 9-dan
September, 1985

Glossary

atari – a move threatening to capture on the next move.

dame — neutral points.

dan — a ranking scale running from 1-dan to 9-dan.

double atari – a move that puts two different groups of stones into atari.

eye — a point on the board that is surrounded by stones of the same color.

ko — a situation in which two opposing stones can capture and recapture each other endlessly. In a game, immediate recapture is forbidden.

kyu — a ranking scale running from 35-kyu (beginner) up to 1-kyu, the highest rank before 1-dan.

nakade — a move played inside an opposing group’s eye space that prevents the formation of two eyes.

oi-otoshi — an atari against which there is no way for the group that is in atari to escape.

oshi-tsubushi — a crushing move. An atari against which there is no way to escape except to make an illegal move.

seki — dual life. A situation in which neither of two groups of opposing stones has two eyes, but neither can attack the other without losing his stones.

snapback — an atari on an opposing group such that, if the stone making the atari is captured, the capturing stones will still be in atari.

Elementary Problems Level One

How to Capture Stones

Problem 1

Problem 1 – Black to play.

＞＜ ▶︎

How does Black play?

Answer 1

Correct Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

By playing at 1, Black rescues his four endangered stones. Now the three white stones on the right are doomed.

Wrong Answer
3: connects

＞＜ ▶︎

Capturing a stone with 1 fails. After the ataris with 2 and 4, White will capture seven black stones.

Problem 2

Problem 2 – Black to play.

＞＜ ▶︎

How does Black play?

Answer 2

Correct Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

If Black ataries a white stone with 1, Black can save his three endangered stones.

Wrong Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

If Black plays 1, White blocks the escape route with 2 and the four black stones can be captured on the next move.

Problem 3

Problem 3 – Black to play.

＞＜ ▶︎

How does Black play?

Answer 3

Correct Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

The atari of Black 1 is the correct answer. If White connects at 2, Black ataries again with 3 and White can’t escape.

Wrong Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

If Black plays 1, White 2 puts seven black stones into atari. Black has failed.

Problem 4

Problem 4 – Black to play.

＞＜ ▶︎

How does Black play so as to capture four white stones?

Answer 4

Correct Answer
4: connects

＞＜ ▶︎

First of all, Black ataries with 1 and 3. Now, with the atari of 5, it becomes a ladder and White can’t escape.

Wrong Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

Connecting with Black 1 lets White off the hook. After White connects at 2, his stones can’t be captured.

Problem 5

Problem 5 – Black to play.

＞＜ ▶︎

How does Black play so as to capture nine white stones?

Answer 5

Correct Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

If Black plays 1 and 3, the ten white stones can’t avoid capture.

Wrong Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

Playing at 1 allows White to capture a black stone with 2 and thereby escape.

Problem 6

Problem 6 – Black to play.

＞＜ ▶︎

How does Black play so as to capture eight white stones?

Answer 6

Correct Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

If Black plays 1, the eight white stones can be captured on the next move.

Wrong Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

The atari of Black 1 fails. White extends to 2, leaving Black with too many defects in his position to defend properly.

Problem 7

Problem 7 – Black to play.

＞＜ ▶︎

How does Black play so as to capture three white stones?

Answer 7

Correct Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

If Black casts a net with 1, the three white stones in the center can’t escape.

For Reference

＞＜ ▶︎

If White tries to escape with 1 and 3, Black blocks with 2 and 4, so there is no way to avoid capture.

Problem 8

Problem 8 – Black to play.

＞＜ ▶︎

How does Black play so as to capture four white stones?

Answer 8

Correct Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

If Black casts a net with 1, the four white stones can’t escape.

Wrong Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

The atari of Black 1 fails. White extends to 2 and his stones can no longer be captured.

Problem 9

Problem 9 – Black to play.

＞＜ ▶︎

How does Black play so as to link up his stones on the left and the right?

Answer 9

Correct Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

Black 1 captures two white stones, so the four black stones on the right will link up to the two in the center.

Wrong Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

Black 1 may capture a stone, but, after White plays 2, the seven black stones on the right are dead.

Problem 10

Problem 10 – Black to play.

＞＜ ▶︎

How should Black play?

Answer 10

Correct Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

The atari of Black 1 is the correct answer. White’s attempt to save his stones with 2 and 4 is futile: after Black 5, ten white stones will be captured.

Wrong Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

Defending with Black 1 is wrong. White defends his position with 2. The white stones are now safe.

Problem 11

Problem 11 – Black to play.

＞＜ ▶︎

How should Black play?

Answer 11

Correct Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

Black can save his eight endangered stones with the atari of 1. White’s two stones can’t avoid being captured.

Wrong Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

The atari of Black 1 fails. After White connects with 2, the nine black stones are dead.

Problem 12

Problem 12 – Black to play.

＞＜ ▶︎

How does Black play so that his stones on the edge will not be captured?

Answer 12

Correct Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

Black 1 is the right move. The black stones on the edge can no longer be captured.

Wrong Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

Connecting with Black 1 fails. Becouse of a shortage of liberties, Black can’t defend his two stones that are in atari.

Problem 13

Problem 13 – Black to play.

＞＜ ▶︎

How does Black play so as to capture five white stones?

Answer 13

Correct Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

Throwing in a stone with Black 1, then playing an atari with 3, are the moves that capture six white stones.

Wrong Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

If Black immediately captures two white stones with 1, White will connect at 2. The six black stones at the top are now dead.

Problem 14

Problem 14 – Black to play.

＞＜ ▶︎

How does Black play so as to capture four white stones?

Answer 14

Correct Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

After Black 1 and 3, there is no way for the four white stones that are in atari to escape capture.

Wrong Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

Black 1 fails. After White capture with 2, the best Black can hope for is a ko.

Problem 15

Problem 15 – Black to play.

＞＜ ▶︎

How does Black play so as to create an ‘oshi-tsubushi’ shape with the two white stones in the corner?

oshi-tsubushi – a shape in which you atari two or more of your opponent’s stones in such a way that he cannot defend against it without committing suicide.

Answer 15

Correct Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

Black 1 captures the two white stones in the corner. Note that White can’t connect at the 1–1 point (oshi-tsubushi), so Black lives with two eyes.

Wrong Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

Capturing one stone with Black 1 fails. Black dies after White connects with 2.

Problem 16

Problem 16 – Black to play.

＞＜ ▶︎

How does Black play so as to capture four white stones by creating an oshi-tsubushi shape?

Answer 16

Correct Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

Black 1 creates an oshi-tsubushi shape, so the four white stones in atari will be captured.

Wrong Answer
2: takes

＞＜ ▶︎

If Black captures two stones with 1, White recaptures with 2. Black is dead because he will eventually be reduced to one eye.

Connecting and Separating Stones

Problem 17

Problem 17 – Black to play.

＞＜ ▶︎

How does Black play after White 1?

Answer 17

Correct Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

If Black connects at 1, he will eventually be able to capture the two white stones on the right.

Wrong Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

If Black plays at 1, White cuts off one black stone with 2, so the two white stones can no longer be captured.

Problem 18

Problem 18 – White to play.

＞＜ ▶︎

How does White play so as to link up all of his stones?

Answer 18

Correct Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

By playing 1, all the white stones are linked up into one group.

If Black plays first

＞＜ ▶︎

If it were Black’s turn, he would play 1. Now the two white stones on the left are isolated and can’t make a living shape.

Problem 19

Problem 19 – Black to play.

＞＜ ▶︎

How does Black play so as to separate the four white stones on the edge from those leading out into the center?

Answer 19

Correct Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

If Black cuts with 1, there is no way that White can rescue his four stones on the right.

Wrong Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

If Black plays 1, White connects with 2. All Black can now do is to capture the stone in atari. Black has failed.

Problem 20

Problem 20 – Black to play.

＞＜ ▶︎

How does Black play in response to White 1?

Answer 20

Correct Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

Black 1 is the correct answer. If White 2, Black plays 3. Black’s stones on the bottom left are intact.

Wrong Answer

＞＜ ▶︎

Black 1 fails. After White 2 and 4, three black stones will be captured.