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© 1997 Richard Bozulich

Get Strong at Go Series, Volume 7

Get Strong at the Endgame

by Richard Bozulich

Buy the full book at gobooks.com

How do you win a won game?
How do you win a lost game?

Study the endgame! More specifically, study this book and you will really get strong at the endgame.

Preface

It would be an exaggeration to say that most games are decided in the endgame, but for sure a great many upsets are pulled off at this stage. Players often come out of the opening with a clear lead, only to see it dwindle away in the endgame. The ability to win against large handicaps, where you will often end up with a bad opening result, relies more on endgame technique than on ‘tricking’ your opponent in the opening. In fact, the hallmark of strong players is their skill in the endgame.

The endgame is the most difficult part of the game to play well; it requires hard thinking. You must accurately calculate many distinct positions throughout the board while taking into account the inter-relationships between them. Aji and the life and death of stones must also be considered. Every slip or miscalculation will cost you points and, in close games, these points can be the difference between victory and defeat.

One of the two most important skills in the endgame is the ability to calculate the value of a move. Since you will, in general, want to play bigger moves before smaller ones, being able to determine the size of various moves will go a long way toward increasing your endgame strength. In the 101 problems in Part Three, you are asked to calculate the value of basic endgame moves, such as various hane and connection moves made on the first, second, and third lines, and the value of endgame sequences that arise from commonly played josekis.

The other important endgame skill is knowing the basic endgame tesujis. After working your way through the 120 endgame tesuji problems in Part Two, I have no doubt that you will look at the endgame quite differently, as you might discover after trying to solve the 42 problems in Part One again.

The 28 problems on 11x11 boards in Part Four illustrate the interplay between different-valued endgame moves in realistic situations. Studying these problems will help you understand when to forgo sente moves for gote ones, or when to go on the initiative with a sente move.

This book is essentially a problem book and, as such, there is not much theoretical explanation. We recommend that the reader consult The Endgame by Tomoko Ogawa and James Davies.

Finally, I would like to thank Kano Yoshinori 9-dan for his advice and his permission to use 65 problems from his book Yose Jiten (‘Endgame Dictionary’) in Part One and Part Four here.

Richard Bozulich
April, 1997

Copyright Page

Get Strong at Go Series, Volume 7

Get Strong at the Endgame

by Richard Bozulich

Kiseido Publishing Company
Tokyo, Los Angeles, Amsterdam

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

Copyright © 1997 Richard Bozulich

All rights reserved according to international law. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic or electronic process, nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or otherwise copied for public or private use without the written permission of the publisher.

ISBN of the printed version: 4–906574–57–2

Converted for SmartGo Books by John Mifsud.

Contents

Get Strong at the Endgame

Copyright Page

Preface

Some Important Terms and Concepts

Part One
How Strong Is Your Endgame? – 42 Problems

Problems 1–10

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

Problems 11–20

Problems 21–30

Problems 31–42

Part Two
Endgame Tesujis – 120 Problems

Problems 43–50

Problems 51–60

Problems 61–70

Problems 71–80

Problems 81–90

Problems 91–100

Problems 101–110

Problems 111–120

Problems 121–130

Problems 131–140

Problems 141–150

Problems 151–162

Part Three
Endgame Calculations – 101 Problems

Problems 163–170

Problems 171–180

Problems 181–190

Problems 191–200

Problems 201–210

Problems 211–220

Problems 221–230

Problems 231–240

Problems 241–250

Problems 251–263

Part Four
Practical Endgame Problems – 28 Problems

Problems 264–270

Problems 271–280

Problems 281–291

Appendix

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About SmartGo Books

Some Important Terms and Concepts

This section introduces a number of basic Japanese and English go terms that are used in this book. Most of these terms can be found in any beginner’s go book, but we define them here for the benefit of readers who may not be familiar with them.

For a comprehensive glossary of Japanese and English go terms, refer to The Go Player’s Almanac 2001 from page 331 to 374.

aji

Aji refers to latent possibilities that exist in a position. Although these possibilities may never be realized, their existence influences the course of the game and enables certain moves to be made.

Dia. 1a

In Dia. 1a the marked white stone in the corner is dead, but it still has aji. Because of its aji, White need not fear Black’s pushing through at A, so he can jump to 1, rescuing his three stones at the top.

Dia. 1b

If Black does push through and tries to confine White to the top with 1 and 3 in Dia. 1b, White ataris with 4. After Black defends with 5, the aji of the marked stone comes to life and White captures Black’s stones on the right with 6 and 8.

atari

Atari is a threat to capture a stone or a group of stones on the next move.

Dia. 2a

The white stone in Dia. 2a is in atari. If White doesn’t defend by extending to A, Black may capture it with 1 in Dia. 2b.

Dia. 2b

Dia. 2c

The result is shown in Dia. 2c.

gote

Gote is a move which does not require an answer; a defensive move. Compare sente.

hane

Hane is a diagonal move played from a friendly stone in contact with an enemy stone.

Dia. 3a

Black 1 in Dia. 3a is a hane against a lone white stone.

Dia. 3b

White 1 in Dia. 3b is another example of a hane.

ko

Ko is a situation of repetitive capture.

Dia. 4a

In Dia. 4a, Black can capture a white stone, which he does with 1 in Dia. 4b.

Dia. 4b

Dia. 4c

At this point you might think White could immediately recapture at A in Dia. 4c, but this would lead to an endless cycle of repetition of capture and recapture. When this occurs in a game, there is a rule which stipulates that the player whose stone is captured must make a move elsewhere before he can come back and recapture.

miai

Miai is an important concept in the endgame. Miai refers to points of approximately equal value. If your opponent takes one of them, you can (and usually must) take the other.

Dia. 5

For example, the points A and B in Dia. 5 are miai, so White is alive. If Black plays A, White can make two eyes by playing at B; on the other hand, if Black plays B White can make his second eye by playing at A.

seki

Seki is a situation in which neither of the two groups of opposing stones has two eyes, but neither side can attack the other without losing his stones. It is a ‘stalemate’ between two or more groups.

Dia. 6

In Dia. 6, the two marked groups are in a seki.

sente

A move that must be answered; an offensive move. Sente is an important concept in the endgame. Compare gote.

snapback

A situation in which one side offers a stone as a sacrifice, but when the other side captures it, that side finds that his group is in atari.

Dia. 7
3 at 1

For example, White throws in a stone with 1 in Dia. 7. The two black stones are effectively captured. If Black resists by capturing with 2, White 3 captures the three black stones. This final capture is the ‘snapback’.

tesuji

A skillful move which accomplishes some clear tactical objective, such as capturing a group, rescuing one of your own groups, linking up your stones, separating your opponent’s stones, or making good shape.

There are three additional terms that are specific to the endgame that should be explained here. They are ‘reverse sente’, ‘double sente’, and ‘privilege’.

reverse sente

‘Reverse sente’ is a gote move which pre-empts a sente move by one’s opponent.

Dia. 8a

For example, the hane of Black 1 in Dia. 8a threatens to kill the white stones by destroying its eye shape at 2. It is worth more than 20 points and is too big for White to ignore, so he has to make two eyes with 2. Thus Black 1 is sente.

Dia. 8b

White 1 in Dia. 8b prevents the sente move of Black 1, so it is ‘reverse sente’. It also gains the points A and B.

Dia. 8c

As a follow-up, White can push into Black’s territory with 1 and 3 in Dia. 8c, but this is not such a big threat, worth three points in sente.

privilege

Black 1 in Dia. 8a is a big threat, while White 1 in Dia. 8b is a small one, so the chances of White playing at 1 before Black are small. We therefore say that the point 1 is Black’s ‘privilege’. If White can descend to 1 in Dia. 8b, then it is reverse sente, but on a smaller scale, for Black to play at 1 in Dia. 8c, preventing the sente moves of White 1 and 3. In a game, the chances of Black playing 1 in Dia. 8c in reverse sente are better than White playing the reverse sente of 1 in Dia. 8b. Still, we say that White 1 and 3 in Dia. 8c are White’s privilege.

double sente

In a double-sente situation, whichever side plays first will end in sente.

Dia. 9a

For example, in Dia. 9a, if Black hanes and connects with 1 and 3, White must answer with 2 and 4, ending in gote, while Black ends in sente.

Dia. 9b

In Dia. 9b, it is White who ends in sente. White 4 and Black 4 are both necessary moves. For example, if White omits 4 —

Dia. 9c
9: connects

Black will atari at 1 in Dia. 9c and make a big incursion into White’s territory up to 11, ending in sente.

Part One
How Strong Is Your Endgame?

The weakest part of an amateur’s game is the endgame. Strength in the endgame requires not only the patience and ability to count the values of moves in many different parts of the board, but also that these moves be played in the correct order – from the largest moves to the smallest and sente moves before gote moves. You must also be able to spot tesujis that will maximize your territory and minimize your opponent’s territory.

To begin this book, I would like you to try solving the first 42 problems. Don’t look at the answers; just write down what you think the best moves are and the final score. When you finish, immediately go on to Parts Two and Three. Give each set of problems there your best effort, then look at the answers for that set and go on to the next. When you finish all the problems in Parts Two and Three, go back and try the problems in this section again, comparing your first answers with your answers in the second attempt. I have no doubt that whatever your strength, you will notice that you have made great progress. [In this SmartGo Books edition, it’s harder to skip the answers in Part One the first time through. Either way, make sure you return to this section and solve the problems again after Parts Two and Three.]

Problems 4 to 40 are from Yose Jiten (‘Endgame Dictionary’) by Kano Yoshinori.

Problem 1

Black to play

Find the best moves for Black.

Answer 1

Correct Answer

Black has five endgame points and each one has a follow-up move, so they are all sente, provided they are played in the correct order. Black starts off with 1 and 3. This is double sente; that is, White must connect at 4, so Black gets sente. On the other hand, if White were to start by playing at 1, it would be White who ends in sente. Black 5 is one-sided sente; that is, White must answer Black 5 and 7 with 6 and 8. However, if White were to defend, he would play at 5, but this does not threaten Black (it is reverse sente), so White would end in gote. Therefore, it is Black’s privilege to play 5. It is a basic principle of the endgame to play the double-sente moves before one-sided sente moves.

Continuation

Black 9 and 11 are also one-sided sente moves: Black ends in sente because White must defend with 12. However, if White were to play at 11, Black would atari and it would be Black who would end in sente. Finally, Black 13 and 15 are both one-sided sente moves and it is Black’s privilege to play them.

The final score

Black wins by one point. All the liberties are filled. Black has 15 points, while White has fourteen points (twelve points in territory plus two points for the two stones he captured at ✕).

Black’s failure

When you have a choice between two similar-size one-sided sente moves, you usually play the one with the biggest follow-up. Black 1 here is a mistake. It threatens to rob White of two points, but White 2 is worth three points. White ends in gote, so Black can play 5 in sente and make the last move at 7. However, this time Black and White end up with fourteen points each: the game is a draw.

Problem 2

Black to play

Find the best moves for Black.

Answer 2

Correct Answer

There are six main endgame points still to be played, but all of them end in gote. In such cases, you must always play the biggest move. Black 1 is worth seven points. There is no bigger move, so Black plays here first. Each side now plays the remaining biggest move. White 2 is worth six points; Black 5 is worth five points; White 6 is worth four points; Black 7 is worth three points; and White 8 is worth two points.

The final score

Black wins by 1 point. After all the liberties are filled, Black has fourteen points, while White has thirteen points (eight points of territory plus the five points ✕, where he captured black stones).

Black’s failure

Instead of playing the seven-point move of 1 in the correct answer, Black plays the six-point move at 1 here. After this, the order of moves is the same as in the correct answer. Fill in the liberties and verify that this time the game is a draw: each side has nine points.

Problem 3

Black to play

Find the best moves for Black.

Answer 3

Correct Answer

In this position, there are seven endgame moves, but the one that you must think about is Black 1. Black must play here first if he wants to win. Next, White 2 and Black 3 are both worth six points; White 4 and Black 5 are worth five points; White 6 and Black 7 are worth two points.

The final score

After all the liberties are filled and taking into account the two black stones captured at the points marked ✕, Black has twelve points and White has eleven.

Black’s failure

If Black captures two stones with 1, White will play 2. Black must defend with 3 if he is to live. White then takes his six-point move on the left with 4. The game continues with the sequence to White 10.

The final score

A draw. After all the liberties are filled and the captured stones at ✕ accounted for, the result is a draw: each side has fourteen points.

The lesson to be learned from this example is that if there are points of equal value, there is no hurry to play them. Rather, it is more important to defend against your opponent’s biggest sente move, such as Black 1 in the correct answer. This kind of move is called ‘reverse sente’.