© 2004 in the U.S.A. by Yutopian Enterprises

Lee Chang-ho’s Endgame Techniques

Volume One

Lee Chang-ho 9 dan

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In go there are three stages: opening, middle, and end. In the opening stage you distribute your stones over the board; in the middle stage you fight. The task in the end stage is to complete your boundaries. If you are beyond the beginner level, you can understand the point of various opening styles, the meaning of fights, and the importance of life-and-death. But overall improvement is hard. When it comes to the endgame, working on small differences between plays can seem less attractive than looking at the other phases of the game. However players generally complain of the number of games they have lost in the endgame. When two players are close in strength, the chances of winning by making the decisive plays in the endgame are quite high. So it is impossible to overstate the importance of the endgame for your own games.

In the first volume of this work close attention is paid to accurate counting of endgame positions, as a foundation.

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Copyright Page

Lee Chang-ho’s Endgame Techniques
Volume One

Lee Chang-ho 9 dan

Published by Yutopian Enterprises
2255 29th Street, Suite #3
Santa Monica, CA 90405

© 2004 in the U.S.A. by Yutopian Enterprises
All rights reserved according to international law. This book or any parts thereof may not be reproduced in any printed form, nor stored in any electronic retrieval system, nor recorded in any other medium without written permission from the publishers, except for short excerpts as part of a written review.

Translated by
Seong-June Kim

Editing, Diagrams, and Layout by Craig R. Hutchinson

Proof Assistance by
Anthony Blagrove, Charles Matthews

Originally Published in Korea by Baduk Seodang

ISBN of the printed version: 1–889554–56–1

Converted for SmartGo Books by John Mifsud.

Contents

Lee Chang-ho’s Endgame Techniques
Volume One

Copyright Page

Preface

Chapter 1: Territory and Framework

Section 1 – Introductory Concepts

Section 2 – Sente and Gote

Section 3 – Elementary Counting

Section 4 – Half and Single Points

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

Chapter 2: Elementary Counting

Section 1 – Elementary Counting

Section 2 – Practice Your Counting

Chapter 3: Counting Common Patterns

Exercises

Chapter 4: Play Order and Tesuji in the Endgame

Section 1 – Play Order in the Endgame

Section 2 – Testing Your Estimation

Chapter 5: 24 Elementary Patterns

Exercises

Chapter 6: 24 Practical Patterns

Chapter 7: Endgame Thinking in the Early Stages

Pattern Index

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Preface

The endgame is trivial? “Endgame” in a Korean dictionary has two meanings. The first: “to end (something)”. Second is, “go term: at the end of the game, to place stones to finish off the game”. In go the correct meaning is the second, but this is still insufficient as a definition. In a word, the endgame ends the game. The action on the board is to complete the final boundaries of the territories, for both players.

In go there are three stages: opening, middle, and end. In the opening stage you distribute your stones over the board; in the middle stage you fight. The task in the end stage is to complete your boundaries. If you are beyond the beginner level, you can understand the point of various opening styles, the meaning of fights, and the importance of life-and-death. But overall improvement is hard. When it comes to the endgame, working on small differences between plays can seem less attractive than looking at the other phases of the game. However players generally complain of the number of games they have lost in the endgame. When two players are close in strength, the chances of winning by making the decisive plays in the endgame are quite high. So it is impossible to overstate the importance of the endgame for your own games.

If you are strong in the endgame, you are strong. That is, in practice you will win often. In the first volume of this work close attention is paid to accurate counting of endgame positions, as a foundation. I hope through the study of this book your strength in the endgame will improve.

Health, wealth and happiness to all my readers!

Lee Chang-ho

Chapter 1: Territory and Framework

Section 1 – Introductory Concepts

We can say that the endgame consists of the process of deciding territory boundaries for both players. In the opening and middle game, the territory boundaries are decided approximately, but not exactly. In the endgame, precise and countable territory is decided – both players try to increase their own territory and reduce that of the opponent.

Diagram 1 — Topic Position

Black to play. Suppose there is only one area left to decide. Assume equal territory above the fifth line. Black should win, but in an actual game black would often lose. What is the result of best play on both sides?

Diagram 2 – Actual Game Process

Black played a hane at 1, White answered at 2, Black connected at 3, and White at 4. White has 24 and Black 22 points of territory. White wins by two points.

Diagram 3 – Black’s Great Victory

White 2 in Diagram 2 is an overplay. If Black cuts at 3, White’s position is hopeless. For example, after White 4, Black 5, White has no solution, and Black wins by a large margin.

Diagram 4 – Better Play

Against Black 1, White should retreat to 2. After this, 3 to 6 are routine plays, and the result is a draw – 22 points each. Is this best play for both?

Diagram 5 – Best Play

Black should clamp at 1. White must answer at 2, and again 3 to 7 are routine plays. Black 1 is a gote endgame play, but it gives the greatest profit. White has 21 points, Black 22 – a one-point victory for Black.

Section 2 – Sente and Gote

First of all, it is important to distinguish sente endgame plays from gote ones. A sente play is one that forces the opponent to answer, while a gote play does not require a response, and so hands the initiative to the opponent.

Diagram 1 – Sente Play

In situations like this, White is likely to play tactics 1 (hane) and 3 (connection). Normally Black would answer with 2 and 4 as shown.

Diagram 2 – Large Loss

If Black does not answer White 3 in the previous diagram, White should play the double atari at 1 in this diagram and Black will lose several points.

Diagram 3 – Gote Play

If Black plays the hane and connection as shown, White doesn’t need to answer, so White can play elsewhere and take the initiative. Black 1 followed by 3 is therefore a gote play.

Diagram 4 – Sente

Again, White 1 and 3 are sente. White retains the initiative, having taken the profit.

Diagram 5 – Big Loss for Black

If Black omits to protect the cutting point, White can cut at 1 and Black’s corner territory will be seriously damaged.

Diagram 6 – Gote

This differs from Diagram 4 by the exchange of and . In this case White 1 and 3 (hane and connect) are gote. Even if Black does not respond to 3, there is no weakness for White to exploit.

Diagram 7 – Sente for Black

If it is Black’s turn to play, however, 1 and 3 are sente. They force White to answer at 2, and either at 4 or A.

Diagram 8 – Sente

Normally the downward extension at 1 is sente.

Diagram 9 – Follow-Up Play

If White ignores the play of , Black can jump into the corner with 1, destroying White’s territory in the corner.

Diagram 10 – Response

It is normal to answer with White at 1. Black can then hane and connect at 2 and 4 with sente.

Sente, therefore, means that if the opponent does not respond, a sizeable profit will follow. Gote, on the other hand, means that little or no profit follows. The most important thing in the endgame is to take sente appropriately.

Diagram 11 – Key Point

In a shape like this, A is the crucial point. Whoever plays at A takes both points and the initiative.

Diagram 12 – Big Gain for White

If it is White’s turn, the diagonal play at 1, the hane at 3 and connection at 5 afterwards are in sente because Black should not omit 6.

Diagram 13 – Symmetrical

If it is Black’s turn, the diagonal play at 1, hane at 3 and connection at 5 are just as big and also sente for Black.

Thinking about Diagram 11, therefore, we can assess Diagrams 12 and 13. Black with first play gains territory, decreases White’s, and retains sente. White gains similarly from first play. This kind of endgame situation is called ‘double sente’.

Section 3 – Elementary Counting

One-Sided Counting

Diagram 1

In Diagram 1, Black gains 1 point by playing at 1 in gote.

Diagram 2

In Diagram 2, White destroys Black’s option by playing at 1 in gote. Black 1 in Diagram 1 and White 1 in Diagram 2 clearly make a difference of one point to Black’s territory.

Two-Sided Counting

Diagram 3

Diagram 3 looks similar to Diagram 1, but looking carefully you will see a difference. Black makes one point of territory but also destroys White’s possible territory.

Diagram 4

In Diagram 4, if White plays at 1, White makes one point. Using two-sided counting, Black 1 in Diagram 3, or White 1 in Diagram 4 are each two points in gote.

Section 4 – Half and Single Points

Diagram 1 – Half-Point Ko

Kos like A are called half-point kos.

Normally these are played very near the end of the game.

Diagram 2 – Half a Point

In a half-point ko, whoever wins the ko gets one point, and the loser gets zero. To be precise, however, each play is worth less than half a point. Suppose this ko is won by Black: after taking the ko with 1…

Diagram 3 – One Point for Black
2: ko threat; 3: connects ko

…Black resolves the ko by connecting at 3.

Diagram 4 – The Value of a Half-Point Ko

White can simply resolve this ko by connecting at 1, so to win the ko, White needs only one play. Black needs two plays. Overall, therefore each play is worth just one-third of a point. We will follow general usage, however, and continue to call this situation a ‘half-point ko’.

Diagram 5 – One-Point Play

In the corner, there is a one-point play left. It is a simple play, but in an actual game it is easy to miss.

Diagram 6 – Finishing Touches

If Black plays at the point 1, eventually White will need to play at A or B. Because of this, Black 1 is clearly worth one point.

Diagram 7 – One Point

Hence White 1 is also worth one point, because White no longer needs to play at A or B.

Diagram 8 – One Point in Sente

Black 1 is also worth one point, but is sente for Black.

Diagram 9 – One Point in Reverse Sente

If White plays 1, A turns into White’s territory. Black can play there threatening the life of the White group, at any time. White 1 is called ‘one point in reverse sente’.

Pattern Index

Chapter 3

Pattern 1

Pattern 2

Pattern 3

Pattern 4

Pattern 5

Pattern 6

Pattern 7

Pattern 8

Pattern 9

Pattern 10

Pattern 11

Pattern 12

Pattern 13

Pattern 14

Chapter 5

Pattern 1

Pattern 2

Pattern 3

Pattern 4

Pattern 5

Pattern 6

Pattern 7

Pattern 8

Pattern 9

Pattern 10

Pattern 11

Pattern 12

Pattern 13

Pattern 14

Pattern 15

Pattern 16

Pattern 17

Pattern 18

Pattern 19

Pattern 20

Pattern 21

Pattern 22

Pattern 23

Pattern 24

Chapter 6

Pattern 1

Pattern 2

Pattern 3

Pattern 4

Pattern 5

Pattern 6

Pattern 7

Pattern 8

Pattern 9

Pattern 10

Pattern 11

Pattern 12

Pattern 13

Pattern 14

Pattern 15

Pattern 16

Pattern 17

Pattern 18

Pattern 19

Pattern 20

Pattern 21

Pattern 22

Pattern 23

Pattern 24

Chapter 7

Pattern 1

Pattern 2

Pattern 3

Pattern 4

Pattern 5

Pattern 6

Pattern 7

Pattern 8

Pattern 9

Pattern 10

Pattern 11

Pattern 12

Pattern 13

Pattern 14

Pattern 15

Pattern 16

Pattern 17

Pattern 18

Pattern 19

Pattern 20

Pattern 21

Pattern 22

Pattern 23

Pattern 24