© 2007 Slate & Shell

Dictionary of Basic Tesuji

Volume 4:
Tesuji for Life and Death Problems, Part Two, and for the Endgame

Fujisawa Shuko 9 dan

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Tesuji are moves that make the most effective use of stones. While they are typically techniques for close-combat fighting, tesuji play a crucial role in all aspects of the game, from the opening to the endgame. In this famous dictionary, translated into English in four volumes, Fujisawa provides a thorough and systematic survey of key tesuji, arranging them in accordance with the purpose they serve.

This fourth volume covers tesuji that are useful in life and death situations and in the endgame, including things like using ko to live, exploiting shortage of liberties, killing with sacrifices, breaking in, scrambling for sente, and double attacks. The other three volumes deal with tesuji used in attacking, in defending, in the opening, in capturing races, and in life and death situations. In all these areas, tesuji are closely involved with fighting, and knowledge of them is essential for becoming stronger. Fujisawa also points out that tesuji are part of what makes go an elegant and fascinating game and in this way they contribute to the beauty of go.

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About the Author

Known and loved in Japan as “Shuko sensei”, the Nihon Ki-in Go Almanac lists him as Fujisawa Hideyuki. The Chinese characters of the name he chose in 1946 can be read either as “Shuko” or as “Hideyuki”. By his own account, Fujisawa intended the name to be read “Hideyuki”, but others chose to read it “Shuko”, perhaps because the first character is the same as the Shu in the Honinbo family’s famous players Shuwa, Shusaku, Shuho, Shuei, and Shusai.

Fujisawa Shuko

Born in Yokohama, June 6, 1925. Original given name “Tamotsu”. Insei in 1934, shodan in 1940, 2-dan in 1942, 3-dan in 1943, 4-dan in 1945, 5-dan in 1948, 6-dan in 1950, 7-dan in 1952, 8-dan in 1959, 9-dan in 1963. Retired in October 1998. Died in 2009.

Winner of Young Players Championship, 1948. Winner of 1st Prime Minister’s Cup, 1957. Winner of 1st Nihon Ki-in Championship, 1959. Winner of Strongest Player in 1960. In 1962, won the Meijin League and became the 1st Meijin. Returned as Meijin in 1970. In the intervening years, won the Japan Top 10 Championship in 1965 and 1968. Winner of 10th Go Player’s Championship, 1965. Winner of 15th Oza in 1967, held for two terms. Winner of NHK Championships in 1969 and 1981. Winner of 1st Lightning Go Championship, 1969. Winner of 1st Tengen, 1976. In the 1st Kisei title match, 1977, defeated Hashimoto Utaro to become Kisei. Held title for the following six terms, earning the right to be called Honorary Kisei. In 1991, won the Oza to become the oldest titleholder in history at 66. Broke this record by defending the title in 1992. In 1987, received the Shiju Hosho (an Imperial award for the advancement of the arts). In 1988, won a Special Award from Kido magazine. In 1991 and 1992 won Excellent Player award from Kido. Winner of the 16th Shusai Award. In 1990, won the Okura Kishichiro Award. Winner of the Journalism Club Award and the Go Program Television Producer’s Award. In 1990, held an exhibition of calligraphy in Ginza. Published Complete Games in 1995. Author of many books. Fujisawa Kazunari 8-dan is his son. Fujisawa Rina 3-dan is his granddaughter.

Copyright Page

(c) 2007 Slate & Shell

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited.

Originally published in Japanese in two volumes by the Nihon Ki-in.

This translation is of the revised expanded edition published in 1995. The first edition was published in 1978 by the Nihon Ki-in. A number of errors in the diagrams in the Japanese version have been corrected in this translation.

Special thanks are due to John Pinkerton, whose generous support helped make this project a reality.

Slate & Shell
1425 Westshire Lane
Richmond, VA 23238
www.slateandshell.com

Translated by Steven Bretherick

Edited by William Cobb

Cover design by Laurie M. Crammond

Conversion to SmartGo Books by William Cobb

ISBN of print edition: 1–932001–28-X

Table of Contents

Dictionary of Basic Tesuji, Volume 4: Tesuji for Life and Death Problems, Part Two, and for the Endgame

About the Author

Copyright Page

Tesuji for Life and Death Situations, Part Two

Tesuji for Living by Capturing Stones

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

Tesuji for Using Ko to Live

Tesuji for Destroying Eye Space

Tesuji for Narrowing Your Opponent’s Space

Tesuji for Exploiting Shortage of Liberties

Tesuji for Killing with Sacrifices

Tesuji for Killing with Ko

Tesuji for the Endgame

Tesuji for Encroaching on Enemy Territory

Tesuji for Stopping Encroachments and Large Endgame Plays

Tesuji for Threatening to Kill

Tesuji for Forcing Removal

Tesuji for Breaking In

Tesuji for Double Attacks and Double Defenses

Tesuji for Scrambling for Sente

Brilliant Tesuji in Classic Games

Japanese Editor’s Afterword

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Tesuji for Life and Death Situations, Part Two

Tesuji for Living by Capturing Stones

No situation is more joyful than being about to live by capturing stones when you were otherwise unable to make shape for two eyes or to expand your area sufficiently. You ambitiously knock off a piece of the wall hemming you in. Among these tesuji, the most common involve a connect-and-capture shortage of liberties. Another common category here is the “under the stones” class, in which you allow your stones to be captured in a way that allows you to capture back. Let’s introduce this chapter by focusing on these two categories.

Diagram 1: Throw-In

＞＜

A throw-in like the one at White 1 forms the basis for a connect-and-capture shortage of liberties. After forcing Black to capture with 2, White descends to 3. Because of the weakness at A, Black cannot save the two “tail” stones.

Instead of 1, if White B, Black will connect at White 1, and the shortage of liberties does not develop fast enough to prevent Black from connecting.

Diagram 2: Three Step Preparation

＞＜

Preparation for a connect-and-capture shortage of liberties is not always limited to a single point. When there are multiple preparatory moves to make, you need to take care about the order in which you play them. If there is any deviation from the sequence of Black 1, 3, and 5, the shortage of liberties will not succeed. Instead of 1, if Black 5, White will play at Black 1; instead of Black 3, if Black 5, then White plays White 6—in either case, Black fails.

Diagram 3: A Necessary Point

＞＜

Of course, there are points where a throw-in is effective and other points where throwing in is not good. White 1 is necessary, but a throw-in at White A is not—Black connects at White 1 and the six white stones in the center cannot be rescued. And of course White should simply attach at 3 instead of throwing in on this side. These are the only moves that succeed; all other sequences end in failure.

Diagram 4: Capturing Race

＞＜

The atari at White 1, followed by the placement at White 3, is a simple tesuji. Making the placement before playing the atari at A makes the most efficient possible use of White’s stones. If Black defends at B or C, White plays A and it is already over—Black cannot connect. If Black responds at D, White pulls out with E, and wins the capturing race by a move.

Diagram 5: Inviting a Shortage of Liberties

＞＜

Black crouches down with 1, and if White 2, Black crouches down again with 3, luring White into a shortage of liberties. In this case the number of liberties for the group as a whole requires careful attention; if the liberty at A were not open, then after Black 5, White B would kill.

Instead of 2, if White at Black 3, then Black at White 2, White 4, Black 5 lives in seki.

Diagram 6: Asking Move

＞＜

The attachment at Black 1 succeeds with a single stroke in leaving White short of liberties. Waiting until after resolving the position with Black A, White B would be too late. Likewise, if Black descends to B, there is no continuation after White A. After the attachment at Black 1, if White C, Black has Black A followed by the throw-in at D; if White D after Black 1, Black can give atari at C and then at B.

Diagram 7: Using a Ko

＞＜

White 1 sets up a shortage of liberties by making use of a ko. After Black 2, White 3 leads to a ko. If Black tries to avoid the ko by playing at White 3 instead of Black 2, White connects at A and lives unconditionally.

Instead of 1, if White A, then Black 2. Instead of 1, if White B, then Black A. In either case White is one step too slow to set up the shortage of liberties. White 1 is the only move.

Diagram 8: Under the Stones
6 at 4

＞＜

This is a fundamental under the stones shape. White 5 provisionally captures two stones; then when Black throws in at 4, White connects at 7—a peculiar technique. Black plays at 2 to capture four stones, but then White can cut at the location of , recapturing two stones and living. Because White allows the capture of a clumsy four stone shape, this is referred to as the “foolish four” under the stones technique.

Diagram 9: Lightning Bolt Shape

＞＜

White gives atari with 1 and connects with 3. After Black 4, White plays 5, allowing Black to capture at A, after which White will cut at the location of , recapturing three stones. This is called the “lightning bolt” under the stones technique due to the shape of the four stones. Instead of 3, if White rushes to play the atari at White 5, then Black at White 3, White A, and Black throws in at the location of —White cannot make even one eye in the corner.

Diagram 10: Using an Under the Stones Theme

＞＜

Black plays the hane at 1, and if White blocks at 2, Black lives by capturing a stone in the corner with 3 and 5. If White tries to avoid this by playing at Black 3 instead of White 2, then Black at White 2, White A, Black at White 4, White B, Black C stampedes White down a path toward an under the stones tesuji. The lightning bolt shape created when Black crawls at White 2 and connects at White 4 is the most commonly occurring under the stones technique in actual play.

Diagram 11: A Famous Problem

＞＜

Black blocks with 1 and when White cuts at 2 Black ignores it and captures at 3. Thanks to this preparation, Black can play 5, followed by A, making miai of creating two eyes in the space vacated by the three captured stones or cutting at the location of . Black lives. This is a famous problem from Xuanxuan Qijing (GenGen Gokyo in Japanese).

Diagram 12: Snapback

＞＜

After the preparatory move at Black 1, which takes a liberty from the two white stones, the hane at Black 3 succeeds. Black 5 not only grips the single stone in the corner, but also captures the two stones on the side in a snapback—the point of the tesuji.

Unless you can see the follow-up at Black 3 and 5 you are unlikely to play Black 1, which seems to just make Black’s space more narrow.

Diagram 13: Another Famous Problem

＞＜

The descent to White 1 makes miai of capturing the two stones and living in the corner. If Black plays 2 to prevent White from making two eyes, the knight’s move at White 3 sets up a connect-and-capture shortage of liberties. If Black 4, White 5 makes full use of the power of White 1.

This is a famous problem from Xuanxuan Qijing (GenGen Gokyo in Japanese).

Diagram 14: Preparing with an Attachment

＞＜

The exchange of the attachment at White 1 for Black 2 is enough to prevent Black from linking up along the right side. Now White has time to leisurely make an eye with 3. After this, if Black A, then White B, and Black will not be able to connect.

Instead of 2, if Black A, then of course White at Black 2; instead of 2, if Black B, White can give atari with A before widening his area at White 3.

Diagram 15: Miai

＞＜

Black jumps to 1, threatening both the descent to A and the connect-and-capture shortage of liberties starting with Black B. Once the move is on the board it may not seem so special, but it takes a bit of imagination to see it instead of the obvious moves giving atari at C or D. Instead of 1, starting at Black B would not work: after White captures with E, Black cannot play A because he is short of liberties.

Game Example 1: Under the Stones

Game Record 1: 22nd Honinbo League Match.
White: Fujisawa Shuko; Black: Yamabe Toshiro

＞＜

In actual play among professionals, under-the-stones situations are rather rare, but this is an unusual example. This is a shape in which Black can establish a connection using a cut where a captured stone used to be.

White cuts at 1 to see what sort of attack he can start against the black group on the left. White had read that he could keep Black busy in this way, then capture the black stones at the bottom.

However, Black plays 6 through 10, allowing White to capture the three stones.

Continuation: Cut Under the Stones

＞＜

Even after capturing the three stones, White needs to come back to defend at 1. After Black captures at 2, uniting his groups on the left and bottom, White has nothing to hope for. After Black 10 in the game record (at ), White had no choice but to resign.

Variation: A Disaster for Black

＞＜

White had assumed that, instead of Black 8 in the game record (at White 4 here), Black would connect at this Black 1. Then White would separate Black with 2 and 4. Black can save the left side because Black A is forcing, but if the stones on the bottom are captured, Black cannot win the game.

Problem 1: Placement

White to Play

＞＜

White has only one eye so whether or not he can live depends on whether or not he can bite off a piece of Black’s surrounding stones. This position is from Xuanxuan Qijing (GenGen Gokyo in Japanese).

Diagram 1: The Next Move

＞＜

Cutting at the waist of the knight’s move with White 1 is an obvious tesuji, but Black is unlikely to be so accommodating as to block with Black A, allowing White to cut at B. When Black blocks with 2, how can White shake things up? Wedging with White 3 fails after Black 4; instead of White 3, connecting with White A allows Black to link up with C.

Diagram 2: White 3 is the tesuji.

＞＜

Striking at the momentary opening, the placement at White 3 is severe. If Black 4, White connects with 5, then takes away Black’s eye shape with 7. If Black captures with Black A, White throws in again at White 7, followed by the hane at White B, leaving Black with only one eye. White also has only one eye—but the result is seki so White is not captured.

Diagram 3: Cutting Black Off

＞＜

When White makes the placement at 3 if Black 4, White pushes through with 5. This gives him the opportunity to play the atari at 7. Instead of White 3, exchanging the connection at A for Black at White 7 gives up the opportunity to play this move. Instead of 4, if Black A or Black at White 7, White can handle the situation by pushing through at White 5. Also, instead of 2, Black at White 7 would be an attempt to create confusion, but White can still play at 3.

Problem 2: Placement

Black to Play

＞＜

This is a tesuji in which Black lures White in and then plays to capture. The preparatory procedure Black uses is a well-known tesuji to exploit a shortage of liberties.

Diagram 1: Too Little Preparation

＞＜

Giving atari with Black 1 does not work—after White 2, Black has no prospects. If Black captures with 3, White throws in at ; instead of 3, Black can try various tricks with A, B, or C, but to no avail. Instead of Black 1, there is also the idea of playing Black D to induce White to play at 1, but there seems to be no immediate way to make use of this motif.

Diagram 2: Black 1 is the tesuji.

＞＜

The common tesuji of making a placement at the angle point with Black 1 is effective here. If White 2, Black descends to 3, having achieved a shape in which White cannot play A. Instead of 2, if White B, Black A is clearly forcing so Black can make two eyes in the corner. The point of this tesuji is that by making the placement at 1 and seeing how White responds, Black can choose between playing A and Black 3.

Diagram 3: White’s Strongest Resistance

＞＜

The empty triangle at 2 is White’s strongest attempt to resist, forcing Black to come up with a finishing tesuji. Black first blocks with 3, securing one eye in the corner, then plays the angle wedge at 5. The point is that if White A, capturing with Black B will be sente so White will have no time to throw in at . Instead of 3, if Black rushes to play 5 immediately, White at Black 3 kills.

Problem 3: Cut

White to Play

＞＜

There is no way for White to live except by biting off a chunk of Black’s surrounding wall, but which cutting point is the crucial one? This position is from Xuanxuan Qijing (GenGen Gokyo in Japanese).

Diagram 1: Cut and Descent

＞＜

If White plays the cut and descent of 1 and 2, Black 4 is the correct way to defend. If White descends to the first line with 5, aiming to throw in at A to catch Black short of liberties, Black can resist by taking away a liberty with 6. White’s efforts come up short.

Instead of 1, attaching at White B is an endgame tesuji; of course it comes to nothing here after Black 6.

Diagram 2: White 1 and 3 is the tesuji.

＞＜

White first throws in a cut with 1, exchanging this move for Black 2 before cutting and descending from the other direction with 3 and 5. The effect of White 1 can be seen after Black 6 through White 9—Black cannot give atari from the left side.

Instead of 1, if White first plays the sequence of White 3, Black 4, White 5, Black 6, and then cuts with 1, Black kills with Black 8, White A, Black B.

Diagram 3: Eye Shape
10: throws in

＞＜

If White cuts first with 1, then even if Black defends with 2, White can be assured of life by cutting with 3. After Black 4, White makes preparation with the placement at White 5 through White 13, then links up with 15. Instead of 5, White could also give an ordinary atari at White 7, and after Black at White 5, White 9 makes miai of making an eye and escaping to the outside.

Problem 4: Cut

Black to Play

＞＜

There are two pitfalls to avoid here, one at the beginning and another at the end. This position is from Xuanxuan Qijing (GenGen Gokyo in Japanese).

Diagram 1: Six Point Dead Shape

＞＜

Pushing in with Black 1 meets up with the good reply of White 2, threatening to either link up or to make a dead shape inside. If Black 3, White 4 makes an eye, and now if Black A, White need not reply—Black is already dead. After this, if Black captures at B, White recaptures, and if Black gives atari at , White connects at B, making a six point dead shape.

Diagram 2: Black 3 and 5 is the tesuji.

＞＜

Black needs to cut at 1, then further extend to 3, making a two stone shape before sacrificing. After forcing White to capture with 4, Black quietly takes a liberty with 5. After White links up with 6 and 8, taking a liberty with Black 9 is good. Black’s play seems slow-paced, but with these two moves White cannot save the two stones (White 2 and 4).

Diagram 3: Overthinking

＞＜

Instead of Black 5 in the previous diagram, throwing in at Black 1 looks like it should be a tesuji, but it is actually a bad move. White simply links up with 2 and 4, and after Black captures the two stones White can just recapture—there is no shortage of liberties. Black dies.

This is an example of too much being not enough.

Problem 5: Inside Cut

White to Play

＞＜

The answer here is a line of play that combines a connect-and-capture shortage of liberties trap and a snapback. This position is from Xuanxuan Qijing (GenGen Gokyo in Japanese).

Diagram 1: White 3 is the tesuji.

＞＜

In actual play, when White gives atari with 1, Black has no choice but to connect at White 7, giving up the two stones. If Black stubbornly resists with 2, a life and death struggle ensues.

White throws in a cut with 3, and after Black 4 and 6, White can throw in with 7 followed by the atari at A, neatly catching Black in a shortage of liberties.

Diagram 2: Snapback

＞＜

After White cuts with 3, if Black gives atari from below with 4, White extends once with 5 before throwing in with 7—this move order is important. After Black 8, White gives atari with 9, and now if Black connects at White 7, White A sets up a double snapback. If Black now captures two stones with Black B, White throws in again at White 3. Instead of 6, if Black B, then White 7, etc.

Diagram 3: Wrong Move Order
4: connects

＞＜

Instead of White 5 in the previous diagram, if White plays the throw-in at this White 1 first, Black can blithely connect with 4. Now if White extends to 5, Black can stylishly escape by connecting with 6.

Instead of White 1, when White plays White 5 first (as in the previous diagram), neither the connection at Black 6 nor the diagonal move at Black 2 would be of any use.

Problem 6: Cut and Descent

White to Play

＞＜

White seems to be down to his last gasp but gets a second wind, and in the end can live by capturing Black. This position is from Xuanxuan Qijing (GenGen Gokyo in Japanese).

Diagram 1: Preparation

＞＜

After White 1, if Black plays to take away White’s eye shape with 2, then, by force of circumstances, when White plays 3, Black must also rescue his stones with 4 and 6. Black’s shortage of liberties comes further and further to the surface as White plays 5 and then wedges in with 7.

In fact, in this shape it is unreasonable for Black to go for the kill with 2.

Diagram 2: White 9 and 11 is the tesuji.

＞＜

Continuing from the previous diagram, White cuts and descends with 9 and 11. When Black plays to protect the two stones in the corner with 12, White can strike back with the cut at 13. There is not a good move to prevent the snapback at White A. The position seems symmetrical, but instead of White 9, cutting at A would have no impact on saving the main body of White’s threatened stones.

Diagram 3: Wrong Move Order

＞＜

Instead of White 7 in the first diagram (at White 3 here), if White first cuts at 1, then when White wedges in with 3, Black captures with 4. Then Black can throw in at 8 to get a ko. Also, instead of 3, if White descends to Black 4, Black can block at A, and White gets nothing after White 3, Black 6, White 5, Black B. The idea is to force an early exchange of the wedge at White 3 for a block by Black at White 5.
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