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© 2018 by Richard Bozulich

Mastering the Basics, Volume 11

Sabaki: The Art of Settling Stones

By Richard Bozulich

Buy the full book at gobooks.com

During the opening stages of the game the players stake out positions and more or less divide the board. Normally each player wants to win and take just over 50% of the board. This usually involves a balance between safety and risk; that is, making a safe and non-invadable extension or an extension that is slightly farther and limits the opponent’s territory. The drawback of the latter is that the position now becomes invadable. This usually means that when an invasion takes place, the invading stones do not have enough space to make an extension that guarantees life. That, in turn, means the invader has to run away. However, running away is not always the best strategy as it is one-sided — that is, it allows your opponent to harass the run-away stones while securing territory and building influence. Often it is far better to make the beginnings of eye-shape — to breathe life into the invading stones — before running away. In other words, ‘to make sabaki’.

Along with fighting a ko, sabaki is one of the most difficult concepts to put in practice, as it involves a variety of high-level techniques, such as sacrificing stones, making good shape, calculating complex variations, using forcing moves (kikashi), and good style (for example, avoiding the elimination of aji).

The numerous examples and 122 problems taken from professional games will introduce every technique required to achieve sabaki in almost any position.

Copyright Page

Sabaki: The Art of Settling Stones

Richard Bozulich

Published by
Kiseido Publishing Company
Kagawa 4–48–32, Chigasaki-shi,
Kanagawa-ken, Japan 253–0082
http://www.kiseidopublishing.com
kiseido61@yahoo.com

Copyright © 2018 by Richard Bozulich

All rights reserved according to international law. No part of this work 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 from the author and publisher, Kiseido Publishing Company.

ISBN of the printed version: 978–4–906574–87–2

Converted for SmartGo Books by John Mifsud.

Contents

Sabaki: The Art of Settling Stones

Copyright Page

Preface

A Brief Glossary of Go Terms

Chapter One. Some Tesujis for Making Sabaki

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

Chapter Two. Preventing Sabaki

Chapter Three. Light Moves

Chapter Four. Problems

Problems 1 to 10

Problems 11 to 20

Problems 21 to 30

Problems 31 to 40

Problems 41 to 50

Problems 51 to 60

Problems 61 to 70

Problems 71 to 80

Problems 81 to 90

Problems 91 to 100

Problems 101 to 110

Problems 111 to 122

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Preface

During the opening stages of the game the players stake out positions and more or less divide the board. Normally each player wants to win and take just over 50% of the board. This usually involves a balance between safety and risk; that is, making a safe and non-invadable extension or an extension that is slightly farther and limits the opponent’s territory. The drawback of the latter is that the position now becomes invadable. This usually means that when an invasion takes place, the invading stones do not have enough space to make an extension that guarantees life. That, in turn, means the invader has to run away. However, running away is not always the best strategy as it is one-sided — that is, it allows your opponent to harass the run-away stones while securing territory and building influence. Often it is far better to make the beginnings of eye-shape — to breathe life into it — before running away. In other words, ‘to make sabaki’.

Along with fighting a ko, sabaki is one of the most difficult concepts to put in practice, as it involves a variety of high-level techniques, such as sacrificing stones, making good shape, calculating complex variations, using forcing moves (kikashi), and good style (for example, avoiding the elimination of aji). The techniques involved are sometimes easy and sometimes complicated, but the hardest part of sabaki is not the techniques but the mastery of more abstract issues, mainly positional judgment.

When attempting to settle stones stranded inside your opponent’s stronghold you will invariably have to find a tesuji that accomplishes that objective. A large variety of tesuji are used to make sabaki and the first three chapters are a survey of such tesujis and what these tesujis accomplish. The most common are the various attachment tesujis. Attachments are so common in making sabaki that there is a go proverb that advises us to ‘attach to make sabaki.’

By attaching, you make your opponent’s stones stronger, but you also make your own stones stronger. Since you are fighting inside your opponent’s sphere of influence, he is already strong. Therefore, if making a relatively strong group of stones stronger makes one of your own weak and endangered stone or group also stronger, then this is a sound strategy.

Another important concept related to sabaki is that of heavy stones. Stones that are heavy can’t easily make eye shape and are vulnerable. If a group ends up as heavy, it has failed to make sabaki.

A related concept is that of light stones. Stones are referred to as light if they can be sacrificed to help other stones make good shape and therefore sabaki. A move played in the vicinity of stones that are to be sacrificed is called a ‘light move’. Moves that aid in making sabaki are also called ‘light’.

The last chapter consists of 122 problems in which all of the above concepts are highlighted. They are not intended to be used primarily as problems that the reader must solve. Rather, their purpose is to introduce the reader to a wide variety of techniques for making sabaki. Readers would best be served by contemplating each position as if it occurred in one of their games, come up with a tentative solution, then quickly move on to the answer. More will be learned by pondering the answer and exploring other variations on your own.

As for prerequisites, it is assumed that the reader is familiar with what constitutes good shape. If he does not, he should read Volume Three of the ‘Mastering the Basic’ series Making Good Shape by Rob van Zeijst and Richard Bozulich. A related topic is that of moyos (frameworks of potential territory). Moyos are the arena where sabaki maneuvers often take place. Volume Seven of the ‘Mastering the Basic’ series Attacking and Defending Moyos by Rob van Zeijst and Richard Bozulich is a thorough study of this topic. These two books along with the present volume explore different aspects of the general topic of attack and defense.

Richard Bozulich
February 2018

A Brief Glossary of Go Terms

Aji — the 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.

Atari — A move that threatens to capture a stone or a group of stones on the next move.

Gote — A move that does not require an answer; losing the initiative. Compare sente.

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

Joseki — A set sequence of moves usually played during the opening and in the corners. Locally, they are the best moves for each side.

Kikashi — A forcing move, requiring an answer, that gains an advantage.

Moyo — A large framework of potential territory.

Ponnuki — The shape made when a stone is captured by four enemy stones.

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

Sente — A move that requires an answer or an unacceptable loss will be suffered. Compare gote.

Tesuji — A skillful tactical move. A brilliancy.

Chapter One
Some Tesujis for Making Sabaki

The efficiency of stones

During the opening stages of the game, the players stake out their positions and more or less divide the board. Normally each player will be happy if he takes just over 50% of the board, as this will ensure a win. Accomplishing this usually involves a balance between safety and risk; that is, making safe and non-invadable extensions or making extensions that are slightly wider but limit the opponent’s territory. The drawback of the latter is that the position becomes invadable. Usually, the invading stone does not have enough space to make an extension that guarantees life. That might mean that the invader has to run away. However, running away is not always the best strategy, as it is one-sided: it allows the opposing side to harass the escaping group while securing territory and building influence. Often it is far better to make the beginnings of eye-shape — to put some meat around the skeleton, so-to-speak — to give it better shape and breathe life into it. Dia. 1 below provides an example.

Example 1

Dia. 1

Black has neglected to take care of his marked stones on the top left, so, following the principle of harassing weak groups, White attacks them with 1. This is a strong move because it not only attacks, it also makes a wide extension from his three stones on the top right, mapping out a moyo. Black has two strategic choices: He can try to rescue these stones by escaping into the center or he can try to make eye shape for them.

A bad strategy

Dia. 2

Escaping out into the center by jumping to Black 2 in Dia. 2 may seem like the natural continuation, but it is a bad strategy. White will attack with the peep of 3. This is a forcing move played to make Black’s stones heavy. Black connects with 4 and White caps with 5. Black is now committed to his strategy of escaping, so he continues to move out into the center with the diagonal move of 6. White continues to press Black with 7 and, with the moves to 15, he has solidified his territory on the upper left side along with a large swath of territory at the top. Black’s stones still do not have eye shape and are under attack.

Making sabaki

Instead of escaping, Black must find a way to settle his stones within White’s sphere of influence. That is, he has to make good shape that is rich in eye potential so that, if attacked, those stones can easily make eyes. This technique is known as sabaki in Japanese.

The diagonal attachment tesuji

Dia. 3

The tesuji for making sabaki in this position is the diagonal attachment of Black 1 in Dia. 3. White has three responses: ‘a’, ‘b’, and ‘c’.

Dia. 4

If White starts with the two-step hane of 2 in Dia. 4, Black responds with the hane of 3. White extends to 4 and Black makes shape with 5. Finally, White must connect with 6 and Black reinforces his position with 7. Black has made sabaki.

Dia. 5

White could also block with 2 in Dia. 5. Black forces with 3 and 5, then jumps out into the center with the knight’s move of 7. Again, Black has made good shape, so his group is no longer in danger.

Dia. 6

Another possibility is for White to bulge out with 2 in Dia. 6. Black 3 is the only move. After White blocks with 4, Black exchanges 5 for 6, then fills a liberty with 7, forcing White to defend with 8. Black must not play 3 at 7, as White will block at 3.

Example 2

Dia. 7

Dia. 7 shows the opening moves of Game Seven from the 1993 Kisei title match between Kobayashi Koichi (black) and Kato Masao. After White secures the lower right corner with 18, Black cuts with 19, threatening to take all the territory on the lower left side. White has to find a way to make sabaki.

Attach to make sabaki

The most often used technique to make sabaki is the attachment tesuji. The reason an attachment against one of your opponent’s stones is such a strong move is that it threatens to add another stone to it, giving you a numerical advantage locally. Therefore, if your opponent wishes to maintain the status quo, it requires an immediate response. Of course your opponent’s stones will become stronger, but, since they are already strong, this is acceptable. The important thing is that your own stones become stronger, increasing their chances of survival.

Dia. 8

Continuing from Dia. 7, White starts his quest to make sabaki for his stones by attaching with 20 in Dia. 8. After the exchange of 21 to 23, White makes the abbreviated mouth shape with 24. This shape is rich in potential eyes. That is, if White can block at ‘a’ he has one solid eye. Even if Black peeps with 25, White makes a bamboo joint with 26 and White ‘a’ still makes an eye. Furthermore, White ‘b’ threatens to make an eye on the side and it also threatens to make an eye with White ‘c’. In addition, the center is wide open, so another eye can easily be made there as well.

Dia. 9

Black switches to the right side with 27 in Dia. 9. This move and the following aim to prevent White from expanding his moyo. After White 32, Black attacks the bottom with 33 to 37. These moves affect the eye-making potential of White’s group on the lower left side. They are lying in wait in case White is unable to make eyes locally. White now switches to the upper right with the approach of 38. Black responds with the diagonal attachment of 39 and secures the corner with 41. Black has now taken the lead and the invasion of White 42 is an attempt to restore the territorial imbalance.

Dia. 10

Black defends by pushing up with 43 and White starts to make sabaki with the attachment of 44. After the hane and cut of 50 and 52, White makes shape with the abbreviated mouth shape of 54. Because of 50 and 52, White can make two eyes with 56 and 58. Black 59 forces White to defend with 60 and, after 62, all of White’s groups are safe.

Example 3. Attach-and-cut tesuji

Dia. 11

Black needs to rescue the four marked stones or else get compensation if he is forced to sacrifice them. The tesuji combination to accomplish this is the attachment and cut of Black 1 and 3 in Dia. 11.

Dia. 12

White attacks with 4 and 6 in Dia. 12, but the atari of 7 is severe. White extends to 8 and Black ataries with 9. If White next ataries with 10, the moves to Black 17 can be expected. White has no way to rescue his two stones at 4 and 6, so Black’s stones on the left are alive.

Dia. 13

Instead of 10 in Dia. 12, White might atari from the other side with 10 in Dia. 13. White ataries again with 12, then connects with 14. Black responds with 15. White can’t resist with 16 because Black will capture the white stones with 17. Although the four black stones on the left are captured, Black has gotten adequate compensation with the territory in the middle of the upper side. Black is more than satisfied with this result, as White’s stones are overconcentrated. Play in these diagrams illustrates one of the hallmarks of good sabaki technique: flexibility. That is, a willingness to change strategy depending on the circumstances. Although Black’s original aim was to rescue his four stones, he had an alternative plan.