I just started reading "Go by example: Correcting common mistakes in double digit kyu play" by Neil Moffatt and I ran into an example that doesn't make sense to me.
It's in the section "Defer capture until forced!". Here's the setup:
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B
$$ -------------------
$$ | . . . . . O 2 O 1 . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . 3 O X O X . . . . O O . . . . |
$$ | . . X O O X 4 X . . . . X X O . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . X X . . X . . . . X O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . O . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . X O O O |
$$ | . . X X X . . X O . . . . . . X O X X |[/go]
White has made a simple mistake, trying to save her stones with

and now black will get the whole group.
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B
$$ -------------------
$$ | . . . . . O O O X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . X O . O X . . . . O O . . . . |
$$ | . . X O O X O X . . . . X X O . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . X X . . X . . . . X O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . O . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . X O O O |
$$ | . . X X X . . X O . . . . . . X O X X |[/go]
The question is where should black play next? The book explains that this is a common mistake for black:
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B
$$ -------------------
$$ | . . . . 5 O O O X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O . X O . O X . . . . O O . . . . |
$$ | . . X O O X O X . . . . X X O . . . . |
$$ | . . 6 X . X X . . X . . . . X O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . O . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . X O O O |
$$ | . . X X X . . X O . . . . . . X O X X |[/go]
Which allows white to live in the corner. Instead black should be ignore the already dead white group and attack the corner:
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B
$$ -------------------
$$ | . . . . . O O O X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O 5 X O . O X . . . . O O . . . . |
$$ | . . X Q Q X O X . . . . X X O . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . X X . . X . . . . X O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . O . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . X O O O |
$$ | . . X X X . . X O . . . . . . X O X X |[/go]
To capture the triangled stones and the entire corner.
But I don't understand how this is safe for black. It looks like this will allow white to escape:
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B
$$ -------------------
$$ | . . . . . O O O Y . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O 5 X O . O Y 8 . . . O O . . . . |
$$ | . . X O O X O X 6 . . . X X O . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . X X 7 . X . . . . X O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . O . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . X O O O |
$$ | . . X X X . . X O . . . . . . X O X X |[/go]
At this point black cannot save his 2 triangled stones and it looks like white can escape. Shouldn't black have atari-ed the large group to avoid this? Or is there some better play for black? Reason that this escape plan doesn't succeed?
After looking at this for a bit I guess black could play like this:
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Bm9
$$ -------------------
$$ | . . . . . O O O X 2 . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O X X O . O X O 3 . . O O . . . . |
$$ | . . X O O X O X O 1 . . X X O . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . X X X . X . . . . X O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . O . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . X O O O |
$$ | . . X X X . . X O . . . . . . X O X X |[/go]
But at this point it looks like white 12 (or even a) could connect up to the right side group:
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$Wm12
$$ -------------------
$$ | . . . . . O O O . O a . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . O X X O . O . O X 1 . O O . . . . |
$$ | . . X O O X O X O X . . X X O . . . . |
$$ | . . . X . X X X . X . . . . X O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . O . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X . . . . . . . X O O O |
$$ | . . X X X . . X O . . . . . . X O X X |[/go]