splitting tesuji

Mark356 · #1

There's an annoying sacraficial splitting tesuji that has been used on me many times, but I still don't have the hang of it. Here is one version of it:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$c Starting position $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O , O . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . O . . O . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$c The cut: $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O , O . 2 3 . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . 4 1 O 5 . O . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . 6 7 . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

(Based on a position from markjgc vs. guest11k, 12-15-2010.)

Another version:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$c Starting position $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . O . , O . . | $$ | . . . . . X . . X . O . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$W $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . 5 2 7 . , . . . O . , O . . | $$ | . . . . 3 X 1 . X . O . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X 4 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

(Based on a position from dmith vs markjgc, 12-22-2010.)

So my questions are, first, how can I recognize what positions are vulnerable to this kind of splitting? How can I use it myself? Once my opponent starts the contact play, is there a better way to respond than going through with it? Or, like the monkey jump, do you just have to prevent situations like this from arising? And if that's the case, how and when?

Thanks in advance!

Joaz Banbeck · #2

On the second question ( diagrams 3 and 4 ) your problem arises from making the wrong hane. As a general rule, when the opponent attaches, you should hane. In this particular position, you should hane low:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Wc $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . O . , O . . | $$ | . . . . . X 1 . X . O . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

He can keep pushing, but you will stay connected:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Wc $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . 7 . . . , . . . O . , O . . | $$ | . . . . 3 X 1 5 X . O . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X 4 8 2 6 . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

You should do that because white is too strong nearby, and you need to play defensively.

However, if the position were like this:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Wc $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . B . . 2 . . , . . . . . , O . . | $$ | . . . . . X 1 . X . . B . . B . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

...then you would do best to hane on top and try to kill him.

hiyayang · #3

Joaz Banbeck wrote:

On the second question ( diagrams 3 and 4 ) your problem arises from making the wrong hane. As a general rule, when the opponent attaches, you should hane. In this particular position, you should hane low: ...

It doesn't really prevent splitting, either. Consider this:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Wc $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . O . , O . . | $$ | . . . . . X 1 . X . O . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . 3 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

In general, two-spaced stones are vulnerable to this kind of exploit, especially when the opposing stones are nearby.

Dusk Eagle · #4

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$c $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O , O . . 2 . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . 1 O . . O . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$c $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O , O . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . 2 1 O . . O . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Wc $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . O . , O . . | $$ | . . . . . X 1 2 X . O . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I think these moves work for staying connected. However, you do hit upon an important point. Even in strong shapes like these, you can often probe at them and get something useful in return.

Edit: Also, like Joaz mentioned, there might be better responses depending on the global situation.

Mark356 · #5

Oh, very cool! Thanks for all the tips, all of you!

@Dusk Eagle: I think the clamp would work on the second one but not the first:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$c $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O , O . 3 . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . 2 1 O . . O . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . 6 5 4 7 . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I think the ascent would've worked beautifully, though-- I don't know why I didn't think of it myself! I'll definitely keep all of these moves in mind.

@hiyayang: Could you give a specific example of when you might want to think of trying this tesuji, or one like it?

I was faced with this position in a game today, and was thinking of trying it myself:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$c $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . . 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . O . . . , X . . | $$ | . . . O . . 1 . a X . . . . O . O . . | $$ | . . . 4 3 . . . . . . b . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

(From Markjgc vs. havasu, 12-24-2010.)

I replied to 1 at 2 because I wanted to keep the black group under pressure. After 3 I debated trying to split at a, but I figured that if I tried, whether I was successful or not, black would get a strong wall with which to attack my stones on the right, so I protected by descending instead. After that black settled easily at b and I gave up the idea altogether. Was splitting ever an option for me, and if not here, is there a situation in which an attempt at splitting would be more favorable to me?

Dusk Eagle · #6

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$c $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . O , O . 3 . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . 2 1 O . . O . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . 5 4 6 . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

This is what I was thinking. It does leave bad aji in the corner though. It may not be the best.

Also, since you asked, here's my take on your position below.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$c $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . a 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . W . . . , X . . | $$ | . . . O . . 1 . d B . . . . O . O c . | $$ | . . . 4 3 . . . . . . b . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

In most situations, fifth-line moves are weak without third-line stones underneath them. So :w2:

would be better played at 'a'. :b3:

is a crude mistake. It only solidifies your corner all the more without settling black's shape all that much. 'b' would be better for black, settling his shape and exploiting the bad relation between :wc:

and

.

is a must: if you let black slide into your corner, not only will he eat away a lot of your territory without you getting much of a wall, he will also gain a ton of stability. If black doesn't play b, then you can probably attack him. Also, 'c' is a huge move (compare black playing there with white playing there).

All that being said, I also think it is good to get comfortable with creating contact fights to split your opponent apart. So being extra aggressive could very well be a good way to learn and get better at handling these situations. So, while splitting at 'd' too early doesn't seem like the best move to me, it could very well be an educational move, and that seems even more valuable in the long run.

splitting tesuji

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