Here is an example of position we encounter very often in practice and not that easy to analyse
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$W
$$ -----------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . O O X . . . |
$$ | O O O X X X . . . |
$$ | . O . . . X X X X |
$$ | O O . . . . . X . |
$$ | . O . . . . . X X |
$$ | O O . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X X |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------[/go]
What is your analyse of the yose in the upper part of the board?
My view is the following.
Let's suppose white to play with a temperature between 1 and 3. In that case white can play the sequence
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$W
$$ -----------------
$$ | . . . 3 2 4 . . . |
$$ | . . 1 O O X . . . |
$$ | O O O X X X . . . |
$$ | . O . . . X X X X |
$$ | O O . . . . . X . |
$$ | . O . . . . . X X |
$$ | O O . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X X |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------[/go]
This sequence seems better that playing

at

to gain 1 point but in gote.

at

may be possible if white has enough ko threats
Now let's suppose black to play. Black being able to play in sente as soon as temperature drops to 4 I conclude that in practice black will play first in the area when temperature is between 3 and 4.
What black will play?
The first idea is the hane
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B
$$ -----------------
$$ | . . b . 1 . . . . |
$$ | . . a O O X . . . |
$$ | O O O X X X . . . |
$$ | . O . . . X X X X |
$$ | O O . . . . . X . |
$$ | . O . . . . . X X |
$$ | O O . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X X |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------[/go]
and white can answer with a or b.
If the temperature is greater then 3 the more logical move is

at "a" expected following later with

and
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B
$$ -----------------
$$ | . . . 4 1 5 . . . |
$$ | . . 2 O O X . . . |
$$ | O O O X X X . . . |
$$ | . O . . . X X X X |
$$ | O O . . . . . X . |
$$ | . O . . . . . X X |
$$ | O O . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X X |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------[/go]
The point is the following : in this hypothesis the result is exactly the same if black plays first or if white plays first and, as a consequence the miai value looks like 0.
Does that mean that black cannot gain something by playing first?
Black may choose to play:
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B
$$ -----------------
$$ | . . 4 . 3 . . . . |
$$ | . 2 1 O O X . . . |
$$ | O O O X X X . . . |
$$ | . O . . . X X X X |
$$ | O O . . . . . X . |
$$ | . O . . . . . X X |
$$ | O O . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X X |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------[/go]
next we can expected the following exchange
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B
$$ -----------------
$$ | . a O 6 X 7 . . . |
$$ | . O . O O X . . . |
$$ | O O O X X X . . . |
$$ | . O . . . X X X X |
$$ | O O . . . . . X . |
$$ | . O . . . . . X X |
$$ | O O . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X X |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------[/go]
and here we can see a small gain for black : a ko threat at "a".
Depending of the environment, black may also expect to follow with
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B
$$ -----------------
$$ | . . 4 3 B 5 . . . |
$$ | . . W O O X . . . |
$$ | O O O X X X . . . |
$$ | . O . . . X X X X |
$$ | O O . . . . . X . |
$$ | . O . . . . . X X |
$$ | O O . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X X |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------[/go]
But in such situation white can change his first move to:
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B
$$ -----------------
$$ | . . 2 . 1 . . . . |
$$ | . . . O O X . . . |
$$ | O O O X X X . . . |
$$ | . O . . . X X X X |
$$ | O O . . . . . X . |
$$ | . O . . . . . X X |
$$ | O O . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X X |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------[/go]
and after the following expected exchange
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B
$$ -----------------
$$ | . b W 4 B 5 . . . |
$$ | . . a O O X . . . |
$$ | O O O X X X . . . |
$$ | . O . . . X X X X |
$$ | O O . . . . . X . |
$$ | . O . . . . . X X |
$$ | O O . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X X |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------[/go]
you can see that black is happy to get 2 ko threats instead of one.
To summarize my analyse :
- Click Here To Show Diagram Code
[go]$$B
$$ -----------------
$$ | . . . . b . . . . |
$$ | . . a O O X . . . |
$$ | O O O X X X . . . |
$$ | . O . . . X X X X |
$$ | O O . . . . . X . |
$$ | . O . . . . . X X |
$$ | O O . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X X |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . |
$$ -----------------[/go]
It seems to me that black must play at "a" or "b" when temperature is between 3 and 4. Such move will gain nothing in points but only in terms of ko threats. In addition the choice between a move at "a" or "b" seems quite difficult.
What is your view concerning this quite common situation?