Basic endgame problem -- feedback requested

[Mnemonic]

I bet I could teach a 10k to easily do this sort of thing too.

I'm 10k And I'm still requesting that somebody posts another problem

On a more serious note: I don't really think 10k is the appropriate target audience for endgame problems. (60% of my games end in resignation, 20% where one player should have resigned already (40+ point difference) and another 15% between 15 points and komi) That means being able to solve endgame properly is probably a wasted skill on a 10k.

Still want my problem, though

[emeraldemon]

Was freegame's choice for move 2 actually wrong? It seems like the count comes out the same either way.

[freegame]

I bet I could teach a 10k to easily do this sort of thing too.

I'm 10k And I'm still requesting that somebody posts another problem

On a more serious note: I don't really think 10k is the appropriate target audience for endgame problems. (60% of my games end in resignation, 20% where one player should have resigned already (40+ point difference) and another 15% between 15 points and komi) That means being able to solve endgame properly is probably a wasted skill on a 10k.

Still want my problem, though

I agree that it might not be the most efficient thing to study if you want to get stronger as quickly as possible.
It is however not a "waisted skill". learning to better understand any aspect of the game will help.
the stronger you get the more difficult it will be to improve and/but every small bit will count.

[Bill Spight]

Was freegame's choice for move 2 actually wrong? It seems like the count comes out the same either way.

It loses 1 point. After that, with correct play White wins by 1.5 instead of 0.5.

[freegame]

Was freegame's choice for move 2 actually wrong? It seems like the count comes out the same either way.

I think it is. I spend 2 moves for a 3 point gain there.
move + gain 3 points for black black could instead have played 2 moves worth 2 points each.
It might still give the same result if depending on the endgame moves left. I did not look back to see if this is the case, but below an example.

example:
if there are four moves of 2 points followed by two 1 point moves (10 points to be divided) I can play the 1st and 3rd 2 point move and the 1st one point move (5pt each),
but i can get the same score but first playing a 1 pt move, next my opponent will take the 1st 2 point move, I will get the 2nd, and 4th one, giving my opponent the last 1 point move (5pt each).

both cases give the same score, and can therefore be considered to be both correct, however in general it would be better to play the 2 point moves fists. This saves time calculating the number of lower value moves to see if not playing the biggest point still gives the same result.

[snorri]

$$W White to play. Japanese rules. 6.5 komi.
$$ ---------------------------
$$ | . . X O . . . O O . . . . |
$$ | X . X O O O O . O . X X . |
$$ | . X O . . . . O O O X O . |
$$ | . X X X X . X . X O . X . |
$$ | O O O O X . X . X X . X . |
$$ | . . O X . X . X O X . X . |
$$ | . . O X a X . X O X X X . |
$$ | . O O 1 O X . X O . O X . |
$$ | . X O O X X X O O X . X . |
$$ | . O . O O X X . O X X X O |
$$ | . . O . . . X O O O O X X |
$$ | . . O O X X X O . O O X . |
$$ | . . O . O O X O O . O . . |
$$ ---------------------------

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$W White to play. Japanese rules. 6.5 komi.
$$ ---------------------------
$$ | . . X O . . . O O . . . . |
$$ | X . X O O O O . O . X X . |
$$ | . X O . . . . O O O X O . |
$$ | . X X X X . X . X O . X . |
$$ | O O O O X . X . X X . X . |
$$ | . . O X . X . X O X . X . |
$$ | . . O X a X . X O X X X . |
$$ | . O O 1 O X . X O . O X . |
$$ | . X O O X X X O O X . X . |
$$ | . O . O O X X . O X X X O |
$$ | . . O . . . X O O O O X X |
$$ | . . O O X X X O . O O X . |
$$ | . . O . O O X O O . O . . |
$$ ---------------------------[/go]

I suppose I should confess I would have played because after looking the sizes of the other moves, I'd conclude that black doesn't have time to play 'a' in gote. When I saw others' answers starting at W 'a' I felt kind of asinine.

[Bill Spight]

$$W White to play. Japanese rules. 6.5 komi.
$$ ---------------------------
$$ | . . X O . . . O O . . . . |
$$ | X . X O O O O . O . X X . |
$$ | . X O . . . . O O O X O . |
$$ | . X X X X . X . X O . X . |
$$ | O O O O X . X . X X . X . |
$$ | . . O X . X . X O X . X . |
$$ | . . O X a X . X O X X X . |
$$ | . O O 1 O X . X O . O X . |
$$ | . X O O X X X O O X . X . |
$$ | . O . O O X X . O X X X O |
$$ | . . O . . . X O O O O X X |
$$ | . . O O X X X O . O O X . |
$$ | . . O . O O X O O . O . . |
$$ ---------------------------

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$W White to play. Japanese rules. 6.5 komi.
$$ ---------------------------
$$ | . . X O . . . O O . . . . |
$$ | X . X O O O O . O . X X . |
$$ | . X O . . . . O O O X O . |
$$ | . X X X X . X . X O . X . |
$$ | O O O O X . X . X X . X . |
$$ | . . O X . X . X O X . X . |
$$ | . . O X a X . X O X X X . |
$$ | . O O 1 O X . X O . O X . |
$$ | . X O O X X X O O X . X . |
$$ | . O . O O X X . O X X X O |
$$ | . . O . . . X O O O O X X |
$$ | . . O O X X X O . O O X . |
$$ | . . O . O O X O O . O . . |
$$ ---------------------------[/go]

I suppose I should confess I would have played because after looking the sizes of the other moves, I'd conclude that black doesn't have time to play 'a' in gote. When I saw others' answers starting at W 'a' I felt kind of asinine.

is perhaps the pro play, because it leaves a ko threat for White. (OC, when there is no ko, . . . )