S. Kishikawa - Stepping-Stones to Go

Basic Tactics

Inasmuch as go is a game of strategy, in which there are many tactical procedures, it is necessary for beginners to learn at least some of the fundamental basic tactics. You should be able to master them without much difficulty if you remember what you have learned in the previous chapters.

Set forth below are some of the tactics needed to meet situations that develop during play.

In Diagram 51 it is Black's play and he must play at 1, whereupon White attempts to live by playing at 2. Black has to play at 3, and the subsequent steps are taken as recorded. This results in the capture of the white stones upon reaching the edge of the board. This situation is called shicho which means "a running attack."

Therefore when such a position develops a shrewd player would not extend his losses in this way but would instead play elsewhere, abandoning temporarily the threatened stone.

On the other hand, however, the case is not hopeless if there is a friendly stone in the line of flight, no matter how far off it may be. This stone is called shicho atari, which may be translated as "a stone of refuge from a running attack." A study of Diagram 52 shows the truth of this. As you can see, Black cannot capture the white stones in a shicho, because the threatened white stones are eventually connected with the stone of refuge as shown in Figure B. The single white stone marked as 1 in Figure A is the stone of refuge.

Diagram 52

Diagram 53

Diagram 54

If Black fails to notice the meaning of this white stone and plays at some other place on the board, White immediately attempts to escape by playing at 3 and eventually succeeds in connecting to the white single stone above mentioned. In this situation Black should not have tried to capture the white stone in this manner because now his own stones are in a position to be attacked by White in many directions.

In the situation shown in Diagram 53, Figure A, the waiting white stone is not posted on the line of progress, in which case the running attack is successful as indicated in Figure B. White must be careful not to misplace the stone of refuge in an attempt to escape from the running attack.

There are many ways for White to prevent the black stone from escape in Diagram 54, Figure A. The plays in Figures B and G are correct and these plays are called geta, which may be translated as "capping" plays. Figure D is a shicho which you have already learned: if Black tries to escape by playing at 2, White, needless to say, plays at 3, a capping play.

Diagram 55 is another example of a capping play. In this situation, there is no possibility for Black to find a way to escape. Figures B and G show you the truth of this.

Diagram 55

Diagram 56

Diagram 57

Similar cases frequently occur in actual games. If you memorize these plays, you will find no difficulty in preventing the escape of your opponent's stones.

Another example of a capping play is shown in Figure D, and from this example you should learn why the Black at 1 and 3 are essential in order to prevent the flight of the hostile stone.

In the situation shown in Diagram 56, Figure A, Black must make an additional play either at "a" or "b" in order to defend his territory completely. If Black fails to do so, the one black stone will be captured by a capping play as shown in Figure B, resulting in a big loss of Black's territory. Figures G and D show two incorrect plays for White, in which cases Black loses nothing and, on the contrary, the white stones are dead.