Strategy
Model 10 If, in response to white 1, black plays the pincer of 2, it is natural for white to follow this up with the double attack on the corner with 3.
Diagram 1 (Tricking oneself) Playing at black 1 is just trick-ing oneself.
With white 2 through 12, black's marked stone is found to be transformed into a bad move that approaches white's bas-tion of strength too
closely.
Also, one does not feel
Trick Moves: Strategy
Diagram 2 (Theory) The attachment of 1 strength-ens black's own stones, but it is also a method that strengthens white. If one understands that, one real-izes that to the extent that the intention behind black's marked stone was to attack white's marked stone, it is a bad move that violates theory. One can understand black 1 easily,
but if black is going to make an attachment with 1...
Diagram 3 (The correct direction) Black has to attach from this direction with 1.
Let's see what happens if white plays the same technique as in Diagram 1 with 4. Through white 12, the shape is exactly the same as in Diagram 1.
However, insofar as the direction has changed, the result is accordingly different from Diagram 1.
Black's strong wall on the right works in concert with black's marked stone on the upper side & 13. Although the shape is identical, the feeling in Diagram 1 is that black is in wretched straits. Thus and so, in the present diagram black's formation is an imposing one.
To conform to logic or not to conform? That is the question that is vividly contrasted here.
Diagram 4 (Black gets tricked) The last diagram turned out miserably for white, so it is natural for white to essay 4. Then, black 5 is also natural. White 6 is a highhanded trick move. At 7, it is also natural for black to block here. A fight ensues after the cut at white 8. Hold it there: black 7 was not natural. One can
see it happening.
Diagram 5 (A favorable fight for white) While black settles the corner with 1 & 3, 2 & 4 make the outlook for the fight on the outside favor-able for white.
Diagram 6 (Unreasonable for black) The cut of black 1 is unreasonable. White makes the forcing moves [kikashi] of 2 & 4, then cap-tures with 6.
109
Diagram 7 (Common sense) Black 7 in Diagram 4 fell into the trap. When white plays 1 in this diagram, giving way with 2 through 6 takes great profit and is good for black. This is the standard postulation that everyone knows. However, the rhythm of the stones makes the move of 7 in Diagram 4 into a natural one, and consequently, when one is precipitated into the thick of a fight, it can easily slip one's mind to give way with black 2 in this diagram. When one likes to fight...
Diagram 8 (Timidity) On the other hand, overly fearing Dia-grams 5 & 6 can lead one to take measures before the fact.
Significant numbers of players will give way with black 2 upon occasion.
Rather than "giving way", black 2 should be called timid-ity. White sees the opportunity to slip the rug out from under black, and brazenly usurps the corner with 3. If black bungles things, one has an unpleasant feeling that the wall here might even end up floating in a wasteland at some point, becoming the source of bitter trials.
Black 2 in Diagram 7 is one technique that must absolutely never be forgotten. Playing that way puts white in a fix. There-fore, white will not adopt the trick move of I.
Diagram 9 (Pincer attachment) From white 1 through black 6, play progresses along the lines of a standard pattern, and those who have studied a little joseki will probably know it.
Here, immediately attaching with the move of white 7 is once again a trick move.
Diagram 10 (Hoodwinked) According to the person seeing it, black 1 might appear to be a clever move.
The reason is that white's connection underneath is blocked, while at the same time it is observed that black can capture three stones of white's by cutting at 5...
However, black 1 here falls into the trap, so that it might be said that when a move looks good to an amateur's eye, that move
is generally a bad one. I for-get who it was, a very great
Trick Moves: Strategy
Diagram 11 (Black is bad however one looks at it) This diagram shows the result after the sequence in the last dia-gram. What is one to make of black's position, which has been wrapped up on the left and right, forced [kikashi] to the ut-most? Using move order analysis [tewari] to balance white's three captured stones by removing black's three marked stones, we see that black's formation is as if nothing had been cap-tured. In fact, if black isn't careful, this group might die if a stone placed at the center leaves black with only one eye.
On the other hand, white has taken the corner to the right, while forcing lightly on the left. If one cannot feel in one's bones that this is bad for black, nothing that I can say will make a difference.
Diagram 12 (Shattering the trick move) The way to shat-ter the trick move of white 1 is like this. Black 2 is it. If white plays 3, black 4. With this, an exchange [furi-kawari] takes place which is not bad for black. However, white is not totally stymied.
Diagram 13 (Joseki) It is best to ponder the meaning of the moves one by one.
Diagram 14 (There is this also) Black can also move out with the diagonal move of 1. That is a vital point, since white can seal black in with a move there. But there is a line of thought that sees this as weak-kneed.
Diagram 15 (Black is bad) Black 1 initiates an old joseki that is no longer played. Black 1 is bad. White's wedging insertion of 2 is a vital point; up to 6, white takes profit and white a, black b, white c, black d, forces black into overconcentration [kori-gatachi]. At black 3...
Diagram 16 (Not good) Even if black ataris at 1, the sequence to 8 leaves black high and dry.
111
Diagram 17 (Answering a capping play) White 2 is a trap that utilizes the logic of the go proverb: "Answer a capping play with a knight's move."
Diagram 18 (Black is tricked) Black 1 follows the proverb, and there are even those who think that black is well off since white's marked stone has been immobilized. However, white occupies good points on the other side with 2 & 4, and has gotten to take good points on both sides.
Diagram 19 (What is the opponent's is the opponent's, what is one's own is one's own) If white plays the capping move, black plays this-way with 1. One cannot neglect doing this. There are two good points in this position, the marked white stone and 1. There is no necessity to go so far as to daringly play black 1 at a. Playing solidly with black 1 is sufficient.
Diagram 20 (Equally good [miai] points) If white plays 1 to begin with, then black 2 is the place to play. The choice is limited for black between Diagram 18 and Diagram 19. If one realizes the implications of this, one can understand that Diagram 17 is no good for black.
Diagram 21 (Sudden fighting) According to the situation, the fencing in move of black 4 is a powerful technique.
When white pushes through with 5 and cuts with 7, to some extent black rides the wave of the sudden fighting. Black 8 exhibits good, skillful technique [tesuji].
Diagram 22 (White gets tricked) By capturing with 1, white's shape shows evidence of getting tricked after being wrapped up with black 2 & 4. Black's strong wall becomes more powerful than ever. Instead of 1, white should...
Trick Moves: Strategy
Diagram 23 (Sudden fighting, profitable for black) If white stubbornly extends out with 1, black then fights with 2 & 4.
In this sudden fight, all of black's stones are operating towards the outside, while white has only the marked stone and 1. To that extent, black can be considered to have the advantage. Such being the case, for white...
Diagram 24 (Signs of a letup) When black plays 1, white pushes at 2. If this happens, black has it easy. Banking on black to let up here, white sets an ambush from behind with 4.
Diagram 25 (Bushwhacked here) Black 2 seems even too natural in its naturalness. But this move at 2 falls into the trap. Does the reader understand this simply by having it pointed out?
Diagram 26 (On the trick move highway) The hane of 1 is the path white has been aiming at.
Unaware of this, black plays 2, thinking that next white will play at a, and with b, black will get a comfortable position. It is just at this point that...
Diagram 27 (Sudden attack) White attacks suddenly with the fierce cut at 1. There are those who still are not aware of what is happening. Thinking that white must be falling apart, black cuts at 2 and it is already too late. Regardless, black is probably buoyed with a sunny feeling of optimism...
Diagram 28 (Completely taken) White 1 & 3 set black to squealing. With the moves from black 4 through white 11, black is left in pitiful shape, and that's the end of the matter. If this isn't getting taken by a trick play, what should it be called?
113
Diagram 29 (Even without getting tricked) Black has no choice but to sit tight with 2. This despite all indications that there must be a better move here. It is unbelievable that using black 2 to hane at a will end in the result of the last diagram.
Even though black 2 prevents the trick play, white is af-forded the opportunity to force [kikashi] once with 1, which is not a meaningless move. White 3 gives one the feeling of lightly erasing black's territorial framework [moyo].
Diagram 30 (Double Attack on the Corner Strategy, Part II) The position of white 3, in contrast to the point in Model 10, is shifted to a one point high attack, which is the only alteration, but the follow-up is completely different. What has
not changed is the desire of each side to direct the vicissi-tudes of battle into channels advantageous to themselves.
At the very least, black must not let the corner be sur-rounded, while working out a way to move out into the center, and split white's forces in two, is standard operating procedure.
Diagram 31 (An attachment at cross-purposes) Black would like to attach at 1. In the local situation, this makes a natural shape, and it seems that there are many people who will make this move before thinking.
If black's marked stone is not there, this becomes a splen-did move. However, when it is, black's moves are at cross-purposes. The reason is the same one as in Diagram 1 of this section.
The sequence from white 2 through 6 follows. One thing
in this sequence which one must be aware of no matter what, is that at the point of black 5...
Diagram 32 (Unreasonable for black) Blocking at black 1 is impossible. If black tries to do so, white cuts with 2 & 4, and black is in terrible shape. Black 5 in this diagram is an unreasonable move. The moves from white 6 through 12 leave black with a horrible position. Also...
If black plays 9 at a, white answers with 11, black 10, white b, black c, white d, and
Trick Moves: Strategy
Diagram 33 (Splendid for black) If the position of the marked black stone is one line higher as in this diagram, then black 1 becomes a splendid move. That is because black makes a staightforward drive in conjunction with the marked black stone to realize the completion of a powerful wall.
Starting with the position in Diagram 31, is it possible to create a wall like this with no defects [good aji]? Let's see.
Diagram 34 (Creates a wall, but) This is a continuation af-ter white 6 in Diagram 31. Black plays 1 & 3 to stop white from moving out. These are good moves for black. However...
White has a string of forcing moves [kikashi] from white 4 through black 11. After this, white will not initiate a fight immediately using the white stones at 8 and 10, but leave the possibilities there open for the future, and play a vague move in the area of a. This is the hallmark of a seasoned fighter.
In any event, this does not bear comparison with the last diagram, where black's powerful wall is rock solid.
Incidentally, independent of this, is white's group in the upper right corner definitely alive? It is necessary that one ascertain this.
Diagram 35 (Black sente, white lives) There is no way to bring an attack down on white other than to play black 1 through 7, but the white group lives with 10. Instead of white 8...
Diagram 36 (Same result) In a real game situation, white will force [kikashi] with 1 & 3 in order to threaten black's wall. Regardless of this, white must come back to 5 to live. If
black 6 at 7, white plays at 6 and the best black can do is to make the position into seki while ending in gote.
Diagram 37 (Joseki) Black 1 also seems to be possible, but it is impossible to deny that there is something slightly lax about it. From white 2 through black 9, black's position is stabilized. If white omits playing at 8, black has the possibility of playing at a, so it is unavoidable.
115
Diagram 38 (Unpleasantness) Continuing from the previous diagram, white has a strong move to aim at in 1, and with this formation, it is quite unpleasant for black. If the moves from black 2 through white 5 are played, black's wall to the right becomes an object of attack. Nevertheless, if black plays 2, or else 4 at a, it is painful for black to have white play at 4.
Diagram 39 (Black 5: tricked) If, at black 5 in Diagram 37, black pushes at 5 in this diagram, white plays at 6 and black has been tricked.
If one asks how black has been tricked, it is because of the connection in bad shape that black has been forced into mak-ing at 7, which is distressmak-ing.
Well then, in the development afterwards, black plays at 9, and if the sequence from white 10 through black 15 follows, black has gained considerable ground. However, white has been kind enough to overlook something here to permit this gain.
That is, at 12, white has a more awesome trick play to aim at. Instead of playing at 12, white can...
Diagram 40 (Tricked and annihilated) Cutting at white 1 is a severe move.
If black answers with 2, white plays 3, 5 & 7 and black is annihilated. If black seeks to avoid this, the only option is to play 2 at 7, but then white plays 2, black a, white b, and this is also painful for black.
White 1 is an awesome move.
Diagram 41 (In accordance with logic) Here, the attach-ment of black 1 is as logical a move as one might find.
In the local situation white 4 is the usual reply, but it does not work well in relationship with the way the white stone on the upper side is positioned.
It is best for black to play 5, 7 & 9, offering no resistance to white. This means great profit for black. Therefore, white's
move at 4 is not possible here.
If white 4 is the standard
Trick Moves: Strategy
Diagram 42 (Vague) Entering the 3-3 point with white 1 is joseki. Here, is a counterattack with black 2 threatening to
white?
Far from being threatening, white would have to hold back tears of gratitude. After white 3 and black 4, white is left with the possibility of playing at a. Black's position, rather than being thick, is but vaguely sketched out.
Of course, it all depends on the overall board position. At times when white has powerful influence in the lower right corner, black 2 & 4 is a strong way of playing, with the idea of neutralizing such a burgeoning position [moyo]. On the other hand, at such times white will not play at 1.
Diagram 43 (Black gets tricked) In answer to white 1, black 2 is good. Next, white 3 is a trick move, but in regard to it, please see Maeda 9 dan's primer of problems. Suffice it to say here that if black plays 4, white 5 compels black to make a painful concession with 6, ending up tricked (with the same meaning as black 7 in Diagram 39).
One must have the attitude that even a bout of spiteful stub-bornness would not lead one to play black 4. Let's leave it at that.
Diagram 44 (Black's true formation) If white 2, black rein-forces with 3 & 5. This move of black 5 again gives one a good feeling. If it is omitted...
Diagram 45 (Tricked) Playing black 1 & 3 is answered by the strong moves of white 4, 6 & 8. Another way of saying it is that the trick move has done its stuff. There is no
alterna-tive but to complete the shape with black 5 in Diagram 44. However, prior to black 5...
Diagram 46 (Forcing [kikashi] with the atari) One wants to atari with black 1 and then leave the situation as it is.
By exchanging this move for white 2, black gets in what can be regarded as a forcing move [kikashi].
117
Diagram 47 (A real move [honte] for black) Whether black continues from the last diagram by playing the real move [honte] at 1 to completely stabilize this group depends on the situation over the whole board. That is, whether there is a better move on the board or not. Otherwise, if black 1 is omitted here, white's intention...
Diagram 48 (White 1 is the aim) One must be prepared to deal with the move of 1 which is white's aim. However, if black answers by playing 2 and then surrounding white with 4, isn't white in a pinch? Here...
Diagram 49 (A baby trick play) White 1 & 3 comprise a quintessential baby trick play, and the black player would have to be truly weak to fall for it.
Diagram 50 (White is nonplussed) When white plays at 1, black 2 forces white's capitulation.
Diagram 51 (Life) White lives with the moves from 5 through 9. Yet rather than playing like that...
Diagram 52 (A satisfying trick play) White's moves at 1 & 3, somehow familiar from a differ-ent setting, is white's hidden aim.
When black plays at 4, white goes for the jugular vein with 5 and black winds up with a mangled position.
With the preceding, I have discussed various aspects of trick plays, and I hope that I have given the reader a new perspective on them. How about adding a weapon to your arsenal and becoming strong at trick plays this year?