Sunday Problem #15

Published 13 Sep 2020 by antti (last edited 21 Sep 2020)

This problem is from a classic tsumego collection by Hon’inbō Shūsai called or Shikatsu Myōki. This name is notoriously difficult to translate into English: while shikatsu means life-and-death, myōki is a Buddhist term referring to excellent adhering to Buddhist teachings. Presumably this is meant in the sense that ‘if you manage to solve all these problems, your reading will become unparalleled.’

Black to play.

Solution
Solution
Technically black 3 also works as the starting move, but the eye-space-reducing black 1 is the more straightforward choice. After White’s block of 2, the combination of black 3 and 5 is the key. The final position may at first glance look like a seki, but White is actually dead because the black group has an eye in the corner.

Comments (1)


antti wrote 3 years, 6 months ago:

Solution added.