Here are the weekly Go problems for week 38.
Black plays first in all problems and all solutions are labeled ‘correct’. Have fun!
Easy Go problem
Find the right shape to make a second eye.
Intermediate Go problem
White just played A. First figure out what white’s plan is, then plan your counter attack.
Hard Go problem
Knowing that sometimes offense is the best defense – worth four stones. Knowing the best time to ease off – priceless.
Still want more Go problems?
You can find Go books packed full of life and death problems, tesuji problems and other valuable Go knowledge at the Go Game Shop.
Discuss other possible moves
If you have any questions or want to discuss any of these problems, please leave a comment below at any time. You can use the coordinates on the problem images to discuss a move or sequence of moves.
You can also download the solutions as a PDF or SGF file by clicking the links below each problem.
About David Ormerod
As usual, the hard problem all comes down to timing
Indeed Tony. We could also substitute ‘Go’ for ‘the hard problem’ in your comment
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nice problems. I like the level of the problems. Good collection you have here David.
Thanks Jangalf, it’s built up slowly, but I guess we have over 100 problems now
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Why is the descent bad at the hard problem, at all variations? Does it simply not add anything? I lived with the descent seven times without understanding what I’m doing wrong…
I assume you mean the descent at A3? Yes, it doesn’t add anything to intersperse the descent. Just the threat of playing it is enough.
If you exchange A3 for A4, it’s a small loss for black because (if the sequence then continues to give a similar result to the solution diagram) white can connect under with A6 by squeezing later. Since black might want to attack white’s outside group later, black would prefer not to make that option available to white.
David has, as always, precisely answered the question. But as a general principle, a threat that doesn’t have some immediate effect is best left until it can be used as a ko threat/ladder break/miai. You don’t know how you may want to use that threat later, best to keep your options open.
I got the answers to questions 1 and 2 right first try. It was mostly on intuition though, and knowing what was wrong rather than fully reading out the correct variation.
As for the third problem I got the first two moves, but I didn’t get the “Knowing the best time to ease off.”
It’s so hard figuring out when to settle a fight!