EVENT BOARDSIZE 19 COM ################################### Introduction: How to attack. ################################### Attacking usually occurs in the middle game, but there are many occasions where attacking opportunities arise in the opening, especially in handicap games. This is because a player who has a handicap starts with an advantage so that he can quickly establish strong and secure positions. And strong positions are the key to successful attacks. Here is the fundamental principle of attacking: [Continued as "Problem 2"] ENDCOM EVENT BOARDSIZE 19 SETUP W C17 C16 D15 D13 C12 F17 H17 G15 H15 J15 K15 K16 N16 P16 P17 Q17 R16 S16 S17 H13 J12 SETUP B C18 D17 E18 E16 E15 E14 G14 F12 D4 Q4 J16 J17 K17 L16 L15 M15 M14 L13 K14 R18 R17 Q15 Q16 R15 COM ################################### Attack from a position of strength. ################################### If the stones that are used in your attack are weak, they could end up being the ones attacked. Consider the Diagram (Black to play). ENDCOM B 1 J10 COM Black caps with 1 and it seems as if he is building influence in the center ... ENDCOM W 2 K11 COM ... while forcing White run away with 2 ... ENDCOM B 3 L9 W 4 M11 COM ... and 4. ENDCOM B 5 N9 COM Black keeps up the pressure with 5, but ... ENDCOM W 6 M17 COM ... suddenly White plays a forcing move with 6 ... ENDCOM B 7 L17 W 8 O14 MARK 5@N9 3@L9 \t@R15 \t@Q15 \t@Q16 COM ... and jumps to 8, splitting the marked stones from their allies on the left. Black now has two weak groups and it is hard to tell who is the attacker and who is the one being attacked. Both sides are in for a hard fight and the outcome is far from clear (Taken from Problems 50 and 135.). If Black already had a stone at 8, Black 3 and 5 would be a devastating attack and White would be crushed. [Continued as "Problem 3"] ENDCOM EVENT BOARDSIZE 19 SETUP W C3 D3 E3 D2 E2 F2 G1 H2 G3 H4 J4 S3 R4 Q5 R6 S5 T4 R9 R10 P11 B18 C18 SETUP W D18 E17 E16 D16 C16 B15 C13 M15 N14 N16 O16 O17 P18 Q18 Q17 R17 S18 T18 SETUP B D1 C2 B3 C4 D4 E4 F4 G4 F3 H5 R3 Q3 Q4 O3 Q10 Q11 R11 R12 B16 B17 C17 SETUP B D17 E18 F19 G18 F17 C10 J17 L16 M16 N17 N18 O18 P17 P16 Q16 R16 S17 T16 S15 COM Another important attacking principle: ################################### The ultimate purpose of an attack is to threaten your opponent's stones in such a way that you gain profit, either by securing territory or by building influence. ################################### In other words, don't try to kill stones you are attacking. Chase them, harass them, tease them, torment them; but don't make any great effort to kill them. If it turns out that you are able to kill them, all the better, but don't make that your ultimate goal. This Diagram is an example (Black to play).. ENDCOM B 1 M13 COM Black has strong positions at the top and on the right, which he uses to attack the four white stones at the top with 1. ENDCOM W 2 L15 COM White runs away with 2, ... ENDCOM B 3 K13 W 4 K15 COM ... 4 and ... ENDCOM B 5 C15 W 6 A17 B 7 H13 W 8 H15 MARK 3@K13 7@H13 COM ... 8, hoping to link up with her secure position in the upper left corner, while Black presses with 3 and 7. Note that the value of each of White's moves is zero. In contrast, Black is building influence that radiates throughout the board. Clearly, Black's moves must be good. ENDCOM B 9 F16 MARK 5@C15 COM Black 5 and 9 exploit the aji of his four dead stones in the corner, and ... ENDCOM W 10 F15 B 11 F13 COM ... Black 11 forces White ... ENDCOM VAR B 11 E15 COM Some players might be tempted to try and kill the white stones with the atari of 11, ... ENDCOM W 12 A16 B 13 E14 COM ... followed by 13 in this variation. ENDCOM W 14 F13 COM But White would then threaten the black stones on the left with 14 ... ENDCOM B 15 E13 W 16 G13 COM ... and 16, ... ENDCOM B 17 E11 W 18 H12 MARK 13@E14 11@E15 17@E11 COM ... then make shape with 18 after Black defends with 17. The black stones in the center are now thin and it is White who has taken the initiative in the center. Black 11 and 13 are completely unreasonable. [Continued as "Problem 4"] ENDCOM ENDVAR W 12 E14 COM ... to defend at 12. ENDCOM B 13 D12 COM Finally, Black plays 13 and his influence dominates the center and works beautifully with his wall below. This is a textbook example of an attack. [Continued as "Problem 4"] ENDCOM EVENT BOARDSIZE 19 SETUP W Q13 Q14 R15 R16 S17 R12 Q4 R5 O3 B4 C6 C9 L17 SETUP B D17 C15 J17 R18 R17 P17 Q16 Q15 P14 K3 F3 D4 C3 MARK D@K16 C@J15 B@K15 A@L15 \t@L17 COM The above two principles will go a long way in helping you become an effective attacking player. But it is necessary for you to learn some basic attacking techniques as well. ################################### Attacking with Caps and Knight's Moves ################################### Two of the most common are capping moves and the knight's moves. We have already seen examples of these in "Problem 2", namely Black 1 and 3 there (both are good moves, but Black 5 there is not good). Look at the Diagram (Taken from Problem 16.). White has just jumped into hostile territory with her marked stones. Black can get a clear advantage if he attacks correctly. The two main candidate moves are A and B, but a lot of players would also consider jumping to C or extending diagonally with D. The first thing you must do when faced with a situation such as this is to have a clear idea of your goal. It is unreasonable for Black to expect to kill this stone. A reasonable goal would be to let it live, but confine it to the top. ENDCOM B 1 J15 COM With this goal in mind, Black 1 is rejected because ... ENDCOM VAR B 1 K16 COM Extending diagonally with Black 1 is also not consistent with Black's goal because ... ENDCOM W 2 M15 COM ... White again escapes into the center with 2. <= ENDCOM ENDVAR VAR B 1 L15 COM What about capping at 1? This cap is the kind of severe attacking move that often succeeds, but here ... ENDCOM W 2 K16 COM ... White will be able to break out by extending diagonally with 2. Black's stones on the left will become strong and he will secure the territory there. But White will escape into the center and Black's wall on the right will not have been used effectively. <= ENDCOM ENDVAR VAR B 1 K15 COM This leaves only the knight's move of Black 1. It will drive the white stone towards the black wall on the right, enabling Black to build a wall on the outside and force White to live in gote. [Continued as "Problem 5"] ENDCOM ENDVAR W 2 L15 COM ... White can jump to 2 and her stones are out into the open. <= ENDCOM EVENT BOARDSIZE 19 SETUP W D16 F16 R4 P3 R7 Q18 O17 L17 P13 P12 Q12 SETUP B C14 D10 D4 R9 P9 P11 O12 Q16 Q14 R17 MARK \t@Q12 \t@P12 \t@P13 COM ################################### Leaning Attacks ################################### Another attacking technique is the 'leaning attack', that is, attacking stones in one part of the board in order to build strength for capturing or threatening stones somewhere else. Here is an example. The three marked stones in the Diagram are under siege, but Black's stones are not strong enough to trap them. Therefore, ... ENDCOM B 1 O16 COM ... he switches to the top and attaches with 1. ENDCOM W 2 N16 COM If White defends with 2, ... ENDCOM VAR W 2 O13 MARK \t@Q12 \t@P12 \t@P13 COM Of course, White might decide to extract her marked stones by turning at 2 ... ENDCOM B 3 N17 W 4 M13 COM ... and jumping to 4. ENDCOM B 5 N16 MARK 3@N17 COM In that case, Black will play 3 and 5, taking the territory at the top right. Black is satisfied with this result (Taken from Problem 49.). [Continued as "Problem 6"] ENDCOM ENDVAR B 3 N15 COM ... Black hanes with 3. ENDCOM W 4 M16 COM After White defends with 4, ... ENDCOM B 5 O13 MARK \t@Q12 \t@P12 \t@P13 COM ... Black comes back to finish off the marked stones with 5. They can no longer escape and they don't have enough room on the right to live. <= ENDCOM EVENT BOARDSIZE 19 SETUP W D17 D16 C14 C12 D4 F3 C8 D8 L16 K16 J16 H15 G15 F15 J14 K14 K13 L12 L3 SETUP W Q9 Q10 Q11 R11 Q13 R13 R14 S14 S15 P14 SETUP B C6 D10 E14 F17 G16 H16 J17 K17 L17 H13 J13 K12 K11 L13 M13 Q3 R5 R8 R9 SETUP B R10 R17 R15 Q15 Q16 Q14 O14 P13 P12 Q12 COM ################################### Gouging out Eyes ################################### Depriving your opponent's stones of their base is another effective technique for setting up an attack. This Diagram provides an example. The nine white stones on the right side are out in the center and they cannot be separated. ENDCOM B 1 S12 COM But Black can peep at 1, and ... ENDCOM W 2 R12 COM ... White is forced to connect at 2. ENDCOM B 3 S11 COM Black links up to his stones below and the white stones are without eyes. ENDCOM W 4 Q8 COM They must now find security in the center, so White expands her presence in there with 4 ... ENDCOM B 5 Q7 W 6 P7 COM ... and 6. But White 6 is not really sente, so ... ENDCOM B 7 M4 MARK \t@L3 COM ... Black can lean on the marked stone with the shoulder hit of 7. This move could also be called a splitting or a double attack. ENDCOM W 8 L4 B 9 M6 COM Fierce fighting will ensue in the center as White struggles to save her stones above. Black clearly has the initiative. In the 136 problems that follow, consider these principles and techniques as you try to find the best moves. [End of Introduction] ENDCOM