Combat Series 3 - Slapping

 

Image copyright FFG artist: Mario Wibisono

Onwards with the next deep dive into a fighting technique again using James Davies excellent book - Tesuji.

Apologies for the music on the videos, I was listening to Primal Screams Greatest Hits and some, erm, more ambient songs were playing at the time..

Anyway this has one of the most easily recognisable foot prints. 

Here is the base position.

So as usual there is a liberty shortage for the 2 black stones at D6 and D7. The unique differentiator here is the stone trying to rescue at F6.

Now after white plays F7 Black really shouldn't bother to try to save the stones (AI suggests a G7 hane and trying to lightly build a new group).

Here is the default sequence

As with a lot of these examples the threat here is that if Black joins then G6 means that group is down to 2 liberties and we are in a loose ladder situation.

There is a possible attempt to get out with a snapback as so

If Black tries to escape on the other side then it becomes easier for white as white can enforce an actual ladder

So no good options for Black really beyond sacrificing the stones and using them as a threat of spring board to generate something else.

The tesuji is not just for an attempted kill. It's weaknesses can force your opponent to concentrate allowing you to reinforce. The following example (image only) is from Rob van Zeijst and Richard Bozulich's excellent book 'Making Good Shape' also from Keseido.

The start point is as follows so you can see, here white has just launched the attack but notice their weak single stone at the top so this attack is highly likely to not kill.

Now the book gives two variations. For the first Black instantly ataris the weak white stone, white though hane's the single right stone to the right. Black should connect here (otherwise white will kill that stone and white's right side is increasing in strength but this allows white to almost block black in.

The other variation involves Black haneing in the other direction. This looks a worse option as White can throw in at the connecting point, black has to capture and white can then  squeeze forcing Black into a blob.

Now admittedly Black can then atari out to freedom and probably threaten or take those three left most right stones but that would allow white to control the corner and right and actual territory.