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June 1996's Go Answer of the Month

Dia 1 - White to play and kill.

A problem from the books. You can find the answer to this in various life and death books. However it is very easy to get wrong - especially if you don't know the key moves.
This problem has special significance to me as I once met it in a tournament game, thought for 20 minutes how to kill black (knowing that it was possible), couldn't come up with the answer and lost the game.

Dia 2-4. The right attack, regardless of how Black squirms.

White starts with the hane at 1 and follows with the placement at 3.

The critical move is White 5 which threatens a subtle shortage of liberties with 7.

Or as here makes the lower 'eye' false.

This is just futile Black play.

Dia 5-7. Wrong White attacks.

So White must start with the hane in Dia 2.

Dia 8. If it is Black's move.

Black 1 gets six points in the corner (according to James Davies "Life And Death").
Alternatively descending to the edge (the 1-3 point) gets 2 points and potential with an undercut white top.

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