L Group Fun

I am finally mostly done studying the standard L and L+n groups with and without hanes. At least I think I am mostly finished. This position is the one which has given me the most fun, or maybe it would be better described as 'almost made my head explode'.



This shape seemed so simple. I like the double ko you can make when White attacks at T3. And I knew the sente seki White can make when attacking at T2. That was all there was to it, till I found another variation in a book. Instead of a sente seki, White made a 10,000 years ko.

Seeing that, made me half remember that, six months ago, J showed this ko to me. I remember saying to myself 'That is interesting' and immediately forgot.

I also think there was a thread on godiscussions.com, although I couldn't find it when I looked for it. Naturally, I had just half read that discussion, and immediately forgot it too. I am amazingly good at forgetting things.

After I had seen the 10,000 years ko line in that book, I needed to convince my study buddies. They were not easily convinced at all, and our mailboxes were overflowing with refutations of the ko, and refutations of the refutations. One of my study buddies and I sat down in real life, and played it out and studied it on an actual goban. We agreed that yes, the 10,000 years ko seemed a valid option.

More research and bouncing it off people (J and minue) gave more clearness into the whole 10,000 years ko issue, and how the sente seki usually is better for White anyway. The ko still is a good variation to know though, just in case we find ourselves in a game where a 10,000 years ko is better. Not to mention that the 10,000 years ko is cuter than a boring seki, which is what really counts.

I'll post the sente seki and 10,000 years ko (which is gote) in a few days, so that you can spend some time looking at it yourself, if you are so inclined.

We have moved on to the long L-groups, which coincidentally also have a 10,000 years ko in the most basic shape.