From: maiorana@idacrd.UUCP (James Maiorana)
Newsgroups: rec.games.go
Subject: Re: Curios - The King
Date: 24 Dec 92 17:40:26 GMT
Organization: idacrd, princeton, nj


     In my attempts to understand the solution given to this problem,
I noticed the following branch point for Black.  This occurs at move 14.
I will just repeat the solution up to this point.  White makes the first
move, labeled "1".  We use the move sequence "1,2,...,9,a,b,...z".

           -----------------------------*
           . . . . . . . # 4 1 3 5 8 # #|
           . . . . . O . O # . 6 # 7 # #|
           . . . . . . . O # # 2 # # O O|
           . . . . . . . . O O O O O . .|
           . . . . . . . . . . . . . O .|
           . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .|

           -----------------------------*
           . . . . . . . # # O O O # # #|
           . . . . . O . O # . # # 9 # #|
           . . . . . . . O # # # # # O O|
           . . . . . . . . O O O O O . .|
           . . . . . . . . . . . . . O .|
           . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .|

           -----------------------------*
           . . . . . . . # # O O O c b .|
           . . . . . O . O # . # # O a d|
           . . . . . . . O # # # # # O O|
           . . . . . . . . O O O O O . .|
           . . . . . . . . . . . . . O .|
           . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .|

     So for move 14 we have the position:

                 H J K L M N O P Q R S T
           -----------------------------*         Diagram I
           . . . . . . . # # O O O # O .|19
           . . . . . O . O # . # # . # O|18       Black to move
           . . . . . . . O # # # # # O O|17    
           . . . . . . . . O O O O O . .|16
           . . . . . . . . . . . . . O .|15
           . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .|14

The solutions given in the articles of "giordano@irisa.fr" and
"jzy@casbah.acns.nwu.edu" both give Black's move as T19.  In fact
they give the next six moves ("e" through "j") as

           -----------------------------*
           . . . . . . . # # O O O # O e|
           . . . . . O f O # g # # . # O|
           . . . . . . . O # # # # # O O|
           . . . . . . . . O O O O O . .|
           . . . . . . . . . . . . . O .|
           . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .|

           -----------------------------*
           . . . . . . i # # . . . # h #|
           . . . . . O O O # # # # j # O|
           . . . . . . . O # # # # # O O|
           . . . . . . . . O O O O O . .|
           . . . . . . . . . . . . . O .|
           . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .|

Playing out the ko then results in the following position:

                 H J K L M N O P Q R S T
           -----------------------------*         Diagram II
           . . # # # # # # # # # O . O .|19
           . . # O O O O O # # # # O . O|18       White to move
           . . . . . . . O # # # # # O O|17      
           . . . . . . . . O O O O O . .|16     
           . . . . . . . . . . . . . O .|15
           . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .|14
           
           
     For move 14 (written as "e") Black has another option, namely

                 H J K L M N O P Q R S T
           -----------------------------*
           . . . . . . . # # O O O # O .|19
           . . . . . O . O # e # # f # O|18
           . . . . . . . O # # # # # O O|17
           . . . . . . . . O O O O O . .|16
           . . . . . . . . . . . . . O .|15
           . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .|14

The difference between this position and the line given for the solution
is that the exchange Black L19 - White L18 has not occurred.  Now when
the ko is played out we arrive at the position:

                 H J K L M N O P Q R S T
           -----------------------------*         Diagram III
           . . . # # # # # # # # O . O .|19
           . . . # O O O O # # # # O . O|18       White to move
           . . . . . . . O # # # # # O O|17      
           . . . . . . . . O O O O O . .|16     
           . . . . . . . . . . . . . O .|15
           . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .|14
           
Thus its seems that Black can choose between Diagram II and Diagram III.
Perhaps I have become confused.  Please inform.

                                        Happy Holidays
                                        
                                        Jim Maiorana
                                        
                                        maiorana@ccr-p.ida.org