(;FF[4]
CA[UTF-8]
GM[1]
GN[Ladders]
PC[https://online-go.com/review/80806]
PB[Black]
PW[White]
BR[8d]
WR[8d]
OT[Error: time control missing]
RE[?]
SZ[19]
KM[6.5]
RU[Japanese]

;AB[pq]
;AB[op]
;AB[jq]
;AB[eq]
;AB[cn]
;AB[cm]
;AB[cl]
;AB[dl]
;AB[ch]
;AB[qe]
;AB[pc]
;AB[od]
;AB[oe]
;AB[nc]
;AW[qc]
;AW[pb]
;AW[ob]
;AW[oc]
;AW[qo]
;AW[dq]
;AW[cp]
;AW[co]
;AW[dn]
;AW[dm]
;AW[ce]
;AW[dc]
;AW[qi]
;AW[nd]C[Welcome to this introduction to ladders! Credit to Kageyama 7-Dan for the introduction to this lesson. I highly recommend his book "Lessons in the Fundamentals of Go" if you want a good starting place for getting stronger.  This lesson is intended for DDK players, and SDK players who are not yet confident in their reading.  Or, you know, for everyone!  GLHF!

-- chat --
omniunown: A ladder breaker is a free move because it forces your opponent to either capture directly, or to play a move that makes the ladder work for them again. A broken ladder that gets played out is way too disastrous , since the ladder stones get cut to pieces, and gives the player with the broken ladder a very strong wall. The longer the ladder, the more painful it is when it's broken.
]
;B[md]C[Question: Does this ladder work for black or for white? Try to read it out without placing any stones. Read each move in the sequence, and don't just follow the path of the white stone to the conclusion.]
(;W[kf]
;B[ke]
;W[kg]
;B[jf]
;W[kj]
;B[jg]
;W[jh]
;B[je]
;W[ji]
;B[lj]C[There, That should make it easier. Now, does this ladder work for black or for white? Read it out to the end before continuing.]
;W[ne]
;B[nf]
;W[me]
;B[le]
;W[mf]
;B[mg]
;W[lf]C[Ah, White links up, so the ladder was broken, right?]
;B[kh]C[Nope, black captures, there was no escape.  Note that this is the same ladder, only shorter. See the next branch if you don't believe it.]
)(;W[ne]
;B[nf]
;W[me]
;B[le]
;W[mf]
;B[mg]
;W[lf]
;B[kf]
;W[lg]
;B[lh]
;W[kg]
;B[jg]
;W[kh]
;B[ki]
;W[jh]
;B[ih]
;W[ji]
;B[jj]
;W[ii]
;B[hi]
;W[ij]
;B[ik]
;W[hj]
;B[gj]
;W[hk]
;B[hl]
;W[gk]
;B[fk]
;W[gl]
;B[gm]
;W[fl]
;B[el]
;W[fm]
;B[fn]
;W[em]
;B[do]C[Proof of concept: It's the same ladder, just longer. Try to read out white's capture from the beginning without placing any stones. Got it? Great! Check out the next branch.]
)(;W[jh]C[Now that we've done our reading (and if you haven't, shame on you) we know that the ladder goes in blacks favor, so it's time to play a ladder-breaker and force a response out of black. Is this a good ladder breaker? It is right in the white stone's path.]
;B[lg]C[But what if black plays here? Now the ladder works again, and the new stone works with his group, giving good influence, while the white stone is isolated.  The white stone is still hard to kill, but is this the best move?]
)(;W[fn]C[How about this jump? Is it a ladder breaker as well?  Read it out and see!]
;B[fm]C[The answer is yes. The ladder runs to where blacks stone is currently placed, then white escapes and begins to surround. However, after this move by black, the ladder goes in blacks favor again. White's gain is minimal, while black gains some easy access to the center. Worse, white has to re-break the ladder or let the stone go later in the game.]
)(;W[fj]C[What about this stone? Does this break the ladder? it is not in the path of the white stones, but read it out to check.]
(;B[me]C[Surprisingly, the answer is yes. Black can capture, or play to try to take the ladder back. Let's see what happens if black does not read this out and assumes the ladder still works.]
;W[el]C[Now white can keep the black group on the left low with a hane. Of course, the ladder here goes in black , so black can cut, but white already has some shape for his middle group and plenty of space to make eyes. It's not game winning in and of itself, but this outcome is slightly better for white than black, between the influence gained and the aji that still exists from the laddered stone.]
(;B[em]
;W[fl]C[As you can see, black can't cut immediately. This result gives him extra stones to worry about while improving whites shape.]
)(;B[bo]
;W[ep]C[Meanwhile, if black threatens to come into the corner, white simply come out while attacking the stones on the bottom. White has shape, while black still has to live both on the left and the bottom.]
;B[fq]
;W[ip]
;B[iq]
;W[hp]
;B[hq]
;W[fp]C[Black will probably live in both areas, but white is getting very strong in the middle.]
))(;B[jc]C[Black thinks the ladder still works, and ignores...]
;W[ne]
;B[nf]
;W[me]
;B[le]
;W[mf]
;B[mg]
;W[lf]
;B[kf]
;W[lg]
;B[lh]
;W[kg]
;B[jg]
;W[kh]
;B[ki]
;W[jh]
;B[ih]
;W[ji]
;B[jj]
;W[ii]
;B[hi]
;W[ij]
;B[ik]
;W[hj]
;B[gj]
;W[hk]
;B[hl]
;W[gk]C[And now, disaster! White breaks the ladder, and can attack severely. Blacks left side group can be kept extremely low, and the black ladder will be cut to pieces.

To gain strength, practice reading ahead. Ladders and ladder breakers are a perfect way to start.  Remember, don't just read the path of the laddered stone, read out the path of the ladder as well. A ladder breaker is a free move, so try to put it in a good position, and either create aji or force a response to save your cutting stone.

GLHF!

-- chat --
Samraku: hi, saxmaam :)
saxmaam: Why is a ladder breaker a free move?. From move 0: Q3 P4 K3 E3 C6 C7 C8 D8 C12 R15 Q17 P16 P15 O17 R17 Q18 P18 P17 R5 D3 C4 C5 D6 D7 C15 D17 R11 O16 N16 F10 K17 O15 O14 N15 M15 N14 N13 M14 L14 M13 M12 L13 K13 L12 L11 K12 J12 K11 K10 J11 H11 J10 J9 H10 G10 H9 H8 G9 
]
;B[gi]C[Continuation to demonstrate.]
;W[jf]
;B[fk]
;W[ig]
;B[gl]
;W[jg]
;B[mc]
;W[ke]
;B[ld]
;W[hh]
;B[jk]
;W[li]
;B[kj]
;W[mh]
;B[ng]TR[jc]TR[mc]TR[nc]SQ[pc]TR[ld]TR[md]SQ[od]TR[le]SQ[oe]SQ[qe]SQ[nf]SQ[mg]SQ[ng]MA[ch]MA[gi]MA[hi]CR[ki]MA[gj]CR[jj]CR[kj]MA[fk]CR[ik]CR[jk]MA[cl]MA[dl]CR[gl]CR[hl]MA[cm]MA[cn]C[The black stones surrounding aren't dead yet, but black now has at least 4 groups that need to live, while whites wall is very hard to kill.  The string of double atari is just too painful.]
)))