7th Three Peaks Go Tournament
david philips, Isle of Man
2 dan
djna (dave artus), London
1 dan
1999-11-13
Thornton in Lonsdale
5.5
B+R
I had W in this game, thought I had parity for
much of it and ended up resigning in the yose on finding
myself 20 points or more behind.
I'd like to understand where my perceptions went awry.
David (Philips) played what felt to me to be quietly effective
moves and it appears was never really stretched.
My new policy of refusing to allow Chinese Fuseki.
JS: Another idea is to play this move one point to the left.
See variation.
Seems pretty much a one-way street, unless I
ignore 5 and take the empty corner.
JS: If you want to play tenuki after black 5 (the keima)
then I would prefer to play the move I suggested in the variation.
But tenuki surely is an option as well.
I suspect I know what's coming, but is there really
a better appraoch move? Or a move around the triangle?
JS: A move at c10 is a lesurely approach, it's ok to play like that.
JS: The theory is that making or preventing a shimari always
is a big move in the opening. But the shape in the lower-right
has quite some consequences for the dirrection of play.
White's shape along the bottom is very solid, which means that
any move played by black in that direction is less effective since
it doesn't affect white. Black's shape along the right side is strong
so black very much would like to approach the white hoshi stone
in the upper-right at A (r14) to create a moyo.
Considering the whole board: when white can establish a position
along the left side (between the two black stones) it would be a success.
So now combining all these features gives a picture as in the
variation.
On a policy of maintaining symmetry a 3-3 invasion
in the top right might be amusing. W could easily
end up with a wall whose thickness is erased by
a nice extension from the appropriate B group?
JS: In general by playing (3,3) here in the upper-right
black will harden white's shape while black would prefer
to leave white soft to be able to approach from both the
right side and the top. But anyway, I investigated some
(3,3) variations.
If black plays like this then playing
r11 or q11 immediately seems better to leave the option to
invade r17.
This is a move I'm not sure about.
My thinking was that if I go a more normal extra point
to the left then a B splitting invasion would be troublesome.
If I play elsewhere then B gets a good extension to the
the right of 24.
The way I played was intended to make it hard to develop
anything from the top left and leave me solid enough to
be more aggressive elsewhere.
JS: This move is big (preventing black m17) and correct shape.
But there are bigger moves. Opening theory says that in sente situations
(as you have in this position) the focus in the opening goes
to the largest empty space (i.e. the lower-left). See variation
for an example.
Seems like a nice move. I felt that I needed to do
something to keep the bottom left under control.
I was expecting moves at A or B, and I
reckoned that either would suit me.
JS: You don't need to play this emergency move. If black
would have a stone around c10 then this would have been
a possible way to invade. But since your left side is extremely
strong just aproaching with the normal move at B seems best.
See variation.
Hmm, a move at the square seems to ask to be
pincered, and all I want is to stop the B corner getting too big
too fast. So, I'll treat 26/27 as kikashi.
Q: Is that reasoning OK?
JS: A kikashi move doesn't cost points, but I think you loose
points here. b5 is very low and c3 prevents an invasion.
So I play here. The idea is that B needs to spend
2 moves to increase his territory by 5 points. He can't
play A (I think) so he has to play B and that's too slow.
JS: c9 is a good move, but without the b5/c3 exchange.
After immediately c9 you still have the c3 invasion or
moves like c6 or c4. The extra black stone at c3 made black
stronger which also makes the bottom different. White h3
is gote in this shape so black might have more chance to
get j3 or k3 here.
Hmm, so one of us is wrong!
I assume that it's me, and the reason is that 29 is also building
influence towards C.
Q: Was it too slow?
JS: Black's last move adds stones to a strong position so it's
not a very good move. Please note that if white later defends
with c7 then white played three moves on the left side while
he could have played two moves (c6 and c9), so the left side
is not urgent at all. Black k3 seems bigger for example or
black q15 (to prevent being flattened by white with q12+q14).
At the top j17 (preventing white h17) is big.
a B extension this way seems big after 29.
JS: Correct.
This move is gote (see variation) so this is a
chance for you to develop the top.
Now black's move at o5 is a kikashi
(black gains here).
It's at this point that I estimated the
scores in detail to decide how deep to go.
I've got half an eye on pushing and cutting D, E, F
JS: The black shape is a bit thin, maybe I would prefer Q15
immediately instead of the last two black moves.
About the territorial balance here:
White: LR: 17, UL: 17, UR: 17, komi: 5.5
Black: LL: 20, UL: 5
So for black to win the right side has to become at least 30 points.
Please note that at the top the n16/n17 exchange makes black j17
smaller so you have a good chance to get h17 in this position
(although I didn't assume that during the counting).
Based on the idea that B does not get enough when
he seals off the side
JS: Nice move. Let's see if black would convert the right side
how many points he would get there...
But again B seems entirely happy to take
the money.
JS: This move is very similar to black q10.
My feeling is that this move is too submissive.
As black I would either play p11 (as discussed before)
or attack with m10. Another move which black might
consider is p9 by the way.
JS: A move interesting way to play might be as
in the variation diagram.
Another suspect move
JS: Once you start to push with n6 you have to finish the
shape there, see variation.
This seems huge
JS: It is huge, black is definitely better now. The white o10 stone
is evaporating in this position.
JS: A wise choice.
Makes W 38 an 40 seem somewhat wasted.
Did W miss something here?
JS: Good move by black: controling the bottom while
weakening the white center group.
This seems like a neat answer.
I think this is a bad exchange for W, any alternatives?
JS: No, white's p12 is fine. You strengthen your center while q13 defends
the territory which was already black.
Up to here I really thought I W was doing
fine.
JS: A nice move: you strengthen your center indirectly
and build up the left side.
Nicely placed, surely B has to play
somewhere here?
JS: This is a gote move basically. I would play as in
the variation.
Perhaps a flawed plan, build a little strength and
attack 49, get a bit more territory, win the game.
JS: An interesting move.
Thank you,
Slow, would A be better?
JS: A is very slow, but how about the variation?
Still 49 looks a bit lonely.
Torn between 3 ideas:
1). cut now, B seems to work.
2). but 44 & co could get swallowed up in the meantime.
3). try to attack 49 and 55, after all I don't need much
more territory so as long as B doesn't build any I'm OK.
JS: I think white k8 is a nice move here: cuts the two black stones,
while virtually connecting the white group.
Aiming for C as a nice follow up.
Illogical, black strengthens white's
weak stones. Normal is h7 in my opinion, which would still
aiming at the weakness at k11.
The idea was that if B cuts at D
I can sqeeze and get compensating centre territory
JS: Still, white o14 seems bigger.
Missed how big this was.
Seems like a good B move.
This looks like a poor move, surely A
is better?
I may end up losing 50 and 52 but they are not important any more.
Your answer is normal, nothing wrong with that move.
JS: Bad move, no point to save n16.
JS: This move can be at m14
(more points).
At this point I stopped recording and it
may be that the crucial moves are yet to be played.
However I think that I was under a severe misapprehension.
My estimate of the score is
that W is ahead by the komi, however in about
30 moves time B is suddenly ahead by 20 points.
I think B next played A which is very big and ended
up getting the big sente points of B and C as well as
(after D for E) the monkey jump at F.
So did I just foul up the yose or was my position
much weaker than I estimated? If so how far
back did W go astray. My whole approach in the
game was based on my estimates of the scores,
looks like something's wrong with my estimating.
JS: When we compare this position with the position
after o11 then black got b6 while the exchanges at the
top around j17 are about even (although black j18 is huge
endgame). White got some points in the center around j15.
but black has sente here:
Black: LL: 23, right: 32, UL: 10
White: LR: 17, UL: 17, UR: 18, center: 5, komi 5.5
So black seems a little ahead and has sente.
You missed quite some points in the center by
not playing either o14 or m14 earlier.
White used b5 to the maximum and has a
nice attack going.
Wonder if something like this would be better?
JS: Capturing the p15 stone is only points (although quite big).
Black can cut off something in the center now (see continuation).
White bottom is nearly 50 points while
black's right side grew to about 40-45 points. SO white is ok here (winning).
This means that black will fight in the centre as illustrated
in the next variation.
Now white has the luxury to choose any
of: A, B, C or D.
White is ok in this fight.
This virtually connects the white stones
and the bottom consequently grows with some points.
Like this black gets about 30 points on the
right side but you have sente so the position is playable.
Maybe the next variation is more interesting for black.
This move takes off the pressure from
the A,B,C cut (black p16 is sente). Like this black might build more
than 30 points. This game will be decided on the right side
in this variation.
Preventing the annoying white follow-up move
at A.
White flattens black's right side while
building up the top.
Black has nothing at the bottom (see continuation...).
Not much point for black to invade around d9
since a black stone there would not affect the white group around c12 at all.
So black would voluntarily create a weak group while white still
can settle with A, attack with B or invade at C.
You can also play c9 immediately to leave the option
to invade black's corner with c3 later.
This would finish the opening and you can start an
invasion at A (h17) for example. All your position have good shape and
are quite strong so you will have no trouble taking care of
the invasion group.
White takes the corner. The black top is hard to
convert to territory in one move in my opinion.
An interesting way to play for black,
trying to convert the right side into a deep moyo. The last black move
uses the lack of liberties of white.
In this position white took quite some territory though.
To continue....
And next white will start to reduce black's
moyo with a move around A.
Since white doesn't have any weak groups he will have no trouble
to handle this reduction move. On the left white B or black C is very
big. At the top white would go all the way with D, black E would be
an appropriate shape.
This way of playing is bad for white,
the white thickness doesn't work at all.
First white forces black to play towards the strong
white group while entering inside black's sphere on the left.
Next white gently approaches black's upper-left (aiming
at the follow-up move at A).
And now white quietly establishes a balanced position
on the left. The white position is not territory since it
has two invasion points: A and B. But white can deal
with both since white has moves at C and D at his disposal.
When white's left side becomes stronger he can aim at the
invasion at E to destroy territory.
This seems the natural direction for black to develop.
White patiently answers,
reducing black's lower-right influence.
Black finishes the shape at the top. But also this shape has
various invasion points (A and B).
Globally, C is a key point for center control. A white stone
at C for example helps to invade at A and to defend D.
This seems like a well-balanced opening to me.
In this shape the white stone is lighter and more
difficult to attack. White's follow-up moves are
A (to create a base), B to make sabaki or live in
the corner) and C (to escape to the center).
The white stone is very resilient.