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(newly registered users of this site are required to make a donation as of 2008.) [2011-02-17]
Earlier we reported about
321Go.org,
a little brother of GoBase, focusing on newbies and young
Go players.
In the mean time lots of new course material and exercises
have been added.
Please take the
guided tour. [2011-01-05]
The moment white resigned Kyo Kagen was ahead by some 5-6 points
in the 3rd game of the 60th Judan title match.
Maybe it was the unexpected win in the 2nd game but the result
of this match, three straight wins, will surprise many.
More excitement was generally expected.
Anyway, the games were entertaining.
Already in the early stages of this game the AI prefered
black. But at 171 black goes wrong, not decisively but most
of the lead slips away. When black goes wrong again with 175
things seem beyond repair.
The critical moment in this game seems around 65. White has
a few weak groups and needs ways to settle them.
The AI engine KataGo does not agree with white's choices in
this phase as the LizGoban graph below shows. The graph shows that
at move 89 black is leading 0.5 point and the chance to carry
home this lead is 56%.
A better way to settle? Let's see what the experts will find out
once the analysis will reach us.
Diagram 1: To push or capture?Diagram 2: Group turns ko
To me the two key points in this game are diagram 1 and 2.
Black is using a sacrifice strategy of his marked stones to attack
the large marked white group. In the game white pushed with A instead
of capturing the black stones immediately.
At move 194 the whole group depends on the outcome of this ko.
Does the saying hold: "big groups don't die"?
Diagram 1: Not enough for whiteDiagram 2: Keep it simple
The key moment in the third game seems around move 168 of white. With this move
white decides to save the cutting stones in the center because following the
alternative as in the first diagram seems to give black a win in points.
With 169 black could have compromised as in the second diagram. Both marked groups
are captured, leaving a rather simple endgame with a slight margin for black.
White probably will continue C (to remove the A, C, D cut), which enables black
to take the big point at B.
However, both players like complications (for different reasons) so the game
took a completely different course from here...
