Subject:	THE BIG GAME 10 Question
From:		John Fairbairn <JF@harrowgo.demon.co.uk>
Date:		Tue, 20 May 1997 20:56:44 +0100

This will be the last question instalment. The rest of the moves will be given in the answer.

First, some more moves and pro commentary:

104. r5
Tries tricks. He cannot win if he lets Black surround this whole area.

105. q5
Playing s4 would just mean being forced - inconceivable play for a pro.

106. r6
107. s4
108. r9
109. r10
If q6 instead, one possible result is r14, q14, s15, r16, s11, s12, r11, s14, q7, p7, q8. It is unclear who gets the better of this. For White a minus is having to use up his aji at r14. For Black a minus is being forced at r10.

110. p7
White appears to have succeeded, but Black plans to attack this group so as to chase it into the white moyo on the left, thereby reducing it.

111. n8
Sedate attack. The more vigorous attack was n7, p5, m7, o8

112. p5
113. m7
114. q4
115. q3
116. L6
The game is close because White has reduced the right side. Black has a large lower side but the lower left corner is a one-move approach ko (already explained).

117. p4 (takes)
118. o6
p6 was bigger

119. m11
120. o18
Encourages Black to live.

121. f12
And Black still has this sequence if he wants it, to make one eye even at the top: k18, j18, L19, j19, n18, n19, m19, L18, o19, threatening to connect or to connect at k19 (but White can make it a ko by playing L18 before n19).

122. e11
123. e12
124. q18
125. r18
126. k11
Combines defence with walling off territory. What it defends against is n15, n14, n16, o15, k11

127. L9
Not L7 because that ends in gote: k7, k8, j8, j7, k6, j9, h8, k10.

128. L8
129. m9 

           a b c d e f g h j k l m n o p q r s t 
        19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  19
        18 . . . . . # # . . . . . . # . # @ . .  18
        17 . . . # . @ # . . # @ @ @ # . . @ . .  17
        16 . . . . . . @ # # . @ # . # . @ . . .  16
        15 . . # # # . @ @ @ @ @ # . . # # @ . .  15
        14 . . @ @ @ . . . . . # . . @ # . . . .  14
        13 . . . . . . @ @ # # . # . # # @ . . .  13
        12 . . . . @ @ . # @ . . . @ # @ @ . . .  12
        11 . . . @ # # . # . # . @ . @ . . . . .  11
        10 . . . . . . . . . . # . . . . @ @ . .  10
         9 . . . # . . . . . . @ @ . . . . # # .  9
         8 . . # # . . . . . . . . @ . . . . . .  8
         7 . . @ # @ # . . . . . @ . . # . . . .  7
         6 . . @ @ # . . . . . # # . # . . # . .  6
         5 . . . # # . . . . . . . . . # @ # . .  5
         4 . @ @ # @ # # # . @ # # . . @ x @ @ .  4
         3 . @ # @ @ @ @ # # # @ . . @ @ @ . . .  3
         2 @ # # # . @ . @ # @ @ . . . . . . . .  2
         1 . . . . . . @ . @ . . . . . . . . . .  1
           a b c d e f g h j k l m n o p q r s t

White now missed a Golden Opportunity (plug, plug). A bit tactical this time, but nothing too exotic. He actually played 130. s9. What should he have done?

Background noise

Another example of pros being plonkers (just to encourage the rest of us): In a tv game, Nakamura Hidehito, then 7d, was playing Miyazawa Goro, then 6d. When the game was over and they counted up, it appeared that Nakamura had won by 2.5. Miyazawa was surprised as he had thought he was ahead, and in his disappointment leant back. Whereupon he noticed three prisoners in his lid and so immediately lodged an objection. Although the Nihon Ki-in rules clearly state that no objections can be entertained once the result has been agreed, Miyazawa was given the game on the grounds that he had not formally acknowledged his loss (he had not said "makemashita").

The correct etiquette with a Japanese board is to place your bowl at the centre of the side nearest you, and the lid at your lower right corner in full view of the opponent. Miyazawa obviously hadn't done this, so he should have lost for that reason alone in my view.

But this teaches us some important lessons for go:

  1. Never admit you lost (a bit tough for many amateurs this, because in their Weltanschau the other guy never wins - they lose all on their own);
  2. Learn the leaning back tesuji. If you lean back far enough you can fall over and topple the board with you. This tesuji can of course be assimilated more quickly by imbibing suitable quantities of falling-over liquid.

Second clue

You are meant to play the yose ko in the lower left. I have already given a sequence to show how it starts, but the idea now is to see how it develops beyond that (which includes thinking about ko threats).

-- John Fairbairn