DietersStudyOfOtakeGame7

    Keywords: Game commentary

Once in a while the study of Go has a nice surprise up its sleeve. This 7th game in my series of studying Otake Hideo I've lost a bit of sympathy for the great master, for his rather rude treatment of his opponent Watanabe Hideo. I was replaying this game by trying to guess the next move, then gradually learning it by heart. At move number 128 I could not be disappointed with myself for not getting the move right ...

Later: the interpretation of what goes on from 128 onwards is probably flawed. See the end for an alternative interpretation.

[Diagram]
Moves 1 to 10  
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Moves 11 to 20  
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Moves 21 to 30  
[Diagram]
Moves 31 to 40  
[Diagram]
Moves 41 to 50  
[Diagram]
Moves 51 to 60  
[Diagram]
Moves 61 to 70  
[Diagram]
Moves 71 to 80  
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Moves 81 to 90  
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Moves 91 to 100  
[Diagram]
Moves 101 to 110  
[Diagram]
Moves 111 to 120  
[Diagram]
Moves 121 to 130  

Here's the astonishing 1-1 move in a pro game. It seems an incredibly rude way to say "please resign". This order seems based on the idea that Black can maybe capture the white group, but not at sufficiently big a scale to win the game. And Otake doesn't leave it at that ...

[Diagram]
Moves 131 to 140  
[Diagram]
Moves 141 to 150  
[Diagram]
Moves 151 to 160  

The humiliation worsens with W4. We can't help but sympathize with Watanabe who refuses to submit to Otake's crude behaviour. But of course the tension only increases ...

[Diagram]
Moves 161 to 170  
[Diagram]
Moves 171 to 180  
[Diagram]
Moves 181 to 190  
[Diagram]
Moves 191 to 200  
[Diagram]
Moves 201 to 210  
[Diagram]
Moves 211 to 220 (10 at 4)  
[Diagram]
Moves 221 to 230  

With W8 Otake almost shouts "RESIGN!" and Watanabe is bound to save his honour, playing B9!

[Diagram]
Moves 231 to 236  

Finally, Watanabe yields and resigns.

Tamsin: This is interesting, but maybe we should not pass any judgements. We don't know the surrounding circumstances of the game. What if Watanabe had provoked Otake in some way? Japanese, like all other people, are not always polite. Besides, Otake was barely 20 years old at the time. Don't we all have lapses of self-control at that age (and beyond)?

John F. This is new to me. It seems odd to offer such a game and make such startling claims in a reference library with no indication of source. I'm not disputing its authenticity yet, but it does look like the sort of game we game editors see when a transcriber can't find the moves on the source diagram and he invariably puts the missing moves on the first line in the largest open area. 226 and 227 also look like transcription mistakes. In his autobiography, which includes a diary of all his games, Watanabe does mention a game played on 14 June 1962 in Round 9 of the Oteai where he had B-W-B handicap and lost. But he makes no mention of any spat with Otake (or with anyone else) nor of any special features or circumstances. A quick browse suggests they ha dnever even played eacxh other before. So - source please?

Dieter: I don't know where I got the game from, since it's been transferred from computer to computer in a random collection of pro games I've gathered over the years, but I found it back on gobase.org. The interpretations are mine only and your information of recording practices is new to me, so my interpretation is likely wrong. The major objection of this being a reference library is somewhat diminished by the game title, I hope. Thanks again for informing us about the transcription practices. It's most revealing and puts my comments on the spot. It also explains why I found no story on the web about what I thought a very brutal event in the pro world.


DietersStudyOfOtakeGame7 last edited by Dieter on February 22, 2013 - 14:29
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