Nine Dragons Playing With A Pearl

   

The game "Nine Dragons Playing With A Pearl" is a famous game from 18th century China, between Shi Xiangxia and Cheng Lanru.

It is rather hard to find on the internet. There seem to be two versions of the game, diverging at move 181 (counting from the first free move, not including the mandatory cross-hoshi opening). White played first.

The game is notable for its large-scale fighting and the unclear status of multiple large groups.

[Diagram]
Position at move 80  
[Diagram]
Position at move 180  


(;FF[4]GM[1]SZ[19]CA[UTF-8]AW[pd][dp]AB[dd][pp]
;W[nq];B[iq];W[cf];B[gc];W[ic];B[nc];W[qg];B[qi];W[no];B[on]
;W[nn];B[nm];W[mm];B[om];W[ml];B[fq];W[lc];B[ne];W[of];B[nf]
;W[ng];B[le];W[mg];B[ie];W[oc];B[ob];W[pb];B[nb];W[ke];B[lf]
;W[je];B[if];W[jg];B[lg];W[kg];B[lh];W[mi];B[li];W[mj];B[ji]
;W[ig];B[qb];W[pa];B[id];W[jc];B[hg];W[hh];B[ih];W[hc];B[hi]
;W[gh];B[gd];W[gi];B[gj];W[ki];B[kj];W[hj];B[ii];W[fj];B[gk]
;W[kh];B[lj];W[jj];B[ij];W[jk];B[kl];W[ik];B[hk];W[jm];B[km]
;W[fk];B[gm];W[hm];B[fl];W[kn];B[jn];W[gn];B[el];W[il];B[gl]
;W[gb];B[jo];W[hn];B[ln];W[ko];B[oe];W[pe];B[pf];W[og];B[qf]
;W[rf];B[qe];W[qd];B[re];W[rd];B[rg];W[pg];B[sf];W[sd];B[se]
;W[mk];B[kk];W[lo];B[kp];W[lp];B[eo];W[fn];B[dn];W[ip];B[jp]
;W[hq];B[ir];W[en];B[do];W[dm];B[em];W[cm];B[gg];W[ep];B[fo]
;W[hp];B[fp];W[hr];B[fb];W[ga];B[lq];W[mq];B[ck];W[ci];B[kr]
;W[lr];B[jq];W[kq];B[in];W[im];B[lq];W[ms];B[ho];W[go];B[is]
;W[hs];B[gp];W[io];B[gr];W[kq];B[rb];W[sb];B[lq];W[js];B[gs]
;W[kq];B[lb];W[kb];B[lq];W[ho];B[gq];W[kq];B[mc];W[ei];B[ek]
;W[bk];B[di];W[dh];B[dj];W[eh];B[bl];W[bm];B[bj];W[cp];B[bh]
;W[ch];B[bi];W[bg];B[be];W[ee];B[fg];W[cd];B[cc];W[ge];B[hd]
(;W[fe];B[hf];W[de];B[ec];W[bd];B[bc];W[ad];B[ia];W[la];B[mb]
;W[hb];B[cr];W[bq];B[br];W[dr];B[dq];W[eq];B[er];W[cq];B[ds]
;W[ar];B[dq];W[fs];B[lq];W[db];B[eb];W[kq];B[ce];W[bf];B[lq]
;W[dc];B[ed];W[kq];B[jd];W[kd];B[lq];W[cb];B[bb];W[kq];B[eg]
;W[dg];B[lq];W[ab];B[ba];W[kq];B[ac];W[ae];B[lq];W[fd];B[fc]
;W[kq];B[dr];W[jr];B[ap];W[aq];B[bs];W[ka];B[oa];W[ma];B[pc]
;W[qc];B[qa];W[pc];B[od];W[ra];B[sa];W[cl];B[ak];W[ra];B[mh]
;W[nh];B[sa];W[cj];B[sc];W[co];B[am];W[cn];B[fr];W[an];B[bo]
;W[al];B[jf];W[kf];B[am];W[aj];B[ai];W[al];B[fh];W[fi];B[am]
;W[ej];B[dk];W[al];B[ld];W[kc];B[am];W[ca];B[da];W[al];B[df]
;W[ef];B[am];W[sg];B[sh];W[al];B[mn];W[am];B[lm];W[pj];B[ql]
;W[qk];B[ok];W[rl];B[qm];W[rm];B[rn];W[pl];B[pm];W[ri];B[rj]
;W[oj];B[nk];W[rk];B[sj];W[qh];B[rh];W[pi])
(;W[de];B[ec];W[bd];B[bc];W[ad];B[ia];W[la];B[mb];W[hb];B[cr]
;W[bq];B[br];W[dr];B[dq];W[eq];B[er];W[cq];B[ds];W[ar];B[dq]
;W[fs];B[lq];W[db];B[eb];W[kq];B[ce];W[bf];B[lq];W[fe];B[hf]
;W[kq];B[jd];W[kd];B[lq];W[dc];B[ed];W[kq];B[eg];W[dg];B[lq]
;W[fd];B[fc];W[kq];B[jf];W[kf];B[lq];W[cb];B[bb];W[kq];B[dr]
;W[jr];B[ap];W[aq];B[bs];W[ka];B[oa];W[ma];B[pc];W[qc];B[qa]
;W[pc];B[od];W[ra];B[sa];W[ac];B[ca];W[ra];B[ld];W[kc];B[sa]
;W[cj];B[ak];W[ra];B[mh];W[nh];B[sa];W[cl];B[sc];W[co];B[am]
;W[cn];B[fr];W[an];B[bo];W[al];B[fh];W[fi];B[am];W[ej];B[dk]
;W[al];B[ef];W[df];B[am];W[aj];B[bk];W[al];B[mn];W[am];B[lm]
;W[pj];B[ql];W[qk];B[ok];W[rl];B[qm];W[rm];B[rn];W[pl];B[pm]
;W[ri];B[rj];W[oj];B[nk];W[qh];B[rh];W[pi]))

Zengarden For those who own a copy of the GoGoD CD/encyclopedia, the game's moves are provided at game number 1740hcem058a, Shi Xiangxia 施襄夏 playing white against Cheng Lanru 程兰如 playing black.

The moves are also provided by game #9 in the compilation "Games of Wonder" (Yi Miao) by Jun Wu and Jiong Wu, translated by Ruoshi Sun, and available on Amazon. This book, however, has no commentary and sets out the move in the traditional style of Chinese weiqi books i.e. 50 moves per diagram. This can make it difficult to follow the games for Western readers not used to this style of presentation.


Nine Dragons Playing With A Pearl last edited by 89.241.122.109 on August 28, 2017 - 00:59
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