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Teaching Game 44
PageType: OngoingGame    

A TeachingGame between Scartol (black) and HolIgor (white).

Scartol Resigns: 6/28/02

[Diagram]
Diag.: The Main Game Board

Scartol: I will resign. I'm sorry you feel that it was not a good teaching game -- I couldnt disagree more. I know I played poorly, but I think it's important to acknowledge that:

1. We started quite a while ago, and I've practiced a lot since then, so I recognize just how bad some of my opening moves were, and

2. I've learned tremendously from this game.

I guess maybe we have differing opinions on what constitutes "a teaching game with a lot of diagrams" -- as I look back through the three pages we drew up thus far, I feel like we've come up with plenty of diagrams and lessons on alternatives to the moves I chose.

The last thing I want to do is waste your time, and I feel like that's what I'm doing here. So let's just call it off.

Thank you very much for taking the time to instruct me, Holigor. I appreciate your teaching and the comments that you -- and everyone else -- made.



[Diagram]
Diag.: Captured


[Diagram]
Diag.: Moves 141-150

HolIgor: That's your right to resign the game. If you want to continue then I would suggest to do it as a yose excersize. If you make a move you have to declare its value. It would have some reason then. Otherwise, white is about 50 points ahead and the game is in yose.

It was not a good teaching game. You've started not bad but forgot a simple thing. Check your conections. Even ikken tobi should be checked for the cutting, nikken tobi and kogeima or ogeima are more vulnerable.

Then there was a fight. It was very short. You could make a small sacrifice and escape with the large group. That was the most serious mistake.

After that the game became a large scale yose in which you followed me and could mnot get sente. That was one more series of mistakes. You had to try something in the upper left corner as soon as possible, ignoring my threats. Even the monkey jumps from two sides could reduce me quite a lot.

On the other side your defensive tactics did not let me comlicate the game and I had to do proper moves only, just reducing.

So, this was not a teaching game with a lot of diagrams as it was declared at the beginning.

Scartol: The more I look at the board, the less difference these little moves of mine seem to make. I'm willing to resign if you want me to, Holigor.

HolIgor: W142. Defending.

Scartol B141: Not too big, but if I don't do it soon, I won't get to do it at all.



[Diagram]
Diag.: Moves 131-140

HolIgor: W140. A defensive move.

Scartol B139: This seems like the most urgent response.

HolIgor: W138. Reducing

HolIgor: W136. Taking big points.

Scartol 133: If I play C, white plays D and I'm in double-atari. So I'll step back and play here instead.

HolIgor: Now I switch to the upper right corner. Black move at 'b' was sente and I don't like to be forced.

Scartol: This seems okay. I don't like the idea of having this fellow all alone up there.



[Diagram]
Diag.: Moves 121-130

Scartol: I'm worried about white moving up to A, but I'm even more worried about losing stones in this tight spot. I thought about clamping with A myself, but I couldn't make it work in my mind..

HolIgor: It is Ok. Somethimes you can't do anything. White connects with W128.

Scartol: If there's some slick way to protect myself, I don't know what it is..

HolIgor: Yes, you're safe now. So am I. W126 is a jump into the black's sphere of influence.

Scartol B125: I feel pretty safe now. Am I mistaken?

HolIgor: OK, then. W124 takes a stone.

Scartol: So now I'm worried about the sequence in Diagram 1A (below). But I guess I'm safe, now that I look at the preview. So let's try it out. I hope my anxiety about losing a big group is unjustified.

HolIgor: W122. Pushing is no harm.

Scartol B121: Do I have a choice?


[Diagram]
Diag.: Diagram 1A


[Diagram]
Diag.: Moves 111-120

HolIgor: W120. I continue pushing.

Scartol: Hmm. Well, my fear now is that one of my groups will be cut off. In diagram 1 (below), the big heavy group on bottom gets cut off, which would be bad. If I porotect them, as in diagram 2, then I have to retreat as far as B5. But it doesn't look like I have a choice, unless I want the marked white stone to surround my group.

B119: So I'll play here.

HolIgor: What can I say to your last comment? It is better to read out what bad could happen. Your move is correct if nothing bad can happen. Otherwise you had to play 'c'. Let us see. I push with W118.

Scartol B117: I'd better add a stone here before something bad happens..

HolIgor: Sure you could. My intention was to create a weak point, an aji in your possition. W116

Scartol: Seems like I should be able to cut it off with B115.

HolIgor: I expected 'a' as white was preparing for a monkey jump, which was too dangerous because of the aji in the corner.

B113 has the advantage that a move at would create an awkward shape for white. But generally, it was a moment to consider some large moves elsewhere. I believe that one of the weaknesses of the double digit kyu players is making small moves at this stage of the game, defending where the opponent can take only little. It is important to try to get the initiative. If you followed the OngoingGame2 you could see how white left gaping hopes in her position in order to get back into the game.

W114 is a probing move. Let us see what is your reading of the situation.

Scartol B113: I think I'm willing to let that one go and protect the larger framework.

HolIgor: Of course, I think that W110 was sente. I considered it important because while not changing the number of liberties of white's group it makes black's shape at that point slightly worse and provided that white captures the stones in the center (sooner or later), white could be able to close the corner in sente. White 112 returns to the lower right corner. The aji in that corner makes white unconfortable. It is really an aji, i.e. bad taste. I don't like plaing with aji, so usually I try to force my opponent to force me to deal with it.

Scartol B111: If there's another move in this area, I can't see it.



[Diagram]
Diag.: Diagram 1

[Diagram]
Diag.: Diagram 2


[Diagram]
Diag.: Moves 101-110

Holigor: W110. Now I want to improve my position a little at the top.

Scartol B109: Can't let these three guys get cut off..

Holigor: W108. I continue to play what I consider mutual forcing moves, slightly improving my position.

Scartol B107: Protecting and pushing..

HolIgor: Black is very thick everywhere. Any invasion would be insane. So, white has to improve the position and make the double sente moves if possible.

Scartol B103: I've been wasting my time (and yours, Holigor) on the left there. I don't know what I was expecting to find..



[Diagram]
Diag.: Moves 91-100

Scartol: The problem with going away for so long is that one is liable to forget one's strategy -- and things look so much more hopeless than they used to! I'm sorry for being so long absent, Holigor. I've got this new teaching job, and I'm working nights as a tutor and my girlfriend is going away for a month soon, so I've been spending lots of time with her. I appreciate your patience.

Scartol B95: I guess there's probably no hope to save those stones in the middle, but I won't know for sure unless I try.

Scartol B93: Not sure how much success I can have here, but I figure it's at least worth a shot..

HolIgor W92: Atari again. There is a need to consider other options for black. Teaching44B91

Scartol B91: I think I see how white is connected, but I'm going to make these stones work as much as I can..



[Diagram]
Diag.: Moves 81-90

HolIgor: Atari.

Scartol White is connected? Hmm. Maybe I'm being foolish, but I want to make sure I'm wrong..

HolIgor: W86: Connected.

Scartol B85: Moving in for the cut.

Scartol B83: An amputation attempt..

HolIgor: W82. Now the fight starts. We can consider a lot of variations. (I assume you mean W80? - S)

Scartol B81: If I'm gonna lose 'em, I might as well use 'em.


Moves 1-40
Moves 41-80



This is a copy of the living page "Teaching Game 44" at Sensei's Library.
(C) the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.