Lim Yoo Jong

    Keywords: Opening, Joseki, People

Table of contents Table of diagrams
corner "pseudo" joseki
corner "pseudo" joseki, continued
Lim's suggestion
A common opening
A common opening, 2
Older fuseki, 1
Older fuseki, 2
Older fuseki, 3
Lim's suggestion
Lim's suggestion continued
A variation proposed by Lim

http://www.go-paris.org/images/article/2006-11-05/IMG_2134b.jpg

Lim Yoo Jong is a strong Korean amateur player (4-5 dan in France, EGD [ext] information) who has lived in France since the sixties. He has taught many players and is one of the first players who established Go in France. (See the History of Go in France 1965 - 2007).

From December 2009 onwards, Maître Lim (as he is known in France) has occasionaly played on KGS, using the account [ext] MaitreLim.

Maître Lim is particularly interested in opening theory. He has made many interesting critiques of common pro fusekis. Here's a simple example of a "pseudo joseki" as he would call it:

Joseki?

[Diagram]

corner "pseudo" joseki

[Diagram]

corner "pseudo" joseki, continued

Depending on a ladder, White can play 5 at 6. See any standard joseki book for continuations: it can get a bit complicated.


What one doesn't see in joseki books is the following variation, suggested by Maitre Lim:

[Diagram]

Lim's suggestion

Black's eyes are not as well-defined as in the main line joseki, but White has one less ko threat here than in the standard joseki. Also White has no scope for variation. Lim mantains that this is superior to the main line joseki.


Several professional players have been asked their opinion on the question. As I (Malcolm) understand, they prefer the standard joseki. According to Lim, Farid Ben Malek asked Otake about it when he was at the Nihon Ki-in. Otake had never considered Lim's move.

Lim would encourage you to make up your own mind, and not to rely on other people... I think he has a point here. Maybe in this case it's a matter of taste. At any rate, it's good to know that this alternative exists.

A common fuseki

The following gives Lim's take on a common family of fuseki.

[Diagram]

A common opening

According to Lim, both 3 and 4 are mistakes.

[Diagram]

A common opening, 2


This fuseki idea is itself a variation on the following fuseki, played in a japanese title match 50 years ago:

[Diagram]

Older fuseki, 1

[Diagram]

Older fuseki, 2

B6 at black+circle, B10 at W1.

[Diagram]

Older fuseki, 3

Lim:

"After B6, the game is difficult for Black for three reasons. First, Black's lower-side territory is still open. Second, white+circle still has some life in it. Third, White has gained a good ten points in the corner."


Going back to the first diagram in this section, where 3 and 4 are said to be mistakes. Lim suggests playing differently:

[Diagram]

Lim's suggestion

Here's what Lim said in a recent article (november 2006):

"W3-W5-W7-W9 are forced. B10 dominates the whole board. Some might say B2 is premature. It isn't. It's an immediate punishment of W1. If B2 is played at a later stage, White won't answer at W3."

[Diagram]

Lim's suggestion continued

Lim:

"W1 isn't an invasion, merely a large point. It's strategically unimportant. White won't be brave enough to play at 'a'. According to Kobayashi Koichi, making only one single territory isn't a good idea. The author doesn't agree. In the opening, playing six moves on the second and third line is catastrophic, unless the 'black valley' is destroyed. White will have to risk everything on an invasion at 'b'. 8 [previous diagram] will glare down at the invader."

Blitzcrank: I added 'a' in the diagram, according to the original source.


In an earlier article[1], Lim gave the following variation (he called it a supererogatory diagram for kyu players):

[Diagram]

A variation proposed by Lim

After B10, White 'a' - Black 'b'. Lim:

"White can't play W7 at B8 nor W9 at B10 (check for yourself). White has around twenty points on the right side, while Black's moyo is a small-scale version of the arizona grand canyon"

In this version Black omits the exchange 'c'-'d', and the stone at 'e' is now at black+circle.

Another thing: Lim prefers the high approach (placing white+circle at black+square).


Links

[1] "Note sur des partis commentées", a red-bound pamphlet published november 2001.


This is a copy of the living page "Lim Yoo Jong" at Sensei's Library.
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