Samsung 2012 game 4

  Difficulty: Advanced   Keywords: Game commentary

This is the replay of the preliminary game between Gu Li and Lee Sedol after their incredible tie due to a quadruple ko. Gu Li is Black.

[Diagram]

Moves 1 to 10

B3-B5-B7 is known is known as the micro chinese pattern. These first 10 moves are the same as the 11thNongshimCup/Stage 3 Game 3, where Gu Li was White against Lee Changho.

[Diagram]

Moves 11 to 20

Apparently this is a well known opening pattern and Gu is interested to know Lee's reply. Lee quits the aforementioned opening at W6. In the other game, White (Gu Li) played W6 at W8 immediately.

[Diagram]

Moves 21 to 30

The game unfolds quite differently, with White still taking influence against Black's territory, but Black is much lower here while White's influence is not working for him.

[Diagram]

Moves 31 to 40

When B1 splits White's forces, White seems in trouble already. It also isn't clear what good the white+circle-black+circle exchange has brought forth.

[Diagram]

Moves 41 to 50

With B3 the corner stones are split off and from this point onwards a long, drawn out struggle starts, evolving about these stones, whether they should be saved or sacrificed on a grand scale.

[Diagram]

Moves 51 to 60

[Diagram]

Moves 61 to 70

The battle spreads into the corner ...

[Diagram]

Moves 71 to 80

[Diagram]

Moves 81 to 90

... and to the side ...

[Diagram]

Moves 91 to 100

[Diagram]

Moves 101 to 110

... and to the centre ...

[Diagram]

Moves 111 to 120

... until W10 decides to sacrifice on a grand scale and build a huge moyo at the bottom as a compensation. One can sense that White does grudgingly so.

[Diagram]

Moves 121 to 130

[Diagram]

Moves 131 to 140

B5 looks like terrible aji keshi but Gu Li must have judged that the bottom was not possible to invade anyhow and increasing liberties here would prove vital to the centre stones. Black maintains the initiative with B7. White decides to fight back with W8 and W10.

[Diagram]

Moves 141 to 150

[Diagram]

Moves 151 to 160 (7 at 1) (10 at 4)

A ko fight arises but Black seems to have thought through matters.

[Diagram]

Moves 161 to 170

B5 ignores White's threat at W4 and a ko exchange takes place, Black becoming very strong in the centre, in exchange for giving up the upper left corner. The sente that invariably results from winning a ko, is used to further reduce Whit's bottom and expand the lower left corner. B7 is very big indeed.

[Diagram]

Moves 171 to 180

When B1 connects, it is hard to see how White will win this game.

[Diagram]

Moves 181 to 190

Especially since Black has B1 up his sleeve. This endgame sente is another hidden gain from the ko fight: White did not get this corner for free and must answer. However, White launches a counter at W2 in an attempt to turn the tables.

[Diagram]

Moves 191 to 200

And White seems to succeed! While Black has to play the almost neutral connection of B1, White splits Blacks seemingly untouchable forces in the lower left. Apparently black+circle was an overplay or badly timed.

[Diagram]

Moves 201 to 210

Or maybe not ... Black finds a way to keep the pressure on. He then abandons the lower left to revive the upper left with B5 and B7, leaving either of his groups at the bottom killable but not both: a and b are miai. Or is there more to it ... ?

[Diagram]

Moves 211 to 220

[Diagram]

Moves 221 to 230

Brilliancy! Black starts bullying the White group that originally killed the corner. The hunter becomes game.

[Diagram]

Moves 231 to 240

Sheer brilliancy! B1-B3-B5 set up a shortage of liberties so that B9 not only saves one of Black's groups but moreover forces White to capture the black corner stones, starting with W10! The miai savings have turned into a masterplan.

[Diagram]

Moves 241 to 250

Black now further uses the aji in that area to reduce the biggest White territory.

[Diagram]

Moves 251 to 260

With B9 the game seems to be decided.

[Diagram]

Moves 261 to 270

[Diagram]

Moves 271 to 280

The reduction goes as far as B5.

[Diagram]

Moves 281 to 290

[Diagram]

Move 291 and end

Black wins by 5,5 points.

I (Dieter) would surely like to see professional analysis of this fantastic game.


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