Dieter's study of Otake game 4

Moves 11 to 20  

The lower left is settled fast, with a known joseki up to . The lower right is hot, after Black has abandoned it in favour of a position on the right side.

Moves 31 to 40  

Up to , White takes the corner for Black influence. is an unusually short extension. I don't like the opening that much for White. But looks suspiciously close to the already overconcentrated white shape. Up to launches a successful attack.

Moves 41 to 50  

The windmill in the centre becomes the focus of the game. The corners are evenly divided, there is still an open left side, so the centre will be decisive here.

Moves 71 to 80  

The groups have run towards White's lower side formation. Black has used his aji there and builds up great influence with and . It looks as if is fighting desperately in Black's influence. Especially when forces the lump at Black's game looks better.

Moves 81 to 90  

But then Black cuts at and the cut doesn't seem to bring much good. threatens to capture the pivotal stones. On top of that, moves away from the front. There is something in Black's moves I don't understand.

Moves 91 to 100  

Next there seems to be a trade, of the pivotal stones against White's top group. But that group is flexible. looks very slow in making good shape for Black's spread out stones. With Otake takes command of this game. is another move I cannot applaud (I will regularly apologize for my scolding pro moves - it expresses my lack of understanding). White's move 100 invites a corner invasion.

Moves 111 to 120  

We skip the well known invasion pattern, up to . Otake wants to force with and Black tries to counter with a forcing move at . But this must be (another) mistake, since is a painful answer, intruding the sphere of influence Black had built up as a compensation for losing the central power. So he answers with and White now splits Black's forces at the right half of the board with . Otake clearly enjoys the power of his centre stones! (I think is some kind of a time suji.

Moves 141 to 150  

Skipping 20 moves we see how Otake moves against the bottom group to weaken a potential connection from the top group, instead of rushing to play at himself.

Moves 161 to 170  

There have been some endgame moves in between. is what I would call an Otake-move: it threatens to cut up the groups again. I feel is rather docile.

Moves 171 to 180  

Black tries to show some of his own reducing skills, but is unimpressed and strikes another blow at Black's thickness. Despite all moves Black has invested here, the group now still needs the connection at a. White cannot break through immediately, but still the loss of strength at the bottom is rather humiliating.

Moves 191 to 200  

Otake's thickness has yielded the big endgame sente hanes and now he turns to the fantastic sequence of , and , showing that sometimes there is territory in the centre?, especially when you are Otake.

Moves 211 to 220  

I'm mistified about , making gote. It looks like is much bigger than the dame connection. After , the corner is ko.

Moves 221 to 230 (9 at 5)  

I can only explain as an preparation to resign. Black is already about ten points behind and the ko is just too basic for a pro not to see it. pales in comparison.

Moves 231 to 240 (8 at 2)  

Black resigns after White 238 retakes the ko. The fact that could become a serious ko threat and leaves some more threats, shows how well Otake has exploited his central power against the right side. As said, his opponent played an unconvincing game, but it allowed me to learn about weakening a group by weakening a friendly group while taking some territory.