Honibo 1986 title game 2 review with AI

Moves 11 to 20  

Up until , the opening is fairly traditional. WHite's splitting move at is not often played these days. Likewise for the large knight moves or .

Moves 21 to 30  

KataGo wants to press at A instead of - a move which would be worthy of cosmic go. It would also tenuki in response to and invade at B instead or build at C. The latter would look, superficially, more like Takemiya. SimilarlyKG would play at D, which is connecting on a larger scale.

Local result  

at

KataGo would probably ignore while there's still stuff going on elsewhere but loally this is what we can expect.

Worse for White  

White should not atari from this side. After , A and B are miai and Black comes out well of his tenuki earlier.

Moves 31 to 40  

The first move KG really doesn't seem to like is . When White ataris at , KG thinks the game is reversed. When allows for a ko, KG puts White firmly ahead by 3.5 points

Corner emphasis  

Keeping the corner territory and squeezing White into small life is better, says KG. Probably Takemiya doesn't like the idea of allowing the atari at A, which will give central influence to White.

no ko  

Although looks submissive, White will likely live in gote with and then Black can take sente to invade at A or press at B, which is more like Takemiya.

Moves 41 to 50  

White ignores Black's ko threat , while KG would answer and continue the ko. Black's threat allows him to push through at .

Moves 51 to 60  

After the - forcing exchange, most amateurs will want to secure the local strength at A. Neither Takemiya nor KataGo are convinced. Takemiya plays to increase central influence. KG would invade at B. Yamashiro doesn't play A right away (as KG suggests) but extends at . Now KG would patch up at A but that would allow White to attack Black's stones and get central influence. Probably Takemiya didn't like that, so he fights back at .

KataGo gives an insight as to why Takemiya might have been preoccupied with the right side:

right side aji  

If Black patches up at the top, White can activate his stone with , which either forces Black to connect clumsily or leaves a problematic cut behind. If , then makes miai of another painful peep at A or taking control of the lower side with B.

Moves 61 to 70  

Obviously cares more about the territorial framework than about the marked stones. teases Black again to connect them.

Moves 71 to 80  

With and White reduces from both sides. KG is fully with Yamashiro now, in evaluation and execution. When secures the last corner, KataGo evaluates the game as W+4. White has four corners plus komi. Black's big center doesn't fully make up for that.

According to KataGo, White's main prospects are at A or B. The game goes on to remain close, but White's victory by 2.5 won't be really questioned.