Lee Sedol - Gu Li, 4th encounter

   
[Diagram]

Moves 1 to 10

Black is Lee Sedol, White Gu Li. This is their 4th encounter and the final game in the semifinals of the 9th Samsung Cup.

B7 marks the avalanche joseki. W10 chooses the large variant.

[Diagram]

Moves 11 to 20

Black treats the stones involved in the corner exchange as forcing moves and uses their influence to make the big extension at B3. The clamp at W4 is a common technique to attack these stones so that they cannot be easily sacrificed. For example, if W4 were at W8 immediately, then Black would sacrifice and play at W4 himself, which would be a smaller sacrifice than the game sequence.

[Diagram]

Moves 21 to 30

Instead of firmly capturing the cutting stones in the lower left, W2 splits the upper side. After a common exchange of pressure and escape, B7 and W8 take the last big points. W10 defies the common knowledge to play at the centre of three stones (a) so there remains some aji in that shape.

[Diagram]

Moves 31 to 40

B1 exploits the aji immediately and W2 forms an empty triangle. Eventually W10 needs to return and capture the cutting stones, so that the solid connection at B9 has made strong influence in sente. White's stones are facing less open area and the opening now seems favorable for Black.

[Diagram]

Moves 41 to 50

B1 splits the lower side and B3 exploits the aji of the two stones once more. We can say they have done their job! On the other hand, White's left corner is very strong, so the job of splitting is more destructive of White's territory than it weakens White's groups.

The cap at W8 tries to attack the black stones on a large scale.

[Diagram]

Moves 51 to 60

White exploits the thinness of the horse head to cut at W6, after the crosscut. Black remains however unaffected and continues to disturb the balance of territory.

[Diagram]

Moves 61 to 70

B1 peeps and provides some support for the stones at the right, so that B3 can take the time and strengthen the central stones. After B7 Black seems to be firmly in the lead and W8 looks like an emergency measure.

[Diagram]

Moves 71 to 80

[Diagram]

Moves 81 to 90

While White links up his invasion stones to his lower left group, Black uses the obtained influence to attack the upper side with B3. The flow remains in Black's favor.

[Diagram]

Moves 91 to 100

Black wraps around the white group and obtains major influence in the centre.

[Diagram]

Moves 101 to 110

B1 is a dual purpose move, aiming at killing the corner or connect at B3. Next the game becomes complicated with W8 and W10.

(tbc)


This is a copy of the living page "Lee Sedol - Gu Li, 4th encounter" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2016 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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