Blunder

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    Keywords: Go term

A blunder (poka[2] in Japanese) is a mistake of which one feels it is way below one's level. A blunder is often a result of Go blindness, a situation in which you fail to see what is thud-simple when pointed out to you.

Blunders happen to people at all levels of Go playing strength. Fujisawa Shuko, the great Japanese pro, was famous for poka or blunders. He lost the Kisei title to Cho Chikun because of one.

[Diagram]

Cho (W) vs. Fujisawa (B) 148 - 149

Here is the position after 149 moves of [ext] game 7 of the 7th Kisei title match between Cho and Fujisawa.

In a commentary in issue 31 of Go World magazine, Cho himself called 149 a silly blunder that loses the game. Instead, playing at B1 in the following diagram was recommended, which would have led to a close game[1], perhaps a half-point decision.

[Diagram]

Cho(W) vs. Fujisawa(B)

If White plays W2, Black easily lives with B5.

The actual game proceeded as follows, with White storming through Black's position.

[Diagram]

Cho(W) vs. Fujisawa(B)




See also


[1] Robert Pauli: It was a close game: [ext] W+1.5

[2] Incidentally, poka was the (appropriate) name of an early Go playing program that did no reading, written by Howard Landman.


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