A few simple rules ... limitless possibilities

British Go Journal No. 60. September 1983. Page 9.

Black: Mike Peat, 10k
White: Dieter Heine, 8k
The game-file in SGF format.

This exciting game comes from the seventh round at Edinburgh. The standard of play is much higher than the grades of the players would lead one to expect.

• Black: Mike Peat, 10k
• White: Dieter Heine, 8k

Figure 1 (1-66)

• White 6: A notorious trick move - Black's sequence from 7 - 11 has the great merit of simplicity, and although White gains a little in this area, the difference is small enough to be unimportant at this level.
• White 14: Rather cramped - it would be better to extend along the lower side at 38 or 15.
• Black 15: Also rather cramped - 36 or 38 would be natural, after 15 White still has room for a good extension at 36.
• Black 29, 31: Very bad - Black seems determined to secure his corner as soon as possible, but this is inconsistent with his initial play at 1. He should attack White's stones by playing at or near 'A' - White could then save his two stones 26 and 28, or live in the corner, or save his stone 24 but he would have no time to do all of these things, so Black would get at least as much territory as in the game, while avoiding the attack he suffered on the lower side.
• Black 35: Very odd - usually Black would choose between a play on the third line to make eyes and the solid play at 40, which aims to counterattack White's stones on the right.
• Black 45: ? Why not capture 24?
• White 48: He could have a go at killing the black group by playing 'B'.
• Black 49, 53, 61, 63, 65: Black's plan becoms clear. He intends to secure as much territory as possible very thoroughly, so that White will have no useful forcing moves to help attack the later invasions.
• White 50 - 66: White's plan is also clear. He is going to concentrate on the centre, and try to kill whatever comes into it.

Figure 2 (67-100)

• Black 67: Black invades very deeply.
• White 68: A bit of an overplay - there is no need to kill everything in the centre, he should play 75, inviting Black to make a small live group on the side while completing the rest of the centre.
• Black 71, 73: Bad - since he is now more orless committed to spoiling the centre by living in it there is no point in spoiling a small corner of it with these endgame plays - white 74 is quite useful in taking away Black's eyes later.
• White 76, 92 - 100: Greedy - he is trying to win by 100 points.
• Black 87: One eye.

Figure 3 (101-146)

• White 106: Very good. White's correct strategy is to keep his distance from the black group ^[1] , and to concentrate on getting rid of his own weaknesses. Solid, good shape plays like 106 are particularly effective in taking away the weaknesses against which Black might play forcing moves to make eyes.
  [1] BGJ had "white group".
• White 112: Though this is overdoing things a bit. He is really trying to win by 100 points.
• White 124: White's only really bad move of the game - after 128 this becomes a completely useless stone - he should just play 128.
• Black 127 - 131: Brilliant - Black takes full advantage of the mistake. Now it looks as if Black will live.
• Black 137: Better to play hane at 147 first - then 148 would be impossible.
• Black 145: The cut below 132 is trickier (though it still doesn't work if White plays correctly).

Figure 4a (147-200) BGJ had Fig 4a and 4b as one diagram, Fig 4.

Figure 4b (201-224) BGJ had Fig 4a and 4b as one diagram, Fig 4. 212 ko at BGJ omits locations of 203 & 212. Moves shown here seem probable.

• White 154: Perfect - another example of the strategy described above. Black's play in this corner would be good enough to live against many shodans, but White's faultless replies are too good for him.
• Black 201 is not actually a ko threat.
• White 204 is necessary since Black 204 would now make an eye due to White's shortage of liberties.
• White 218 starts a ladder - if he carlessly plays 220 at 221 the ladder still works, but Black can live with his big group by extending at 220, then playing atari on the two stones above, and catching White in damezumari.

Black resigns after 224 - he has run out of ideas at last. The ingenuity with which Black sought eyes for this group and the accuracy with which White refuted him both show a capacity to play well above 8 kyu. We can expect to hear more of both of these players.