Event Black John Rickard, 2d White Francis Roads, 3d Place Round 1 of Candidates Tournament 1983 Result B+Resign Source BGJ60. Page 18. Sept 1983 Com Copyright British Go Association 1983,1998 EndCom B 1 q16 W 2 d4 B 3 q3 W 4 e17 B 5 c16 W 6 c14 B 7 d15 W 8 d14 B 9 f15 W 10 g16 B 11 e15 Mark A@d10 B@d17 Com A bit slow - usually he either counterattacks with 12 (A) or takes the corner with 15 (B). EndCom W 12 d10 B 13 k17 W 14 c18 B 15 d17 Com EndCom W 16 d18 B 17 f17 Com Looks like an overplay, and when White starts the ko with 30, Black is in trouble, since 32 is a good ko threat. EndCom W 18 f16 B 19 e16 W 20 e18 B 21 g17 W 22 g15 B 23 g14 W 24 h17 B 25 h16 W 26 h15 B 27 h18 W 28 j16 Prisoner h16 B 29 j17 W 30 g18 Mark #17 A@e14 Com 17: Looks like an overplay, and when White starts the ko with 30, Black is in trouble, since 32 (A) is a good ko threat. EndCom B 31 h16 Prisoner h17 W 32 e14 B 33 h17 W 34 f14 B 35 h14 W 36 j15 B 37 c15 W 38 j14 B 39 j13 W 40 k13 B 41 b14 W 42 b13 B 43 b15 Com could have been at the 3-3 point in the corner, which would probably make two eyes. John had more ambitious schemes for saving his group... EndCom W 44 b17 B 45 b12 W 46 a13 B 47 c13 W 48 c12 B 49 d13 W 50 d12 B 51 e13 W 52 f13 B 53 e12 W 54 f12 B 55 e11 W 56 b11 B 57 h13 W 58 g11 B 59 k12 W 60 l14 B 61 e10 W 62 h10 B 63 c10 Com 63 is a sort of tesuji, and 69 invites White to cut at 88 and start a very complicated fight. Francis counts the liberties and plays 70, which leaves him one liberty ahead in the capturing race on the side and takes some of the pressure off his other two groups running into the centre. EndCom W 64 b10 B 65 c9 W 66 b9 B 67 c11 W 68 a12 Prisoner b12 B 69 b8 Mark A@c8 Com 63 is a sort of tesuji, and 69 invites White to cut at 88 (A) and start a very complicated fight. Francis counts the liberties and plays 70, which leaves him one liberty ahead in the capturing race on the side and takes some of the pressure off his other two groups running into the centre. EndCom W 70 b16 B 71 l13 W 72 k14 B 73 j11 W 74 m17 B 75 m16 W 76 n14 B 77 m13 W 78 m14 B 79 n17 W 80 l12 B 81 l11 Com 81, 83: The awfulness of these incredibly vulgar plays is discussed in the 'Shapes' article on page 26. EndCom W 82 m12 B 83 m11 W 84 n13 Prisoner l13 m13 B 85 j10 W 86 h8 Com White is obviously overlooking something - John sees his chance. EndCom B 87 j9 W 88 c8 Mark A@f11 Com The long awaited blunder. There is no answer to the empty triangle at 89 (A). Suddenly Black's game is looking playable. EndCom B 89 f11 W 90 g12 B 91 g10 W 92 g9 B 93 f10 W 94 d9 B 95 d11 W 96 h9 B 97 h11 W 98 e9 B 99 b12 Prisoner c12 d12 W 100 c7 B 101 c3 Mark A@k3 Com A gross overplay - he seems lost without a weak group to look after. The sane alternative would be 146 (A) on the lower side. EndCom W 102 d3 B 103 c4 W 104 c2 B 105 c6 W 106 b6 B 107 d5 W 108 b5 B 109 c5 W 110 f4 B 111 e5 W 112 g4 Com 112 is good - Black's stones look doomed. EndCom B 113 e7 W 114 f9 B 115 h12 W 116 b2 Mark A@f6 Com The intention was presumably to simplify the position while taking all Black's eyes away, but there is no harm in allowing a group one eye as long as it can't escape - he should have played at 121 (A). EndCom B 117 g5 Com 117, 119: Brilliant - Black finds a tiny chink in the armour. EndCom W 118 h5 B 119 h6 W 120 f5 B 121 f6 W 122 g6 Prisoner g5 B 123 g7 W 124 h7 B 125 d8 W 126 b7 Mark A@d7 Com Imprecise - he should play at 133 (A) first, now Black gets an eye in sente with 133. EndCom B 127 j6 W 128 k8 B 129 g5 Prisoner g6 W 130 k7 B 131 g6 W 132 l5 B 133 d7 W 134 f8 Com The game losing move. It is no longer reasonable to try to kill this group, and when he plays 134 it is clear that Francis has been successfully led into the trap. In principle the game is still close - Black's capture in the centre is only worth 16 points and White has plenty of compensation - but the game has acquired a psychological momentum such that White is going to play a series of moves, each more unreasonable than the last, until his position collapses. The ability to recognise such a downhill slide, and to get oneself out of it, is shared by very few amateur players. EndCom B 135 h4 W 136 j4 B 137 h3 W 138 g2 B 139 h2 W 140 g3 B 141 j5 Prisoner h5 Mark A@k4 Com His first mistake for 20 moves - it would be correct to play 142 (A) first - but the effect is to lure White deeper into the trap. EndCom W 142 k4 B 143 k2 W 144 l2 Com 144, 146: May look plausible but the wall is too thin. Black finds the winning tesuji at 159 which threatens both sides at once. EndCom B 145 l3 W 146 k3 B 147 l6 W 148 k6 B 149 k5 W 150 l4 B 151 m6 W 152 m8 B 153 m3 W 154 j2 B 155 h1 W 156 k1 Prisoner k2 B 157 m2 W 158 n4 B 159 n7 W 160 n8 B 161 m4 W 162 m5 B 163 n5 Com White resigns after 163. EndCom