A few simple rules ... limitless possibilities

British Go Journal No. 66. November 1985. Page 12.

Janssen - Shaw

Black: Frank Janssen, 4d, NL
White: Eddy Shaw, 3d, UK
The game-file in SGF format.

Eddy Shaw had a good congress at Terschelling. He was entered at 3 dan despite not quite having been promoted by the BGA. However he amply justified his elevated status, winning his forst four games. This one comes from round four, and his opponent was Frank Janssen, one of the growing horde of Dutch 4 dans who was not, however, having a very good tournament.

Comments are by Matthew Macfadyebn, based on those by Mr Nakayama in a lecture after the game.

Figure 1 (1-66) 59 at 47, 60 at 51, 62 at 47.

• White 10: Good.
• White 16: Quite OK; he could also play on the other side at 24.
  BGJ had "of 24".
• White 26: Too slow, since the corner is still not secure. White should attack at 45 or 54.
• White 28 secures the corner, but it has taken too many moves.
• Black 35: Extraordinary - the connection at 36 is the only move.
• White 38 looks good, but there is bad aji. Nakayama spent some time analysing the fight in Dia 1 - and decided that white could not win it. Therefore 38' should play atari on one stone (at 3 in the diagram).
• White 56 could also be at 61.

Diagram 1

If Black plays the nose tesuji at 1, White cannot win the resulting semeai.

Figure 2 (67-100)

• Black 67: Thank you very much.
• Black 81' must be at 82 to spoil white's eye shape.
• White 100 should hane at A to take a bigger corner.

Figure 3 (101-159) 158 at 145.

• White 106: Terrible - 107 spoils all White's possibilities in this corner.

However, up to 122 white succeeds in getting some stones on the outside and developing an attack on Black's centre group. Black decides to give up two stones with 123 and 127.

White's attack was not as severe as it might have been. For example 148' could have cut at 154; and 152' should be omitted (after 158 it could be at 153), and so the game got into a tight yose.

Unfortunately the remaining alarums and excursions are lost to posterity, but it is known that White eventually squeezed home by half a point.