A few simple rules ... limitless possibilities

British Go Journal No. 67. April 1986. Page 27.

Game 3 is on page 24.

You might wish to open a second window beside the first one to view Fig 1 whilst reading the text in the first window.

Black: Yong-Su Yoo
White: Ronald Schlemper
Komi: 6
The game-file in SGF format.

Figure 1 (1-120)

• White 10 starts the "Large Avalanche", a very complicated joseki. White 10' at 11 leads to the "Small Avalanche".
• Black 17: If at 34, white turns at 33. If black then captures 16, white gives atari to the right of 9 and black gets a tiny corner and a weak centre group.
• White 20 is an old move, either 34 or 33 are more common nowadays.
• Black 21: If at 22, White plays one point above 26, and black cannot defend against both 24 and 21.
• White 24: The vital point, forcing black to make an empty triangle (connecting would be far too passive). This stone becomes a sacrifice to surround black.
• Black 33: A mistake, better is 1 in Dia 1.
• Black 35: Before 33, A was black's sente, and if white cuts at 37, black captures him by playing 35. After 34 black must defend the cut, but better is to play 5 and 7 from Dia 1.
• White 36 attacks black's eye space. If black descends to 42, white's hane at B would be sente.
• Black 41 & 43: Black coolly leaves his group for white to attack. The game will depend on how well White exploits it.
• White 50: An oversight. Better to play at C. White wants to keep black's group weak. But after 50, black 1 in Dia 2 makes an eye.
• Black 51: A mistake. Black is not worried about his group, which is alive anyway (check it yourself), but is aiming at 1 in Dia 3. However this move is too slow. Better is 58 or D.
• Black 53: Again slow. Better is to probe at E. It seems unlikely white can hope to kill the intruder. After 54 and 56 white encloses a very large corner.
• White 66: Makes miai of 67 and 68. At this stage White was confident of winning.
• Black 81-83: Too direct. Black has no strong attack on white's group. A better idea is to peep at F, white connects, then black 88.
• White 90: Simpler to play at 107, when the top becomes white territory.
• White 96: If white cuts at 1 in Dia 4, black seems to be in trouble.
• Black 101-103 builds thickness. But first Black should play at 114. If white blocks, black connects in sente, otherwise the bad cutting aji enables black to live in white's corner. (How? - the details are left as a problem for kyu players.) White 112 and 114 are enormous (count just how much) and put white into the lead.

Diagram 1

Diagram 2

Dia 1. The exchange of 1 for 2 is useful, then 5 and 7 make good shape. (5 threatens to wedge in at A, forcing white 6^*).
^* BGJ had white 4 which makes no sense here.

Dia 2. If white 2, black exploits the cutting point at A with the throw-ins at 3 and 7.

Diagram 3

Diagram 4

Figure 2a (120-200) BGJ had Fig 2a and 2b as one diagram, Fig 2. 175 ko at 169, 178 ko at 172. [BGJ omitted 175 & 178. EBGJ best guess.]

• White 162: A losing blunder when ahead by 4 or 5 points. Black 163 becomes sente, and enables him to start a ko that white dare not lose. As a result black lives in white's corner and takes a large lead.

Figure 2b (201-233) BGJ had Fig 2a and 2b as one diagram, Fig 2.

White resigns after 233.

[Discussion omitted.]
The final game went to Yoo - by 1 point, and with it a handsome victory of 7-2, putting his superiority as Europe's top amateur beyond doubt.