EVENT WHITE Matthew Macfadyen, 5d, UK BLACK Alexander Vasilov, 4d, USSR RESULT W+R BOARDSIZE 19 DATE 14th April 1978 PLACE Anglo USSR Telephone Match (London/Leningrad) KOMI 5.5 SOURCE BGJ 41, May 1978, Page 8 COM Copyright British Go Association 1978, 2000 Matthew Macfadyen played the most interesting game of the match against Vasilov. In these brief comments, Matthew concentrates on the territorial potential of the positions, rather than the tactics, and on the concept of commitment. Black Rank: 4 dan Write Rank: 5 dan ENDCOM B 1 R16 W 2 D17 B 3 Q4 W 4 P16 B 5 C4 W 6 F4 B 7 Q13 W 8 C3 B 9 K3 W 10 D4 B 11 C5 W 12 B3 B 13 C8 W 14 R17 B 15 S17 W 16 Q17 B 17 S15 W 18 L17 B 19 D15 W 20 F15 B 21 C17 W 22 D16 B 23 C16 W 24 C15 B 25 D18 W 26 E18 B 27 E15 W 28 F16 B 29 C14 W 30 B15 B 31 B14 W 32 C18 B 33 B16 W 34 Q7 MARK C8 C5 C4 B16 COM White 34: After 33 both side have fairly secure corners. How, if at all, should white expand his upper side? As soon as white commits himself to making a large territory there, Black can make forcing plays [building*] his own positions on the right and left sides. Black's prospects on the right are better, because I can attack his 5-11-13, so I played 34 and 36 to nullify his potential there. * [BGJ omitted 'building'.] 34 allows black to make territory on the lower side, but he must make some territory on the lower right, and I preferred to commit him to this territory first, allowing myself forcing sequences such as 46-52, so that I can play flexibly in the centre. ENDCOM B 35 O4 W 36 O13 B 37 G13 MARK C@D10 B@L15 A@K14 COM Black 37 was locally a reasonable play, but a more interesting approach would be to play 37' at A, inviting white to commit himself to a large upper territory. If white answers with 38' at B, then the sequence in the variation might follow; This is not disastrous for white but it leaves him very little to work towards. I would probably have answered black A at 81(C) on the left side. ENDCOM VAR B 1 K14 W 2 L15 B 3 F14 W 4 G14 B 5 G13 W 6 H14 B 7 H13 W 8 J16 MARK J16 H13 H14 G13 G14 F14 L15 K14 ENDVAR W 38 F13 B 39 F12 W 40 F14 B 41 H13 COM Black 41 is poor, he is unduly worried about White's upper territory ENDCOM W 42 E12 B 43 F11 W 44 D13 B 45 L14 COM Black 45 was still misguided, the right side is now more important. Notice that although white has lost his own prospects for a large territory, black has sacrificed his prospects on the left and right sides, and weakened his upper left group, which is barely alive. ENDCOM W 46 R4 B 47 R3 W 48 R5 B 49 S3 W 50 Q5 B 51 Q3 W 52 L4 B 53 K4 W 54 L6 B 55 M4 W 56 Q12 B 57 R12 W 58 R11 B 59 Q11 COM Black 59 and 61 are vulgar. ENDCOM W 60 P12 B 61 S11 COM Black 59 and 61 are vulgar. ENDCOM W 62 R10 B 63 S10 W 64 R9 COM White 64-72 were also very bad. ENDCOM B 65 N6 W 66 M5 B 67 L3 W 68 N5 B 69 O5 W 70 O6 B 71 L5 W 72 N7 MARK N7 L5 O6 O5 N5 L3 M5 N6 R9 COM White 64-72 were also very bad. White's centre wall looks impressive but it is black's turn and he should do something about it. A better approach for White would be start a fight on the left, with a sequence like 76-89. If White had not committed himself on the lower side, Black would have to be more careful of his lower left group. ENDCOM B 73 K16 W 74 K17 B 75 L16 W 76 C10 B 77 E8 COM Black 77 & 95: Black protected at 77 and 95, but these plays are timid; with the strong Black position on the middle lower side he could afford to be weaker. ENDCOM W 78 B18 B 79 C12 W 80 E11 B 81 D10 W 82 F10 B 83 H11 W 84 C11 B 85 B12 W 86 D11 B 87 B9 W 88 B10 B 89 A15 W 90 L12 B 91 J17 W 92 M17 B 93 H16 W 94 G8 B 95 F6 COM Black 77 & 95: Black protected at 77 and 95, but these plays are timid; with the strong Black position on the middle lower side he could afford to be weaker. After 75 I (Matthew) had the initiative again and the successful sequence to 110 wrapped up the game. ENDCOM W 96 J15 B 97 H15 W 98 K10 B 99 E10 W 100 C9 B 101 D8 W 102 G17 B 103 J9 W 104 J12 B 105 H12 W 106 J10 B 107 H10 W 108 J8 B 109 H9 W 110 K9 B 111 G3 W 112 F2 B 113 F3 W 114 E2 B 115 G2 W 116 D5 B 117 C6 W 118 R13 B 119 S12 W 120 Q14 B 121 S13 W 122 R14 B 123 R18 W 124 Q18 B 125 S18 W 126 H8 B 127 E3 W 128 D3 B 129 F1 W 130 D1 B 131 B4 W 132 G6 B 133 F5 W 134 F7 B 135 G5 W 136 E7 B 137 B8 W 138 J18 B 139 M16 W 140 P5 B 141 N4 W 142 M6 B 143 S9 W 144 S8 B 145 M13 W 146 M12 B 147 K13 W 148 A4 B 149 A5 W 150 A3 B 151 F9 W 152 S4 B 153 Q19 W 154 P19 B 155 R19 W 156 P18 B 157 S7 W 158 R8 B 159 T8 W 160 H17 B 161 J16 W 162 N16 B 163 N15 W 164 O15 B 165 N13 W 166 N12 B 167 K6 W 168 K7 B 169 K12 W 170 H6 B 171 H5 W 172 T3 B 173 T2 COM The yose was uneventful. Play stopped at 173, but all the large points have been taken. Black is about 20 points behind, and resigned. ENDCOM