Event Black S. Loft, 22k (Furze Platt D) White D. Banerjee, 24k (St. Dunstans B) Place Furze Platt School, Schools Championship Date March 1985 Result B+29 Source BGJ 65 July 1985 page 14 Com Copyright British Go Association 1985, 1999 EndCom B 1 q16 W 2 p8 B 3 o17 W 4 n7 B 5 d4 W 6 j6 Mark #4 #2 Com White 2, 4 and 6 show a disregard for classical opening theory (corners, side then centre is the usual order of play in the opening). Black might just as well play 7' in an empty corner. EndCom B 7 g6 W 8 h8 B 9 g8 W 10 g9 B 11 f8 W 12 f9 B 13 e9 W 14 e11 Mark A@e10 #1 #3 #10 #12 Com White 14: White is still playing in the centre and ignoring for the time being the chance to make territory along the edge and in the corner. this being so, 14' might as well be at A, since it takes away a black liberty. This would also be the natural point for black 15', threatening to separate 14 from 10 and 12. White's strength in the centre might be useful in later fighting, but the trouble is that it faces two very strong black stones, 1 and 3. EndCom B 15 j4 Com Black 15: Not good, he must expect white to push in at 16. EndCom W 16 h5 B 17 h4 W 18 g5 B 19 f4 W 20 f5 B 21 e5 Com Black 21: Another poor defense, leaving the fatal gap at 22. White connects at 23 with 30 and the sequence up to 32 is a disaster for black, all caused by his poor move at 15. EndCom W 22 g4 B 23 g3 W 24 f3 B 25 e4 W 26 h3 B 27 j3 W 28 g2 Prisoner g3 B 29 h2 W 30 g3 B 31 k2 Mark #15 Com Black 21: The sequence up to 32 is a disaster for black, all caused by his poor move at 15. EndCom W 32 l4 Com White 32: After this move Black must play again on the lower side (best would be B), since if white attacks at C black will have trouble living. He can come out at D, but then white can use 2 and 4 very effectively as part of his attack. EndCom B 33 q10 Com Black 33 to 37: This manouevre, known as the 'ni-dan bane' in Japanese (meaning 'two-step hane') is often skilful. But here Black has not thought out the consequences. 33 ends up on very poor point as it is jammed right up against very strong white stones. EndCom W 34 q9 B 35 r9 W 36 r8 B 37 s8 Com Black 33 to 37: This manouevre, known as the 'ni-dan bane' in Japanese (meaning 'two-step hane') is often skilful. But here Black has not thought out the consequences. 33 ends up on very poor point as it is jammed right up against very strong white stones. EndCom W 38 s7 B 39 r7 W 40 q8 B 41 s6 W 42 s9 B 43 t7 Prisoner s7 W 44 r10 Prisoner r9 B 45 q7 Mark F@r4 Com Black 45: Not necessary. Perhaps Black is confusing the situation with the joseki shown in as Dia 1 in the HTML page. A better move would be an extension around F, since it strengthens the stones and makes territory. EndCom W 46 p6 Mark C@m2 E@r5 Com White 46: Does not achieve very much. It threatens an attack at E - this won't kill Black's group but makes the territory in the corner, especially if white can bring himself to attack at C. EndCom B 47 d16 Mark B@m3 Com Black 47: The wrong place. B is still the most urgent point to strengthen his weak group. Up to 54 White's strategy is consistent with his policy of developing strength in the centre. EndCom W 48 d13 B 49 d14 W 50 e14 B 51 c14 W 52 c13 B 53 e15 W 54 f14 Com Up to 54 White's strategy is consistent with his policy of developing strength in the centre. EndCom B 55 f15 W 56 b14 B 57 b15 W 58 a14 Mark A@b13 B@g14 C@g15 \T@d16 Com White 58: If white is to play here at all, the normal move is 73 (A). But more urgent is 72(B), which prevents black from playing there - at the head of two stones. There is a well known proverb that advises you to play at the head of two stones whenever possible, it is such a good move. The reason is that it usually puts your opponent's stones into acute shortage of liberties. Another possible move for white, though more ambitious, is at 85(C). (Note that black 53 and 55 are not a two-stone group, since they are connected to 47 (\t)). EndCom B 59 e3 Mark B@m3 G@f2 Com Black 59: If he wants to play away from the top left corner, then B is still more urgent than this move, which does however have the slight advantage of holding out hope of a rescue by playing G. EndCom W 60 c15 B 61 d15 W 62 c16 B 63 c17 W 64 b16 B 65 b17 W 66 a15 Prisoner b15 B 67 a17 W 68 a16 B 69 e13 Mark A@f13 Com Black 69: An overplay. this move does not work, since white could have captured it in a ladder by playing at 71 (A). [[[ sgb added two ladders as variations. ]]] EndCom VAR B 1 e13 W 2 f13 B 3 e12 W 4 f12 B 5 d12 W 6 c12 B 7 d11 W 8 d10 B 9 c11 W 10 b11 B 11 c10 W 12 c9 B 13 b10 W 14 b9 B 15 a10 W 16 a9 B 17 a11 W 18 a12 Prisoner a11 a10 b10 c11 c10 d12 d11 e13 e12 ENDVAR VAR B 1 e13 W 2 f13 B 3 e12 W 4 d12 B 5 f12 W 6 g12 B 7 f11 W 8 f10 B 9 g11 W 10 h11 B 11 g10 W 12 h10 Prisoner e13 e12 f12 f11 g11 g10 ENDVAR W 70 e12 B 71 f13 W 72 g14 B 73 b13 Com Black 73-85: Black achieves almost nothing with this sequence. EndCom W 74 b12 B 75 c12 W 76 a13 Prisoner b13 B 77 d12 W 78 b13 B 79 c11 W 80 b11 B 81 c10 W 82 b10 B 83 b9 W 84 g13 B 85 g15 Com Black 73-85: Black achieves almost nothing with this sequence. 85 is a good move, however. EndCom W 86 d10 Com Now White in turn plays some pointless moves with 86 and 88. he has to go back to 90 to avoid losing some stones. 91 and 92 are also unnecessary. EndCom B 87 c9 W 88 d9 B 89 d8 W 90 f12 Prisoner e13 f13 B 91 e8 W 92 c8 B 93 c7 W 94 f6 Mark H@m17 Com White 94-96: White captures a stone, but so what? he has bigger fish to fry. For example he could invade the top side with H, or attack the lower edge black group. EndCom B 95 e6 W 96 g7 B 97 q6 Mark A@q4 Com Black 97: Presumably this empty triangle move is meant ot make eyes. Why he suddenly needs to make eyes now I don't know, but a jump down to 100 (A) would make better shape and more territory. (Anybody who does't know what an empty triangle is should ask a stronger player at their club or read Francis' article "What is Good Shape" in British Go Journal No. 62. Ed) EndCom W 98 p7 B 99 q5 W 100 q4 Com White 100-120: A disaster for White. 100 is terrible because black can, and does, cut it off from the outside (always check you can keep your stones connected). White then makes the misake of playing good stones after bad, increasing his loss. He ends up with a big dead corner, and what's more, lets black connect up his lower edge group that ought to have been captured. The result is that black has four large corners, and white's strength in the centre is insufficient compensation. EndCom B 101 p5 W 102 o5 B 103 p4 W 104 p3 B 105 o4 W 106 n5 B 107 o3 W 108 p2 B 109 o2 W 110 q2 B 111 r4 W 112 q3 B 113 r3 W 114 r2 B 115 s2 W 116 o1 B 117 n1 W 118 n4 B 119 m2 W 120 l3 Com Black eventually won by 29 points. "Advice to both players" is included at the end of the HTML article. EndCom