European Championship

British Go Journal No. 2. Autumn 1967. Page 25.

Skrob v Diamond, Round 3

Black: Ernst Skrob, Austria
White: John Diamond, Great Britain
Komi: 5
The game-file in SGF format.

This game was played in the third round of the European Championships in August 1967.

Comments by Mr Nagahara are followed with {N}. All other comments are by John Diamond and not so authoratative.

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

Figure 1 (1-61)

• Black 5: This is the commonest fuseki at the present time, and White usually plays one of 11, 12, 6 and 13.
• White 6: If 5' were at A instead, 6' at 11 would not be good because of 7' at B.
• White 18: Good. {N}
  This is a joseki, as is 18 in Dia 1 but after 19-21 in Dia 1 Black has a large potential.

  Diagram 1

  Diagram 2

• Black 25: Better than at 28 {N} because then Dia 2 and although black is better in this corner, white stands better over the whole board.
• Black 27: Incorrect. Best is Dia 3 where 27 has become an ideal play. {N}

  Diagram 3

• White 34: Bad. This makes black into good shape and leaves 27 a good play. 34' at C is much better. {N}
• Black 37: No good. 38 is much better. {N}
• White 38: Good. {N}
  If Black had played here he would have been secure easily.
• White 40': D, making full use of the wall, is best. {N}
• Black 41: Bad, simply play E. {N}
  The play shown only fortifies the north side.
• Black 45: Black chooses this variation because of stones 1 & 5.
• White 48 was played with the purpose of obtaining a wall to the south side, and then playing at F. This joseki can only be played by White if the ladder formed in Dia 4 works for white.

  Diagram 4

  Diagram 5

• Black 55' at 56 would be wrong as then Dia 5 captures the corner.
• Black 59: If black 59' takes at 47, then White plays 59.
• Black 61: This is very important otherwise white can save his stone and build a wall as Dia 6.

  Diagram 6

Figure 2 (62-108)

• White 64: Wrong point, A is best. {N}
  This threatens a further play at B, and also follows the proverb: Don't play close to your opponent's strength.
• White 66: The decision on which side to play is very difficult.
• Black 71: Not joseki, correct is C.
• White 72: Although following joseki, as White is strong on the north side, 72' had better be played at D to reinforce 64. {N}
• Black 75: E is better form. {N}
• White 76: White was worried about the possibility of black playing at F.
• White 78: Very good {N}
  For if 79' is played as Dia 7, then the sequence to 91 is forced. Thus black is cut off between two strong white groups.

  Diagram 7

• Black 81: Poor. 106 would have been very strong. {N}
  Separating the white stones.
• Black 83: Black was afraid of white playing G next.
• White 84 enables 88 to be played with sente.
• White 88 threatens a disconnection at H.
• Black 91: Better at I, then if white J, black 92 reduces the group to only one eye. {N}
• White 92: Indirectly protecting the cutting point at J and strengthening the white stones.
• White 96: This threatens to take away black's corner or build up a large territory on the south side if black answers at K. {N}
• Black 97: Good, this stops the formation of a white territory on this side. {N}
• White 100: Poor, as it doesn't secure two eyes. Dia 8 does demonstrates this and should have been played (by Black) up till move 111. {N}

  Diagram 8

  Diagram 9 2 elsewhere.

• Black 103: White can now live in the corner by playing at the 2-2 point. But it isn't worth it yet.
• White 106: 107 would be better; for if Black doesn't answer then Dia 9 follows and white has gained the corner with sente. {N}
• Black 107: Good. {N}

Figure 3 (109-207)

• Black 109: Threatening the centre.
• Black 117: 119 directly is better. {N}
• White 124: Bad. {N}
  Better at 128, then white 126' at 125.
• Black 129: Black cannot play at 133 because then Dia 10 and a large ko fight ensues.

  Diagram 10

• White 130: Good. {N}
  Now white lives in the corner. This is worth 27 points.
• White 134 is worth 6 points with sente.
• White 140: A big mistake. 143 is much better, as 142 is not sente. {N}
• White 142: If 144' at A, 145' at 163 and white must protect the corner with 171 or 172 otherwise it will die.
• Black 163: Otherwise A saves one stone.
• Black 165: Otherwise white will capture three stones with Dia 11.

  Diagram 11

  Diagram 12

• White 170' at 173 is impossible, for then the corner comes to ko after Dia 12.
• White 178' at 180 would lose two stones after black 178, white B. black 182.
• Black 179: 180 is worth more.
• White 182: Otherwise black 193, white 194, black 182.
• White 186 is worth 4 points with gote.
• White 196: White cannot fight a ko.
• White 204: A mistake, this costs at least two points.

At 208, White resigns.

Diagram 13

Diagram 14

White must give up two stones as Dia 13 and lose by 11 points.

If Dia 14, white does not have enough ko threats.

The second game reported from the tournament is on page 27.