European Championship Game

British Go Journal No. 66. November 1985. Page 10.

Macfadyen - Schlemper

Black: Matthew Macfadyen, 6d, UK
White: Ronald Schlemper, 7d, NL
The game-file in SGF format.

This game comes from the third round of the European Championship. Ronald Schlemper was widely expected to win the tournament, and winning this game would already put him clearly in the lead. André Moussa and Janusz Kraszek had both lost in the first round, and Pierre Colmez was regarded as too erratic to continue his winning streak. The comments are based on some remarks after the game by Mr Luo, the resident Chinese professional.

Figure 1 (1-53) 32 ko at 24; 35 ko at 23; 38 at 24; 40 at 23.

• Black 15: A mistake - it should be at A. The problem is that white can easily live on the lower side, even after 17 and 19, by using his kikashi moves at 49 and B.
• Black 21: A bit of an overplay, but so is white 22. Normally Black would play 21' at 22, then follows white 21, and both sides tenuki (play elsewhere). The best way for White to play is to answer 21 calmly at 42, covering all his own weaknesses. Then black 22 is more or less forced, and white offsets his local loss by getting first move elsewhere. In the game sequence Black is able to play 49 in sente, thus securing the territory at the bottom.
• The result to 53 is about equal.

Figure 2 (54-105)

• White 68: Bad, since 69 is too good to allow - he should play 86 instead. Then Black will play 68 and live on the side, but white gets access to the centre.
• Black 91: Reasonable as a kikashi, trying to slow down white's progress along the lower side, in the event of his getting first play there. But 93 must be at C. Then if white played hane at D, black can cut at E and start a fight.
• 94-104: This sequence just about wraps up the game, as White's corner is now as big as Black's side.

Figure 3 (106-207)

• Black 121: Small - White can reduce the side, but not break right in.
• White 126 really should be at F, but Ronald was sure he was ahead and wanted to simplify the game. This strategy very nearly came unstuck.
• White 136: A mistake: the clamp at G is correct shape here.
• Black 155: The reason why 136 was wrong. If white tries to cut at 183, Black plays 162 and gets in anyway. Up to 162 white loses two stones in gote, and the game becomes quite close.

Figure 4 (208-273) 226 ko at ; 229 ko at 223; 259 at

Ronald now needed to play accurate yose, but he did so, and gained a couple of extra points due to small mistakes by me. White won eventually by the komi.

This game gives British readers an insight into the current level of amateur Go at the top European level.
Ronald made a couple of mistakes - at 68 and 136 - which would be regarded as outright blunders by a middle ranging professional. But otherwise he let very little through.
The losing error was my failure to anticipate white 94. Thereafter Ronald was able to coast for the rest of the game.