Spot The Move - Answers

British Go Journal No. 66. November 1985. Page 26.

Richard Granville

The problems for these solutions are on page 5 of BGJ 65.
This month's problems are on page 5.
The answer to problem 3 may be found on page 25.

The original article used coordinates (such as K10) for most of this article. It has been altered to use marked up diagrams for the EBGJ.

The answers in BGJ 66 are numbered differently to the problems in BGJ 65. This third answer here relates to question 2!

You might wish to open a second window beside the first one to view Dia X5 whilst reading the text in the first window.

Problem 2 - Marks

Marks for various black moves.

Diagram 5

Problem 2 - Commentary

For this problem the seven panelists recommended seven different moves. The main ideas consist of strengthening the black group on the left, and invading or reducing White's moyo on the right. In the latter case there are many possibilities.

Diagram X5

Panelists replies:

• E - Jeff Ansell 2k
• O - Brian Chandler 2d
• S - Matthew Macfadyen 6d
• G - Toby Manning 2d
• N - John Rickard 3d
• B - Francis Roads 3d
• Q - Piers Shepperson 3d

Ansell: "There are many large points to be played, the biggest of which are probably X/Y and T. White T would greatly expand the side and also aims at W. Black at T limits the side, but White replies at Y and gains from the exchange. The immediate reduction at E gets my vote."

This is what I played in the actual game, but several other suggestions also seem reasonable:

Roads: "Black wants to build up his moyo with A and B; White's aims are D and S/T. In this case it is probably right to play at the focal point of two moyos, so black plays B, white C, black D and then white F. Now it becomes more urgent to stop T, so black should continue with U."

Diagram 6

Macfadyen: "Black's simpler options give him a large territory at the top, but leave him overconcentrated there, while attempts to avoid overconcentration lead to rough fighting. The simple line in Dia 6 gives Black a 60 point territory at the top, and White will have to do quite a lot with his attack on the left. But this exchange feels bad - White could not have done anything very exciting to the top side.

Perhaps Black's most natural move is W, but things now get complicated. White will probably invade around V and start covering the board with weak groups in the hope of finding a use for his thickness at the top.

My preferred move is S. Since Black's main problem is that he wiill lose control in the centre after grabbing too much territory, he can afford a waiting move. White Y seems forced, and now Black can reduce the side with L."

Manning: "The cut at B is an attempt to start a fight, but if White gives up his stone and defends on the right, Black has gained little and has gote. Thus ! would play at G. This prepares for the cut at B but also has opportunities to decimate the lower side if Whiteplays at D."

Shepperson: "I can't see anything beter than for Black to stabilise his last weak group with Q. If the sequence O, N, R follows, black extends to J or H. White might now build up the right side, but after playing at Q, Black seems to be ahead on territory."

Finally, Brian Chandler makes a cryptic comment: "No time to consider in detail. No immediaely obvious vital / urgent points. Best to use sente to play another move in problem 1, where so much is going on. How about the boshi at K. Can't be bad can it?"

No, it isn't bad, since it reduces White's moyo quite effectively, but its drawback is that it doesn't do very much for Black's position.

Discussion on this month's winners is omitted.