Diamond v. Miyashita

British Go Journal No. 15. Autumn 1971. Page 8.

Black: J. Diamond, 4d
White: S. Miyashita, 5d
The game-file in SGF format.

• Black: John Diamond, 4-dan, British Champion.
• White: Suzue Miyashita, 5-dan, former Ladies Amateur Honinbo.
• Time: One hour each, plus 30 seconds byoyomi. No komi.

Comments are by Miyashita Shuzo, 9-dan (Suzue's father). Other comments, in parentheses, are by various people, including John Diamond, John Tilley and the Editor - Andrew Daly . This game was played at Geoffrey Gray's house, and relayed to another room where about 30 people heard Miyashita 9-dan comment on the game in progress.

Figure 1 (1-70)

In an amateur game the fuseki makes little difference. The result hinges on the middle game battle.

• Black 17: (John wants to play at 17 and to follow it with 65. His stones 1 and 15 are very weak.)
• White 24: This is joseki. I invented this new line myself quite recently.
  (John is obviously not aware of this or he would not have played at 23!)
• Black 31: The correct move is at A. 33' could then be moved to B and 37' played elsewhere. Black lost one move here.
• Black 35: This move goes in the wrong direction and should have been at 38 or even C.
• Black 39: Too passive, he must play 50.
• Black 41: Good, nicely balanced.
• White 42: Good, the only possibility.
• Black 43: Bad - this leaves a weak point around 46. Black 39 was a passive move and this 43 is too aggresive, so Black's plan is inconsistent.
• White 44: Not so good, the shape 38, 40, 44 is usually poor. (This shape - the 'sake bottle' - lacks eye-making potential.) 44' should be at D.
• Black 45: 46 is correct. Now up to white 54 Black is forced into a horrible shape, but 54 is an overplay and should be at E.
• White 56, Black 57: Both bad, Black shouldn't give up 49 so easily.
• White 64: Big, but loses sente. White should play at 68, keeping sente (can you work out why?) and then at E, the vital point on the board.

Figure 2a (71-100) BGJ had Fig 2a and 2b as one diagram, Fig 2.

(At the start of this figure the game hinges on the result of the fight which starts with black 71 - E in Figure 1.)

• Black 71: Very good.
• Black 73: Bad. He must play at 84, white A and now black 76.
• Black 75: Should play 75 to gain territory and continue the attack.
• Black 79: (John thought his moves 79-83 were sente and was surprised by White's tenuki at 84. What would have happened if he had been able to play here first again?)
• White 84-90: Not so useful as Black can easily connect at 93.
• White 98: (Now we shall never know!)

Figure 2b (101-152) BGJ had Fig 2a and 2b as one diagram, Fig 2.

• Black 107: Not necessary. If he had played in the lower corner he would lead.
• White 108: This invasion has to come. However the vital point is at 123.
  Diagram 1 shows what might happen. (Better for White.)
• White 118: Black has strengthened White, and his lower group is painfully weak.
• White 122: Should be at 128. Black can get a ko if he plays correctly, otherwise his group is dead.
  (! The variations here are very complicated.)
• White 124: Should still be at 128. Black is still in mortal danger.
• Black 135: Black was lucky to save this group.
• White 136: This invasion, though very risky, is forced since White is behind.
• White 140: Correct, of course if she had played at 145 I would have disowned my daughter!
• Black 141, 143: Black should have protected the cut at 147 immediately. White lived here only because of Black's weak moves.
• White 152: Now that White is alive here, she is very slightly ahead.

Diagram 1

Figure 3a (153-200) BGJ had Fig 3a and 3b as one diagram, Fig 3.

• White 158: (A good connection which surprised John.)
• White 182: Not necessary. If Black plays 182, white B is a must. Should White play at A then black B and all is lost (white C, black D). Anyway, there are possibilities here, but 182 is unnecessary at this stage.
• Black 189: This ko will decide the game as it is worth 4 points.

Mr Miyashita's comments end here.

Figure 3b (201-301) BGJ had Fig 3a and 3b as one diagram, Fig 3. 224 ko at white , 227 ko at 221, 230 ko, 233 ko, 236 ko, 239 ko, 242 ko, 245 ko, 248 ko, 251 ko, 253 at 246, 254 ko, 257 ko, 260 ko, 263 ko, 266 ko, 269 ko.

Black won the ko at 189 and that at 301, which is not shown in full, to take the game by 1 point. This was an excellent result for John as Miss Miyashita is a very strong player, though she was tired by travel and a little unlucky in the game.