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British Go Championship 2000 Round 1 19 August Black Desmond Cann 4-dan White Matthew Macfadyen 6-dan Time limits 3 hours each, plus 10 plays in 10 minutes overtime White receives 5.5 points komi Commentary by Seong-June Kim 6-dan and Charles Matthews 3-dan
5 The first question. Black builds the Chinese-style formation down the right-hand side. However White 4 anticipated that, and made the lower left corner a particularly important area. So it would be usual for Black to play there now; in which case the onus is on White to co-ordinate his forces on the left. 6 Kim prefers the enclosure to be one point to the left; but this is Macfadyen's style. 7 This approach is normal play, but weak on territory. 10 This play creates an open skirt for Black's formation on the left. From now on the play one below 10 becomes very important for both. 12 is in an important area when Black plays Chinese-style, but the balance of 6 and 14 is a little strange (see comment on 6). So probably White should play at 20 immediately. 19 makes 20 even larger. 21 Now seems to be the time for Black to make the thick move blocking off the left side. This helps to cover against White cutting, and also has implications when Black invades the lower left. 22 to 25 Bad exchange for White. White's reply to Black 21 would be better on the left side. 29 Could run back once, and then play double hane. 32 White has several interesting options here. One of them is to press at the point one to the left of 33. The 32/33 exchange turns out OK for Black, since White's central group is a little heavy. 35 and 37 are inconsistent. After 35 Black should play to safeguard the top right corner, though White will then prosper in the lower left. If Black wants to play 37, 35 first cuts out some options when White answers at 36. 42 White could push up once, Black extends, then double hane (ie play directly at 44). Up to 50 it seems to be anybody's game.
A long sequence in the top right corner leaves White alive (one eye in the center, and an option of an eye on the right edge or lower down in the left centre. As Black started the endgame with 95 and 97, he seemed to have a clear lead of at least ten points. Macfadyen agrees, White 98 is a slightly unreasonable play trying to stir things up.
White makes a small living group in the corner with 102 and 104, and then creates some weaknesses in the black formation on the right with 110 and 112 before completing a living shape with 116. White is still looking for complications with 124, and succeeds in capturing three stones on the right with 126 etc. A large exchange of territories is completed by 145 which captures the corner and the remaining question is whether White cen reduce the centre enough using the weaknesses at 148 and 150.
Black manages to hang on to most of the lower right area with 159, but there is a problem - the long chain of Black stones in the upper centre is cut off with only one eye. This means that White can walk into the upper left area while forcing Black to connect with 165, 167 etc. When White gets to play at 182 the game is decided.
(Black 33 takes ko) Des knew that he was a little behind, and tried to find something in the lower left area, but it did not work. White won by 4.5 points.
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