KIM'S FLAWLESS SHOWING WINS IN LONDON
The year 2001 in European Go got off to its traditional start at the London Open, now a stage on the Toyota Tour and a seven-round McMahon over four days finishing on New Year's Day.
Winner with straight victories was Korean Kim Seong-June 6 dan, resident of Cambridge in recent years and now working for a games software company in High Wycombe, to top a year in which he won a sackful of tournaments on the British one-day circuit .
In second place on six wins came Tanaka Masanori, flying the Swiss flag and entered at 5 dan, in reality a Japanese 6 dan whose modesty in downgrading himself might be unnecessary deference to European ratings. British Champion Matthew Macfadyen 6 dan was in clear third position with five wins. Click here for the complete results.
The Toyota Tour rankings are essentially unaffected, since all of the top eight players took a rest over the holiday season. Leader is Danek of Czechia, who has registered points in seven out of the ten events since Milan, from Bogdanov of Russia. The Tour leads up to the Paris tournament over Easter.
Comments from Kim Seong-June 6 dan on his Round 2 game against runner-up Tanaka Masanori 5 dan, a university teacher of German in Japan who is currently living in Switzerland.
I had Black. I won this game. As you will see, after a careful start I blundered away a group and had an uphill struggle after that, so I count myself fortunate.
The opening is peaceful. Black 7 aims mainly to take the initiative here.
Black 13: how to play out this side is an old question. I thought Black 17 was required. Up to 22 is normal play, with Black capping the white stones running out.
With 23 and 25 Black aims to cut across White (25 is the so-called 'ear' of White's two-point jump). This idea comes to fruition a little later.
The point of 29 is to take the initiative at 33. Black needs to play consistently here.
I agree with Matthew Macfadyen's suggestion, that Black 37 should be directly at 41. This is less clear-cut, but should prevent White forming the eye in the centre.
Black has the advantage after 45. Now White attacks resolutely with 46, 50 and 52.
Black 53 is a normal defensive idea, offering a sacrifice to move out into the centre, but the position becomes obscure when White avoids fixing the shape round here.
At 90, White can't resist because Black's peep one point above at A is too dangerous to the eye shape of the whole white group.
White 96 is an overplay and White is landed with a heavy group in the centre.
White 118 is very big, if dangerous, and Black 119 is wrong (must be at 120). Black starts to go off the rails at this point.
Black 127 (must take the white stone off) and 137 are mistakes. Black 137 deserved to be the losing move.
With 138 and 142 White skilfully kills Black's group.
It takes Black almost 100 moves to get back in the game, after that disaster. It happens in small stages.
Black 143 is all-out play and picks up central territory, since White opts for safety.
However White 158 is very good, as is 170. Black had every reason to be pessimistic at this stage.
White should have played 174 at 176. As it is, Black seals off the centre with 177, and White has made a poor trade.
White gives away points with 188, because Black 191 requires an immediate answer.
Black starts a ko with 209, having decided not to allow White the connection along the edge (ko captures with 210, 213, 216, 219, 222,225 228, 231).
It turned out that White couldn't win this ko. Therefore White 198 was in the wrong direction: should have been in the lower right.
The ko threat with 232 was the final mistake. Black's capture with 233 required an answer, so the fight was pure gain for Black.
Record finishes at 235. Black won by 7.5 points in the end (komi was 5.5).
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