Happy New Year 2010

I know it's way too fast, but I'm going to Ambon today. I'll be there for a week and I doubt that I can update my blog there, so I'll say it now!!

Happy New Year everyone!!! I hope 2010 will be great!!





It's almost 3 years since the first I played go (it'll hit 3 years in January), yet I haven't achieved enough in go, especially this year. Stuck between 2k and 1k, but it's ok. I think I've learned quite a lot of new things this year. Not only in go, but in my life also.

The road is still long ahead. I can't give up yet. :)

Btw, here is my resolutions for new year:
1. I'll achieve 2 dan by the end of next year.
2. I will get minimal B for every subjects of my lectures
3. I will be able to speak Nederlands by the end of next year.
4. I will write more in this blog than this year.

What's yours? ;)

Tsumego (13) : Answer

Here is the answer for Tsumego (13)

White resigned because she lost the semeai in the right side. She'll lose her group around P17. Let's see why.

Since it's white turn, white can attempt the an eye with P13 (1). Black will play 2 and white will naturally play 3.
Black 4 is the killing tesuji here. White must capture with 5, then black will play the throw in at 6. White
can't capture the black stone at 4, since it'll be a snapback, so white play 7 and black wil answer at 8, erasing the second eye.


Too easy for black


White can try P19, which is trickier than the previous variation.


Let's try to perplex black :)


Black can try N19, but it is a failure for black. White will capture the two stones, then black can try to play P18. White will fail if she answer at Q18 because black will simply connect at M19. The correct nswer for white is Q19. Leaving A and B as miai for white.


OOps.. White alive.


The correct answer for black is M19. White will again capturing with Q19. Black continue with throw in at P18 leaving A and B
as miai for black and white is left with only an eye.


White die.

This position came from game between Yun Jihee (white) vs. Lee Minjin (black) at the 15th Korean Female Kuksu, round 1.

Tsumego (13)

Black just played the marked move and white eventually resigned. Why did white resigned? Could you find the right path for black to win?

Merry Christmas!!!

I just want to say MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!

Tsumego (12) : Answer

This is the answer for Tsumego 12



T11 is the correct answer here. Black answer at 2 to prevent white to connect. White exchange move 3-4. Move 5 is the key
move here. Black answer at T9, trying to separate white and attempting for second eye. White play another good move, S11.
The only way to get out for black is to play T10, but white will cut at R10 and it is a double atari. Black captured the 2 stones with T12, but white will simply play Q10, leaving black with only 1 eye.



Black can't defend at T10 (at move 6). White will play T9, black defend at Q9, white play Q10 and leave a muau at A and B.



What if black play S12 instead of T13? White will play Q10. Black try to defend with Q9 but white wil play S11. Black defend with T10. White play
R10, forcing white to capture, then white play T8, leaving miai at A and B.

What if white play Q10 as his first move? Black will play T11 and give him two eyes at A and B.



Also the move at S12 doesn't work, due to the following sequence, giving black two eyes at A and B.

Down to the Last Game

After beating Park Sohyun in the first game, Cao Youyin of China luckily beat Umezawa Yukari Female Kisei in the third game of
the second stage of the 8th Jeongganjang Cup.




Umezawa who took white in the game actually had the advantage since the beginning, but later she make a terrible blunder during the endgame which
led to a favorable ko fight for Cao. Umezawa eventually resigned.

At move 220, Umezawa made a mistake by playing H14. She should just played N19 to made her group 100% alive and eventually won the game by small margin.

At the fourth game, Kim Hyeoyimin (5 pro) from Korea stopped Cao Youyin 2 winning streak by winning the game as black by 1.5 points. Kim Hyeoyimin decided to play for big moyo
after she trade the corners for outside influence.




Countering this, Cao played a shoulder hit at the bottom board, trying to reduce white's territory. Kim took the advantage by attacking white invader, thus
completing her moyo.

After a tight endgame, Kim Hyeoyimin eventually won the game by 1.5 points.

The fifth game was played December 24 between Kim Hyeoyimin of Korea against one of the Mukai sisters, Mukai Chiaki (3 pro).

Mukai Chiaki who played black in this game decided to play for a close endgame. She played carefully and got sente during the endgame at move 175. It was
a big yose move, because she captured 2 stones, made her group 100% alive, and got sente.



Kim Hyeoyimin resigned at move 227. Mukai Chiaki of Japan will play Li He from China at the Christmas Day.

So far Korea is down to their last player Park Jieun, while Japan has 2 members left Mukai Chiaki and Suzuki Ayumi. China still has the lead with Li He, Ye Gui, and last year's superstar Song Ronghui as their members.

Tsumego (12)

This is another tsumego. I perhaps won't give the answer until Christmas, since I don't think I can update until that time and I can't fully cover the Jeongganjang eiher :(

White to move and kill. This one is harder than the previous tsumegos. Enjoy :)

China Keep the Lead

After eliminating Aoki Kikuyo from the competition, Park Sohyun from Korea met Cao Youyin from China in the second game of the second round of the 8th Jeongganjang Cup.

Park who played as white in the previous game got reversed color in this game.


Cao Youyin (left) vs. Park Sohyun (right)

The game opened by black making a wall in the upper board by attacking white's group, but Cao Youyin took the chance when she got sente by making a shimari in the bottom board.

At move 52 white played a capping move, trying to reduce black's moyo. Black responded by also playing a capping move in white area. White's response was aggressive. Playing a pincer and started a semeai.

Black tried to attack white's weak group after her attacked group connected to the upper board.She got some advantage from attacking, but the gap is still big for white who took the advantage when attacking black's group.


Board position up to move 107

Black tried to make a comeback, by attempting to kill white's group. The game turned to a live or dead ko for white. White saved her group when she decided to ignore black's small ko threat and captured black's stone. I wonder if black can skip move 187 and played T18 instead, though move 187 gave a connection between black's group, but it gave white a better chance to live. After all it was a do or die ko for Park.


I think the one who stand behind Cao Youyin is Yu Bin (9p from China) who is the coach for China's Jeongganjang team.

Park Sohyun resigned to Cao Youyin at move 218. Cao Youyin will play one of Japan's member today. With Cao's victory, China keep the lead by still having 4 members in the competition.

Poll: Who Will Win the 8th Jeongganjang Cup?

Who Will Win the 8th Jeongganjang Cup?
	China
	Korea
	Japan
pollcode.com free polls

Tsumego (11) : Answer

Here is the answer for tsumego (11)

C2 is the answer for this problem. White could connet with 2, attempting for the second eye, but black will play 3. Black of course can't play F3 since it's self-atari. In a real game white should just skip move 4 and save it as a ko threat.


White captured

Black can't play D2. White will lay C2 and the tesuji at E3 won't do anymore, since white will have 2 eyes.




E3 also won't work if it was played first. White will simply connect, leaving C2 and F3 as miai.

Korea Even the Score with Japan

The second stage of the 8th Jeongganjang Cup was started today (December 20). The stage was opened with a match between Park Sohyun from Korea and Aoki Kikuyo from Japan.

When the first stage ended in September (can't believe how fast time fly by O_o) Korea's position is slightly worse than Japan, since 2 of their members already eliminated, while Japan and China both still have 4 members.

However, today Park Sohyun managed to won the game from Aoki Kikuyo and made Korea tied with Japan.


Park Sohyun

Park played the game as white while Aoki Kikuyo played as black. The game opened with Aoki took 3 corners, while Park took the initiative by sacrificing the last empty corner. Up to move 33, the game is usual. White move at 34 is rather rare, since usually white will attach from Q5 to make a ladder breaker, but Park decided to play for territory.


Board position up to move 111

After the exchange in the bottom right corner, white attacked black's weak stones in the center. Black exchanged her uper right corner for a solid position in the upper board (inside white's area). White then played a very good game and hold the initiative.

White 156 is a very big move. It's a big move and white took it first. Black later tried to catch up in the yose (black 165 is a good example of a yose tesuji), but it's not enough to chase white.

White eventually won by 6.5 points.



Tomorrow Park Sohyun will play against one member from China. Let's see who.

Tsumego (11)

Here you go. A Sunday tsumego.



Black to move and kill. Enjoy :)

Tsumego(10) : Answer

This is the answer for Tsumego(10)

The answer of this tsumego is A2. With this move, white will eventually die.



B seems possible, but black has a tesuji that will make him live.



What about A3? A3 is also possible, but it'll lead to a ko fight. It's better to play A2 for a straight kill.

Tsumego (10)

Black to move and kill. Have fun :)

Tsumego (9) : Answer

Here is the answer for Tsumego (9)

A2 is the correct answer in this situation. White can capture it, but it'll be a snapback



Playing 1 at the following diagram is acceptable, but black will survive..

Tsumego(9)

Black to move and live. Enjoy :)

Tsumego(8) : Answer

This is the answer for Tsumego 8

Sequence is important here. White must start with 1. The variation is forced up to move 6. White 7 is the escaping tesuji.


Otherwise, he'll be doomed



Or..



What if black connect at H9 at move 8? White will escape of course.

Tsumego(7) : Answer

This is the answer for Tsumego 7


The answer is obviously T18.


Black must not try to save the 2 stones, or he'll be doomed...

Tsumego(8)

White to escape. Don't care about the outcome. Just escape.



Recently I'm very busy with final exams and projects and can't update the blog :(
Once Christmas comes, I'll be free and will try to post more. :)