:: Igo Hatsuyôron 120 (2021)

Variations of Our Solution (Ib)

KataGo's 2021 Solution

VAR (.3) (.3)

: ( 58bb)
White gives atari at Black's nakade from below.

: (A 58bd)
Black gives atari at White's two stones in the lower left as early as possible.

In another selfplay game, KataGo did without and defended in the left centre immediately.

:
White captures the nakade.

: (108 58bi)
White continues at the left edge.

In another selfplay game, KataGo connected immediately at .

:
This early connection - which is not mandatory at all - is the game-deciding mistake (correct continuation below provided).

White must never ever connect her two stones, as long as the position in the upper left corner is still open.
White should simply play the crosscut of just now and play this connection after Black's (correct) reply in the upper left corner.

:
Black strengthens his formation in the left centre.

:
White returns to the upper left corner, continuing with the crosscut.

:
White has already connected her two stones in the lower left, so Black chooses the outside atari.

:
KataGo likes to play this wedge as a kikashi in-between.

However, this is another move that is likely to complicate the course of the game unnecessarily (and is a genuine mistake, if played too early; 58dr), and so should be left unplayed here, as White will be unable to take any advantage of it.

:
White continues in the upper left, following a well-known path.

:
KataGo likes to insert kikashi like this in-between.

:
White plays the final atari after her earlier wedge in the left centre.

:
Finally, White saves her five stones in the upper left.

Please note that this connection creates an an approach-move liberty for her left-hand group, and so does not lose any tempo in the Main Semeai.

:
Black descends to the lower edge, defending his territory in the lower left corner.

: ( 139 58bm)
White pushes into Black's lower left corner.

This move was my second candidate for a potential White mistake in this subvariation. However, a closer inspection of the alternative continuation showed a simple mistake therein that I had made accidentally.
After its correction, the status of this move changed to "false positive".

Nevertheless, White should refrain from playing this move, as it loses one tempo in the Main Semeai unnecessarily (correct continuation provided).
It is simply superfluous, and so can be considered to be a technical mistake.

: ( 132 58bo)
KataGo seems to like playing this connection at the upper edge as a kikashi. Here, however, this move is the game-deciding mistake.

Rather, it would have been the game-deciding mistake of this selfplay game had KataGo "seen" the correct continuation for White below.

:
White ignores Black's just played move and pushed for another time into Black's lower left corner, threatening to kill the entire group at the left.

Please note that his move is absolute sente, and Black does not have the time to continue in the upper right.

:
Black must block.

:
White's next move in the corner is absolute sente again.

:
Black captures White's stone, so defending his cutting point to the left.

:
Eventually, White answers Black's erlier move at the upper edge, having gained decisively in the lower left corner in the meantime.

:
Black captures White's single stone in the right centre.

:
White pushes at the left edge. This move reduces Black's territory by one point, without losing any tempo in the Main Semeai.

: ( A 58bq ;  146 58bt)
White plays KataGo's bad-shape move in the left centre.

This move was my first candidate for a potential mistake in this subvariation. However, a closer inspection of the alternative continuations showed "hidden" mistakes therein, that I had made accidentally.
After their correction, the status of this move changed to "false positive".

: (148 58bu)
Black descends to the upper edge, solidifying the shape of his upper left corner.

Alternatively, he might play KataGo's solid connection in the left centre.

: ( 149 58bv)
White plays the central attachment in the left centre, but which is a grave mistake here.

It seems that KataGo did not "see" the correct continuation in the subvariation after White's correct move at e.g. , occupying a liberty of Black's right-hand group.

However, if White has a way to win the Capture Variation by two points (as in the subvariation here), Black must have made a mistake before (so far undiscovered by us).

:
Black destroys the potential second eye of White's centre group, intending to fight the Central Semeai.

:
White connects solidly, creating a three-point eye.

:
Black's throw-in creates a false eye for White's group.

:
White must capture.

:
Black reduces White's group to only one eye.

:
White continues with the mutual occupation of opponent's liberties in the Central Semeai.

: ( 159 58bw)
Black must not mistakenly play inside White's eye, losing one point overall, before he has connected the hanezeki's tail.

As long as White has the capture at at her hands, he has to occupy shared liberties, instead.

:
White plays the last defensive move in the upper right.

We will show the ensuing semeai in connection.

:
White continues with occupying Black' liberties.

Alternatively, she might capture the hanezeki's tail from now on.

: ( 167 58bx)
White occupies another liberty of Black's group, which is a grave mistake here. She will be unable to win the Central Semeai.

White's centre group has five liberties () left, so she has to capture the hanezeki's tail, instead.

:
Black connects the hanezeki's tail, as White's centre group has five liberties left ().

; :
The mutual occupation of opponent's liberties continues.

; :
White must close her false eyes at the top.


Ko:

:
Black gives atari at White's centre group.

:
White starts a ko fight in the right centre that she is unable to win.

:
Black has this suicidal ko-threat in the hanezeki at his hands.

:
White must capture Black's two stones at the top.

:
Black gives atari from the inside.

:
White has to recapture the ko.

:
Black plays a protective move in the upper left corner.

:
Black gives atari at Black's large group at the right.

:
Black recaptures the ko

:
White attacks in the lower left corner.

:
Black will ignore any White ko-threat and capture White's centre group.

:
White captures in the lower left corner.

:
Black secures a second eye for his left-hand group.

:
Black's group is alive. He is about 30 points ahead.

Black will win the game by a large margin.

Copyright © 2021 Thomas Redecker.

Design by Jan van Rongen, modified by Thomas Redecker.

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