:: Igo Hatsuyôron 120 (2015)

The Decisive Moment in the Historical Line

of Play (2002 - 2007)

Because White Catches up

However:
In the ensuing stages of each of the sequences, White gains point after point, both by capturing Black stones in the nakade on the left side (19 prisoners + 4 points of territory = 23 points combined), ...

... and while occupying the liberties of Black's top right group (9 points of territory, ), and ...

... also by taking points in the lower left corner (4 prisoners, // + 6 points of territory, /// = 10 points combined) - all these points are calculated, as compared with the hypothetical borders on the previous page. White has caught up by 42 points in total, and thus now wins by two points.

The formerly very low value of the oki (four points), has become the game winner. Had White not undervalued the oki, on the basis of prior calculations 100 moves earlier, she could have prevented a Black win.

It needed the more focussed view of an amateur to make this visible. A tiny local gain might be decisive globally ...

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