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Episode #16 Honinbo Shusaku
Hi guys! And hopefully also girls..
Today and next week we will discuss two different games by Honinbo Shusaku.
If you do not know who Shusaku was, there is a great book called [Invincible], with many of his famous game records and good background information.
Shusaku was famous for his Castle Games, in which he was practically [invincible] when he played black.
We would like to show two games that reflect the simplicity but at the same time also the immense depth of the game of go.
Please appreciate the seemingly simple moves and pay attention to the shapes.
Shusaku plays this pincer a lot. It seems to be one of his favourites.
This starts the [taisha joseki] right?
Actually, taisha joseki is possible, but it's a bit more rare.
Ah I see, in the game white plays [here], but if he plays like [this] the taisha joseki would be played.
Yes, that's true. This is more rare amongst professionals, but it has a lot of interesting sequences and they're very difficult.
It's very complicated.
Yes.
I know a very nice sequence here, which I often play.
It is..if we play the taisha joseki, then there is a way to prevent all the difficult variations and that is to play this weird move.
Oh, that looks like an empty triangle.
Yea, it looks very funny, but it's actually a very practical move. Because now [A] and [B] are miai for black.
So if white plays at [A] black can escape at [B].
It's a very nice move and it keeps it simple.
Ok.
But anyway, white didn't play the [taisha].
Isn't it common sense to play in the empty corners first?
Yes, if I were white I would take the empty corner aswell.
In the lower left side?
On the lower left side. Because also the black stone on the left side is a bit lonely.
So it would be nice to attack that stone.
Right, so what Sakaguchi plays here is quite unusual.
Yes, I think he was concerned about black's top getting too big.
Ok, I see, I would also play in the lower left.
So now Shusaku gets the chance to play here.
Ah and Sakaguchi plays this extension. Is this an urgent move?
Yes. It is common sense to play urgent moves before big moves.
I think the lower left side is bigger. For example if white plays like this.
Right.
But probably black will play something like this.
Ok, this is sente.
Yes. And now he can make a pincer like this. So this is a very big move. It does not only take territory but it also attacks white's stone.
Ok, so white's stone is weak now and black's group at the top has become stronger.
Exactly. Ok.
So that's why this is a very urgent move.
Ok. So there is a lot of aji left at A still?
Yes, that's right. This also gives the possibility for white to invade later.
Cool.
Black plays tenuki now. Isn't the top black group in danger?
I think white does not really have any good moves available right now.
Ok, let's have a look. This is probably the best white can do, right?
Yes. I think black can easily connect his stones.
So maybe first push.
Yes, and now white gets very heavy.
Yea, it looks like he is seperating black. But black can connect, right?
Yes. Black can still connect on the second line.
And white's stones didn't really achieve much right now.
No, I think white just got heavy.
So let's see what white did instead.
Ah, white took a very big corner aswell.
But this is a bit strange to me. This is a symmetrical position and both shimaris of black and white are facing towards the centre. They're facing eachother.
So wouldn't black really want to play in the middle now?
Yes. That's also what he did. In the game he played like this.
And this is a very nice move. Black is one step ahead of white. His stones at the bottom work together very well.
I see, so wasn't this already the plan when he played [A]?
Yes, I think this was the plan when he played at [A].
Cool. So he is looking into the future.
Yea, he's a master player!
White takes some territory, but black keeps building his lower left side.
Black is becoming very big on the left and this is a crucial moment.
Maybe we should ask the audience where they would play.
Good idea.
I think we have maybe 3 options.
White can play like [this]. Or he can maybe play around [here]. Or he can play a [shoulder hit].
So which one would you play, guys? What looks most appealing to you?
I think if white plays on the right side..there's a saying that you should only build your own territory or moyo, if your own moyo is [bigger than your opponent's moyo].
And I think in this case..if black just continues building his own moyo, then black's moyo is bigger than white's moyo.
Ah, so white is basically one step behind again.
Yes.
Ok. So he shouldn't play [Q10] maybe?
No. I think this is the right moment for white to reduce black's framework.
I see. So the shoulder hit is correct?
Yes. This is a very nice move to acchieve that.
Very nice reducing move.
So white jumps here, which is a very common reducing technique.
Nowadays you see black wedging immediately.
Like this?
Yea. However, in this situation I think it's not so good for black. It looks more promising for white.
Because white makes this very nice shape move and he's very light.
I see. And black still needs to connect his stone on the left side.
Yes, his left side still needs to be connected and is also very low.
And on top of that, with [A], when white gets stones around [A], the [B] area also becomes a bit problematic and white will have more aji there.
So there is still a possibility that white invades the lower side?
Yes. Maybe not immediately, but I think that as white gets more and more stones in the [A] area, the [B] area will become weaker.
I see. So let's see how white responded instead.
Or..how black played instead.
Yes. Black did not wedge. But he jumped!
And I think this is a very beautiful move. It's really one to remember.
Yes, why is that?
Well, it does a lot of things at the same time. You can see that the white group in the upper left corner is becoming a little bit weaker because black gets this jump.
Ofcourse white's group is more or less alive but with this jump black can connect his upper group to the jumping move, which you will see later in the game.
And the jump also attacks the 2 white stones that are standing in black's moyo.
I see. So it's doing a lot of things actually. Also the top black group gets stronger because of this jump.
Exactly.
So white escapes here.
Yes, I think it's quite necessary, right? Because if white would not answer in this area he would be severely pressured.
Right.
So now you can see the move I was talking about. Black links up all of his stones.
And he seals white in, into the corner.
Yes, that's right.
Wow. This is quite a nice move isn't it?
Yes, this is a very nice timing move.
It's a forcing move, it's sente, so white has to respond.
And it introduces a lack of liberties. So later you will see that white has some problems in this shape.
So white answers and black continues sealing white in.
Yes, that's right.
And why does white suddenly play here?
Yea, this is exactly what I think we mentioned in the beginning of the episode.
It looks like a very [normal] and [simple] move right? But it does a lot of things at the same time.
So first of all it destroys the possible territory of black on the left side.
Because white seperates the two groups, so the left lower group of black and the group at the top.
And he also makes eyeshape for himself, it's a good move for eyeshape.
And most important of all..
It looks like there's a cut right?
Yes, exactly, I think it's a really sneaky move this one.
So if black plays somewhere else, let's say black plays here..
..then there is still this [cut] left in black's position.
Yes.
So if black links up then white can cut like this.
Yes, I was also looking at this. Well, this would ofcourse be a terrible result for black.
So this move actually has a lot of meanings.
Yes. It looks very simple but it's really deep so to speak.
Ok, so here there are a couple of normal shape moves I think.
This black move looks very nice.
Yea, I think so too.
I think it makes a lot of territory at the lower side.
But it also looks like there is a shape point in white's shape.
If let's say, white plays tenuki, then this looks like a very nice shape point.
Yea, this looks very bad for white.
So I think white needs to protect this point.
He played this in the game?
Yes, this is the game.
Ok, I see. So wouldn't it be natural for black to play hane immediately and to take the [tiger's mouth?]
Like this you mean? Yes.
I think this forces white into a good shape. He can play a forcing move here.
And then white gets very nice shape.
I see.
So basically it looks like black will give himself nice shape, but he gives his opponent very good shape.
Yes.
So instead black actually was worried about the cut we talked about.
Ok, yes.
And black played this move.
Does this protect the cut?
Yes. So if white tries to cut right now, then we can see that he has a lack of liberties.
Ok, yes, what we were talking about before.
So now black has this move.
Ah, this is sente.
Yes, so white needs to protect here. And now black can capture this stone.
Eventhough white has a cut here, black still has more liberties than white.
Ok, so white is captured. Nice.
Yes.
So this jump protects against the cut, and it also puts some pressure on white's group.
So white makes this jump. Not only to protect his weak group, but he's also looking forward to invade, for example at [A] later.
I see.
Now black gets the chance to play the last [urgent move] on the board.
Here we will stop the commentary.
If you like this format of today's episode, please let us know.
And thanks for watching and..see you next time!