Event: 28th LG Cup Final Game 1
Date: 2024/1/31
Black: Byun Sang-il 9P
White: Shin Jin-seo 9P
Komi: 6 points
Total Moves: 252
Location: Seoul, Korea
Shin Jin-seo 9P and Byun Sang-il 9P are currently in first and second place on the Korean rating charts, but Shin Jin-seo’s position at the top is unbreakable, while Byun Sang-il has just overtaken Park Junghwan.
Shin Jin-seo has a huge lead in their head-to-head history with 35 wins and 7 losses, and was in the midst of a 13-game winning streak before this final.
According to the result of guessing the stones. Byun Sang-il got black, and Shin Jin-seo got white.
Both black and white choose Nirensei, after right-down corner settled. White points at White Move 28, and then black extended. White prevents black continue to extend at White Move 30. Black Move 31 is very imaginative, which white is not afraid of black’s cut.
Black gets solid spaces, and white is heavy here. But white doesn’t choose this move, instead, white opted for a more solid approach. Black peeps at Black Move 35 to prevent white extend.
After the settle of the Lower-Left corner, Black hane at Black Move 45 to acquire solid spaces in sente. Intent to compete with White for the middle game.
Black chooses to get the Upper-Right corner, then at Black Move 60 white extends also in order to attack this four black stones.
However, black tries to surround the spaces at Black Move 61 on the right side.
At White Move 74, white cuts black, it looks like to attack the spaces below. Which AI thought it isn’t a good choice, but to move at D8 in order to reinforce itself and aim at F9 to fight with black.
At White Move 76, white tries to prevent black’s expansion, and then black attaches white cautiously. Move 79 black strengthen itself. And white knight’s move, it seems black and white mutual damage.
At Black Move 83, black tries to reinforce itself. White tenuki. If black doesn’t move at O5, white will threaten black below. And if black want to stay alive, it must win the ko.
So black prefer to jump at L6, if white jump at Move 2, black just peep. And then, those four white stones are dead.
At Black Move 91, black aims at white up, for white is kind weak. But white can’t just hane to reinforce. And black could easily get all those spaces, which white can not accept it.
At Black Move 107, which is a questionable move, because it turn black to gote. White gets profits from next moves.
After Black Move 115, white could knight’s move at B3 to get this corner safe. But white choose another interesting move.
After Black Move 127, it seems that black get all the corner, white gets so much loss. But black ignore the spaces on the left side. And after Move 127, white is in sente, and black is kind of dangerous here. White Move 128 bends at E11, in order to intrude those black stones.
Black Move 133, tiger’s mouth at H18, in order to respond the dragon of Black in left side. White gets sente, reinforce itself.
Black Move 141, knight’s move in order to reinforce the dragon, but also hope to break white’s spaces. White connects, to get profits from endgame. Black jumps and white blocks. Black bumps and white blocks. Then black jumps at Move 147.
White should diagonal move at F12, it could kill this dragon of black. But black still have chance to kill white stones.
But white prefer a stable move here, white rushes to get profit.
And Black Move 161, diagonal move at S15, white tiger’s mouth. Black hane, then white points at J17. Black tries to cut white, reducing the likelihood of white contact.
Next, the black and white go through the motions of endgame. White are initiative is firmly in the hands of itself. Plus komi, white leads black 1-2 points.
After White Move 252, Black notices there’s no chance to win, resign.
nirensei: two star (point)s in a row.
gote: a move which loses the initiative, since it need not be answered by the opponent, thus giving him sente.