(c) 2014 by Alexander Dinerchtein and An Younggil

New Moves

Alexander Dinerchtein and An Younggil

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Go is not a static game. New opening ideas, new joseki, new overall strategies are constantly being discovered. Alexander Dinerchtein, the 3-dan Russian pro whose game commentaries can be found on Go4Go.net, is particularly interested in trying out new ideas in go. This book is a selection of twenty-five new moves he and his friend, Korean 8 dan pro An Younggil, have studied. Not all are completely successful, but most offer unexpected advantages in common situations. Each move is examined carefully, looking at various possible variations in responses and continuations. This book will enable you to surprise your opponents.

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Preface

Some of the moves that are analyzed in this book can be considered “trick” plays. That is, they are plays that the player who uses them knows how to refute, but he thinks his opponent will not find the best response due to time constraints or simple unfamiliarity. Moreover, some of the moves examined are found to be unsatisfactory. However, many of the moves discussed in this book are seen as acceptable new or unusual but viable ways of playing in common situations on the board. Of course, new moves that your opponent is not familiar with can be a tricky challenge and in many actual games will likely lead to a less than optimum response. So one aim of this book is to enable you to confound your opponents.

One of the most attractive attributes of go is that it is not a static or completely settled set of possibilities. Discovering effective new ways of handling common situations is a source of delight for all players. In this book you can follow the examination of various innovative ideas by two professional players. In addition to uncovering new ideas, they also show many patterns that are judged less than satisfactory for one of the players involved. Examining why these developments are not good is a valuable side benefit of studying this material.

William Cobb
May 2010

About the Authors

An Younggil was born in Seoul, Korea in 1980. He became a pro in 1997 and in 1998 won a special award for winning eighteen games in a row. In 2000 his record was forty-eight wins against thirteen losses for a 79% winning percentage—this was fourth among Korean pros in terms of winning average and sixth in terms of most wins. An took third place in the 35th Throne Cup in 2001 and shared third place in the 12th Korean BC Card Cup in 2002. The following year he represented Korea in the 18th LG World Go Championship and won fourth place in the 7th Korean Fresh Best Ten. He also shared third place in the 13th Korean BC Card Cup in 2003. In 2004 he won second place in the 8th Korean Fresh Best Ten tournament after losing to Park Cheongsan 4P (now 9P). In 2007 An was promoted to 6P and in 2008 played in the semifinal of the 5th Electric Land Cup, Middle-Aged Division. In 2009 he was promoted to 8P. An currently lives in Sydney, Australia. A collection of his games can be found at http://www.go4go.net/v2/modules/collection/byplayer.php?pid=141.

Alexander Dinerchtein 3P is a well-known figure in European go circles. A Russian citizen, he earned a 3P rating in Korea, where he became friends with An. Dinerchtein has won many European tournaments, including the European Championship seven times. He has also represented Europe in numerous international professional tournaments. Dinerchtein is a highly regarded teacher with many internet students. He also maintains several internet sites devoted to go—a complete list of these follows:

Go-Related Web Sites Maintained by Alexander Dinerchtein:

go4go.net/v2: Professional games

go4go.net/v2/modules/alex/: Commented pro games

gosensations.com: Go servers news

breakfast.go4go.net: Private go lessons on KGS and DGS

sanrensei.info: Cosmic Go— is it a good choice for you?

gogame.info: Goama, free go magazine

play.baduk.org: go test—Get your rank!

style.baduk.org: go test—What is your playing style?

baduk.eu: Fan club of Lee Changho 9P

insei-league.com: Insei League on KGS

9-dan.com: World cup news

baduk.pro: Social network for go players

Foreword

I like to use unusual ideas in my games. Trying out new ideas and experimenting with them keeps your go playing strong and vibrant. Other players are experimenting and learning too and as time goes on, go theory evolves and moves in new directions.

But where is an amateur player supposed to look for new ideas and to find out what other players are experimenting with? I have studied most of the go books available in English or Korean about joseki and fuseki. They are useful, but only a little. Most of the go books in English are quite outdated. Even nowadays, people study 38 Basic Joseki or Ishida’s Dictionary of Basic Joseki—books written almost forty years ago! Go theory is changing quickly and I think you should avoid sources that far behind the times.

I’ve looked at go books by Abe Yoshiteru 9P about joseki innovations. They are fascinating, but so long and elaborate! You can read and study such patterns, but when would you ever be able to use them in your games?

I’ve seen a lot of complicated material in Korean, too, things like 100-page-long explanations of modern avalanche joseki variations. These patterns are so complicated that even 6-dan and 7-dan players prefer to avoid them. You can memorize these variations if you want, but you will forget them all pretty soon if you can’t practice them.

In our Hamete (tricky moves) shop at www.hamete.net, you’ll find patterns you can frequently use in your games. Most of our patterns are new and unusual and you cannot find them in other sources. My idea with this project was not to make money. Rather, I did it for myself, to study new patterns together with other high level experts.

As I discover new moves, I will add them to the site along with the games in which I used them, so you will be able to see not just the patterns, but also how they work in practice. If I can crush a 5-dan in just 100 moves, you should be able to crush your 5-kyu club mate even faster! Can some patterns really be so effective? Here you can review some of my real games, played in tournaments, and see for yourself (http://hamete.net/index/hph/about).

Alexander Dinerchtein
March 2010

Copyright Page

(c) 2010 Alexander Dinerchtein and An Younggil

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited.

Slate & Shell
1425 Westshire Lane
Richmond, VA 23238
www.slateandshell.com

Edited by William Cobb

Cover design by Laurie M. Crammond

Conversion to SmartGo Books by William Cobb

ISBN of print edition:
1–932001–54–9

Table of Contents

New Moves

Intro

About the Authors

Copyright Page

Foreword

Move #1 Wang Yang’s New Attachment

The chapters in gray are included only in the full book.

Move #2 3–3 Point Invasion

Move #3 A New Pincer of an Approach Move

Move #4 A Second Line Diagonal Move

Move #5 A New Pincer in the Low Kobayashi Fuseki

Move #6 The Low Sanrensei Fuseki

Move #7 An Innovation in the Chinese Fuseki

Move #8 My Favorite Trick Play

Move #9 A Questionable Extension in a 3–4 Joseki

Move #10 Komoku-Based Low Chinese Fuseki

Move #11 Attaching to a 4–4 Point Stone Instead of a 3–3 Point Invasion

Move #12 A New Jump in the Fuseki

Move #13 Using a Tricky Move in a Game

Move #14 Replacing an Old Joseki

Move #15 A Joseki Variation No Longer Played

Move #16 A New Move for Fighters in a 4–4 Joseki

Move #17 A Comparison of Two Pincers in a 3–4 Joseki

Move #18 A New Move in a Common 4–4 Joseki

Move #19 A New Joseki Move in Another 4–4 Joseki

Move #20 Another New Joseki Move

Move #21 A Second Line Surprise

Move #22 A Rare Contact Play in a 3–4 Joseki

Move #23 A Dubious Variation in the High Chinese Fuseki

Move #24 A New Move in the Kobayashi Fuseki

Move #25 My Favorite Trick Play in a Pro Game!

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About SmartGo Books

Move #1
Wang Yang’s New Attachment

Attaching to a 4–4 stone after an approach move is pincered.

Game Moves 1–9

＞＜ ▶︎

Alex: Today let’s study a new move that was invented by Wang Yang 5P of China, namely, this attachment with Black 9. I don’t find any examples of this move in my database. Have you seen it before?

An: I think I have seen it, but I don’t remember anything about it.

Alex: Do you know Wang Yang? His go style is very impressive and his games are always full of fighting. I enjoy watching them.

An: We’ve known each other since 1999. He visited Korea several times as a member of a Chinese youth team. At the time he was the only member of the team who spoke English, so I talked with him a lot. However, there was no opportunity to play against him.

Diagram 1

＞＜ ▶︎

Alex: White has several options in responding to Black 9. In the case of this hane with White 1, Black gets a very good shape after Black 2.

An: Right, but White can avoid this result.

Diagram 2

＞＜ ▶︎

An: Playing White 3 this way, instead of at Black 4, is the only move in this case. I feel that White is slightly favorable in this result. The –White 1 exchange makes White’s position very thick.

Alex: But all White’s stones are on the same side. I don’t agree that Black is behind here.

An: Hmm, maybe you are right.

Diagram 3

＞＜ ▶︎

An: If Black plays 8 in the previous diagram at Black 1 here, the result is quite reasonable for Black, but still slightly better for White because of the – exchange.

Alex: White has two big corners; I also think that White is leading a bit.

Diagram 4

＞＜ ▶︎

An: What do you think of the variation where Black responds this way to White’s hane at 1 after Black attaches with (Black 9) in the game? It looks quite okay for White to me.

Alex: The fight looks promising for White and White has a very stable shape in the corner. I prefer White, for sure. I think White’s next move should be to the right of White 3.

Diagram 5

＞＜ ▶︎

An: This option of descending at White 1 after Black’s attachment with in the game is also good. This variation seems playable for both.

Alex: Black has no base yet so I like White’s position.

Diagram 6

＞＜ ▶︎

An: When Black hanes with 2, this fight looks good for White.

Alex: It looks complicated, but White’s corner is quite strong because White has a cut at A in reserve.

Diagram 7

＞＜ ▶︎

Alex: How about this jump with Black 2 after the descent of White 1? The shape looks good.

An: Yes, the initial feeling is good, but Black’s inside group is a big weakness here. This fight is good for White.

Alex: Yes, I agree.

Diagram 8

＞＜ ▶︎

An: Black could play 10 in Diagram 7 this way, but White’s position is active.

Alex: Yes, White has better shape.

An: We can conclude that White’s response to Black’s attachment at (Black 9 in the game) with this descent with White 1 as in Diagram 5 is very good. It looks slack, but actually it’s powerful because White avoids giving Black any sente moves and forces Black to fix Black’s shape without any help from White.

Alex: Yes, this plan is probably the best answer for White.

Game Moves 10–13

＞＜ ▶︎

Alex: Nevertheless, playing White 10 this way in the game seems natural because it keeps Black’s stones separated. Is it the best way or are the other two ways better?

An: This extension does look natural.

Alex: After the hane of Black 13, White has several options. I tried this move myself during the 2008 European Go Championship. My opponent was Park Jongwook, a former Korean insei of the first class. He played White 14 at A. Is it a good response to Black 13?

An: It looks submissive. I don’t think this move is good.

Diagram 9

＞＜ ▶︎

Alex: The overall position in my game was a bit different, but how about this result? Is it successful for Black?

An: Yes, Black’s position is lively.

Alex: Yes, I was also satisfied during my game.

Diagram 10

＞＜ ▶︎

Alex: White can play 14 at White 1, creating a wall. However the – exchange makes it ineffective.

An: This is not a clever choice for White.

Diagram 11

＞＜ ▶︎

Alex: Can we say that this result is favorable for Black?

An: Yes, we can. White’s wall is useless now.

Diagram 12

＞＜ ▶︎

Alex: Black is fine, even if White plays White 22 in this sequence this way. Am I right?

An: Yes, I agree with you. Even now White’s wall is not very effective.

Diagram 13

＞＜ ▶︎

Alex: What about playing White 14 in the game this way? Is it okay for White to capture ?

An: I don’t think this is good for White.

Diagram 14

＞＜ ▶︎

Alex: What do you think of this continuation? Is the result equal?

An: It’s good for Black. White’s left side stones are low and Black has powerful influence over the center. (Black’s atari with 12 is unnecessary but is included here for clarification.)

Game Moves 9–21

＞＜ ▶︎

Alex: This is the sequence from Wang Yang’s game, which he won in the end. What can we say about this position and what is your conclusion about Black’s attachment at 9?

An: I think this result is successful for Black. Black’s shape on the bottom is nice and wide. The attachment is more interesting than I thought and worth considering. White’s response with this 10 doesn’t seem good enough. Playing White 10 at Black 11 or 15 seems to be better.