1 Q16 The board is empty, so the first priority is a corner enclosure that claims territory while leaving flexible extensions toward the sides and center. Q16 is a standard star-point opening: it is high enough to influence the right side and top, and it does not commit to a low territorial stance before White’s reply is known. A 3-4 point such as Q17 would emphasize the corner more immediately, but the star point keeps more options for a later approach or enclosure depending on where White plays. 2 D4 Q16 is a 4-4 corner stone, and D4 takes the opposite corner to establish independent territory potential rather than immediately approaching Black’s secure position. If Black develops along the lower side next, I can still choose a suitable approach or corner on the right; an immediate Q-side approach is less valuable than securing this open corner. 3 D16 The board is quiet after Q16 and D4, so the largest moves are the empty corners rather than an immediate approach. D16 claims the upper-left star point, balancing the board and leaving White’s D4 stone alone for now. Q4 is a comparable alternative, but D16 keeps both sides open and does not commit the right side early. 4 Q4 Black’s D16 is a high corner stone, but it does not create an urgent tactical threat; White’s D4 is independently placed in the lower-left corner. I’ll take the upper-right corner at Q4, establishing a corner base rather than approaching D16 immediately; if Black takes another corner, both sides continue to develop without a weak group needing rescue. 5 R6 Black has the upper star points while White holds both lower ones, so the urgent big points are approaches rather than a small enclosure of Q16. R6 is a standard knight approach to Q4, reducing that corner and keeping the option to treat D4 the same way later. If White answers locally with R3 or Q6, Black can extend or tenuki toward C6; enclosing at R14 would only thicken an already occupied upper side and leave both of White’s corners untouched. 6 F16 F16 approaches Black’s D16 corner stone from the open side and develops White’s upper-left presence while keeping the opening balanced. Black may extend along the top with a reply such as F17, after which White can settle along the side; answering R6 immediately is less urgent, since it is still separated from Q4 and does not yet threaten a capture. 7 C17 White’s F16 presses close to the D16 star, so the corner should be settled before looking elsewhere. C17 takes that corner and works with D16: the cutting points C16 and D17 are both bad for White, so the two stones effectively hold the corner. A pincer such as H17 leaves C17 open for White and starts a fight while the base is still unsettled; after C17, White’s natural extension from F16 can be met by tenuki toward the unfinished bottom. 8 E16 White F16 is close to Black D16, and E16 connects it while taking a liberty from the nearby black stone, so it develops the upper-left fight without leaving the white stone isolated. Black may answer at C16 to support the stones around C17 and D16; E16 still keeps White’s stones connected. A distant corner move would be less urgent while this contact position is taking shape. 9 C6 C17 already holds the upper-left corner, and D16 is not in immediate danger: White has no forcing cut, since a wedge at C16 or D17 would have only two liberties. Playing C6 therefore takes the largest open point, a knight approach to White’s unapproached star at D4, and creates a real corner threat. If White punishes the tenuki with D15, Black can still connect D16 to C17; if White answers C6, the upper left remains stable enough to leave for now. This is better than a slow reinforcing move such as D17, which secures nothing urgent and hands White the choice of the next big point. 10 G16 G16 extends the E16–F16 group into the open top side while giving it more room and making it harder for Black to attack profitably. If Black plays E17, the white stones still have open liberties and can extend or connect as needed; I prefer this useful strengthening move to spending a turn defending a group that is not yet in immediate danger. 11 Q10 White's E16–G16 wall is thick but overconcentrated, and C17/D16 are not in immediate danger—the contact points C16 and D17 are unattractive for White—so a local answer is not urgent. Q10 takes the open right side, linking the Q16 and R6 stones away from that wall. A left-side move such as D10 is also large, but it sits closer to White's strength, so the right-side claim is preferable. 12 P10 White’s E16–G16 chain has several liberties and can be extended later, so I prefer addressing Black’s new Q10 stone while it is still developing a right-side framework. P10 is a close approach that limits that framework; if Black answers at P11, White can extend toward the center, whereas extending at H16 would leave Black’s right-side shape untouched. 13 Q11 White’s attachment at P10 leaves Q10 thin, and the capping point Q11 is the urgent local point: playing there extends Q10 upward toward Q16 and denies White an easy cap. If White hanes at P11, Black can solidify with R10, keeping the right-side stones connected while White’s pair stays on the outside. This is better than a purely defensive R10, which lets White take Q11, or than tenuki to connect C16, since the fresh contact has a concrete cost if ignored. 14 P11 White P10 has three liberties, and P11 extends it while keeping an escape route if Black presses from Q12 or R10. A distant corner approach would be larger in isolation, but risks letting Black tighten around P10 and limit its connection to the center; P11 is a useful stabilizing move without needing to capture anything. 15 Q12 Black’s Q10–Q11 pair is pressed by White’s P10–P11 and should not be left for White to cap at Q12. Q12 solidly extends the group upward, keeps a route toward the Q16 stone, and denies that capping point. If White answers at R10, Black can still settle the edge with R11 or Q9; a tenuki would let White seal the pair against the side and build thickness. 16 P12 P12 extends the White pair while leaning on Black’s Q12 stone, which has only three liberties before the move. If Black answers at Q13 to connect and reinforce, White can still develop along the side; ignoring the local contact for a corner approach would leave Black more room to build out from Q12. 17 Q13 White’s P12 extends the contact against Q10–Q12, so the three-stone group should not be left for White to cap at Q13 and cut it off from Q16. Q13 solidly lengthens that group, adds liberties, and starts the shorter connection toward Q16. A hane at P13 is worse: White simply extends to P14 and clamps the hane stone. The left-side stones at C17 and D16 are thin against E16–G16, but they are not in immediate danger, so the contact fight comes first. 18 P13 Play P13 to extend the White line alongside Black’s Q10–Q13 stones while staying connected to the O10–O12 group. If Black extends to Q14, White can answer P14 and keep a safe route upward; playing elsewhere would leave Black more room to build on the upper side. 19 Q14 The right-side contact fight is the urgent issue: White’s P10–P13 wall has the outside, while Q10–Q13 still needs a direction before White takes Q14 and seals the group away from Q16. Q14 extends the black chain, occupies the cutting point, and keeps a one-point link toward Q16. If White answers at Q15, Black can continue with R14 or a base on the edge; ignoring the fight for a quiet corner would let White press this group for free. 20 H16 White’s P10–P13 group has ample liberties, so P14 is not urgent; I prefer H16 to extend the upper-left stones and develop influence while Black’s C17–D16 group is still unsettled. Black may press from H17 or D15, but H16 gives White room to respond without being forced into a small local exchange on the right. 21 Q15 Q15 connects the isolated Q16 stone to the Q10–Q14 wall and extends that wall before White can separate it with a move around P14. If White answers with P14, the side group stays connected and Black can later close the right or tenuki to a bottom corner. Reinforcing C17–D16 is less urgent, since those stones are not under an immediate capturing threat. 22 J16 J16 extends the upper-side white group into open space and keeps it connected without running into the black stones at C17–D16. The local P14 extension is available, but the P10–P13 chain has several liberties and is not in immediate danger, so developing the open side is more valuable now. 23 S17 Black’s Q10–Q16 wall already faces the right edge, but the top-right corner around the Q16 star is still open. S17 is the knight enclosure: it claims that corner while also tightening the upper side of the wall. If White invades at R17, Black can answer around R16 with the wall in support; a purely defensive connection at D17 is smaller while the top-left stones are not in immediate danger. 24 P14 White’s P10–P13 chain is pressed against Black’s Q-file stones, so P14 extends it and preserves liberties while keeping the local group connected. Black may answer at P15 to continue the pressure, but White can then use the open space toward P16; this is more urgent than taking a corner point while the adjacent groups are still developing. 25 D17 White's P14 does not threaten the strong Q10–Q15 chain, while Q16 and P15 are both self-atari, so a local reply there is pointless. The real weakness is C17 and D16, split beside White's E16–J16 wall; White can wedge at D17 or C16. D17 connects those two stones toward the corner and away from that thickness, and if White presses at E17 the group still has ample liberties to settle. 26 E17 E17 extends the upper-side white chain while reducing the liberties of Black’s C17–D17 group; the group still has room to live, so this is pressure rather than a claim of capture. If Black answers at D18, White can continue developing along the top with F17; I prefer this useful extension to tenuki because it strengthens the nearby chain and keeps Black constrained. 27 H10 White's E16-J16 wall is the largest framework on the board, while the C17-D17-D16 group still has several liberties and a path toward the corner, so E17 does not require an immediate local answer. H10 lightly reduces that upper moyo; if White seals with H13 or G12, Black can extend to F10 or drop to H8 and keep the stone light in the open center. Extending the already strong right-side wall or settling the top-left corner would be smaller than checking this framework now. 28 K4 H10 is an isolated Black stone with ample liberties, so answering it directly is not urgent; the White chain on the upper side also has room to extend. K4 develops the open lower side between White’s D4 and Q4 stones, while a move near H10 would spend a turn contesting the center before there is a concrete tactical target. 29 J5 White’s D4–K4–P4 framework is the largest open area, while the upper-left group still has room to live later and the right-side stones are not in immediate danger. J5 is a shoulder hit on K4 that reduces the wider D4–K4 gap without diving in. If White blocks at K5, Black can continue with H5; a floating reduction such as H5 immediately is thinner and easier to attack. 30 K5 White K5 connects directly to K4 while putting pressure on Black J5, whose liberties are J4, J6, and H5 after this move. Black can extend at J4 or J6, but White can then continue from a stronger connected position; I prefer this to playing elsewhere because it both reinforces K4 and addresses Black’s nearby approach. 31 J6 J5 has just been contacted by K5 and should be extended before White can seal it in. J6 strengthens that stone upward, keeps pressure on the K4–K5 pair, and stays related to H10 and the center. Capping at L6 is inferior because White can answer at J6 and split the cap from J5; a tenuki such as C3 is large, but giving White central thickness next to the upper wall is the more urgent cost. 32 P15 White P10–P14 is pressed against Black’s Q10–Q15 wall, and P15 extends the chain while putting pressure on the upper end of that wall. Black can answer at R15 to hold its outside, but White can then continue toward the open center; playing elsewhere would leave this useful boundary unsettled. 33 R16 Black’s Q10–Q16 wall faces the right side, and that area is the compensation for White’s thickness, so the open third-line point R16 should be taken before White wedges in. R16 extends the wall, removes the invasion at the head of the group, and moves toward S17; if White answers at P16 or separates with S16, Black can still connect through R17. This is more urgent than a bottom approach or a purely limiting block at P16, which does not build the side. 34 R15 R15 presses the isolated black stone at R16 and reduces its liberties without putting White’s nearby groups at risk. Black can answer by extending at R17 or S16, but that still leaves the stone under pressure; I prefer this useful forcing move to taking an open corner while the contact is available. 35 S15 White's R15 is wedged against the Q-line wall with only R14 and S15 as liberties, so ignoring it lets White settle an invasion in the right-side area. S15 ataris R15 immediately; White's strongest reply is R14, after which the stones are cramped against the wall and Black keeps the option to connect S17 later with S16. A purely defensive connection such as R17 or S16 would let White take S15 and expand comfortably, which is worse. 36 R14 White R15 is in atari: its only liberty is R14, with Q15, R16, and S15 occupied by Black. Playing R14 saves it and gives the resulting group room to extend; tenuki would allow Black to capture R15, so local defense outweighs the larger open-board moves. 37 S14 White’s R14–R15 pair has only R13 and S14 as liberties, and S15 is still loose beside them. S14 is atari, so White must play R13 or lose both stones; after that the S14–S15 pair remains safe and Black can connect later at S16. Playing R13 instead lets White answer at S14, escaping while stripping S15, and ignoring the fight lets White stabilize the cut. 38 R13 R13 is essential: the white stones at R14–R15 currently have only R13 as a liberty, so ignoring Black’s S14 would let Black capture them. Playing R13 gives that group liberties and an escape route; a distant move such as expanding elsewhere would leave the immediate capture unresolved. 39 S13 White’s R13–R15 group has only R12 and S13 as liberties, so the contact fight on the right is the urgent point. S13 is atari, links Q13 to S14, and seals the edge; if White ignores it, R12 captures the three stones, so R12 is the forced reply and White is pushed downward into the open. R12 instead would let White take S13 and leak along the side, which is worse for Black’s edge. 40 R12 White’s R13–R15 group has only one liberty, R12, so I must extend there before Black can capture it. Black may answer at S12, but White can then continue toward R11 and retain liberties; playing elsewhere, including S12, leaves the group in atari. 41 R11 White’s R12–R15 stones have only two liberties, R11 and S12, while the long Q-column group is not in danger. R11 is the correct atari: S12 is forced, then S11, T12, T11 and T14 capture the whole string. Starting at S12 instead lets White run down the open R-file, so the edge-side atari is the move that keeps the kill. 42 S12 White’s R12–R15 chain is in atari after Black R11: its only liberty is S12, so I must extend there. Black can then press from S11 or continue attacking, but S12 gives the chain new liberties and an escape route; taking a distant corner or defending elsewhere would allow the chain to be captured. 43 S11 White's R15–S12 chain is cut off from the P-column stones and has only S11 and T12 as liberties. S11 is the correct atari: if White ignores it, T12 captures the chain, and if White extends to T12, T11–T13–T14 drives the stones into the edge and the S13–S15 wall for a larger capture. T12 instead lets White run out through S11 toward S10, so S11 is the move that keeps the attack forcing. 44 T12 The white stone at S12 has only T12 as a liberty after Black’s S11, so it needs a response before Black can capture it. Playing T12 gives it liberties along the edge and keeps a route for the right-side group; tenuki would lose the stone and let Black secure the connection at S11. 45 T13 White's R12–T12 group has only two liberties, T11 and T13, while my surrounding stones are secure. T13 connects to S13 and leaves only T11; if White answers T11, T10 captures the whole group, whereas ignoring it lets White expand and escape. 46 T11 White’s group at R12–T12 needs to stay connected while the black stones at R11–T13 press from below and the right. T11 links to T12 and puts pressure on the black chain around S11; if Black answers by extending or connecting, White can use the resulting space to run along the lower side. This is more urgent than playing elsewhere or making a small local extension that leaves the group constrained. 47 S16 The S13–S15 and T13 stones have only S16, T15 and T14 as liberties and are cut off from the Q-column group by White’s R stones. S16 runs this group upward and makes R16 illegal for White, so the link to Q16 and R17 cannot be cut. Capturing the one-liberty stone at T10 is smaller and leaves this group to be squeezed. 48 R17 R17 takes away a liberty from the newly extended black group at S16–S17 and keeps pressure on the upper-right fight; the main reply is T17, after which the remaining liberties still need careful follow-up. I prefer this local reducing move to a distant opening play because the black group is unsettled and the liberty count is urgent. 49 T10 Captured 7. White's stones at R12–R15, S12, T12 and T11 form a separate group with only T10 as a liberty; the black Q-file and surrounding stones cut them off from the P-file. Playing T10 captures all seven stones and is legal because the capture opens T11. Ignoring this lets White occupy T10 and save the group, which is far larger than any other point on the board. 50 T11 The black stone at T10 is close to White’s T11–T12 stones, so T11 is a useful extension that also pressures the black chain running through S11–R11. Black’s strongest reply is likely S10 or S12 to reinforce the edge, but that is preferable to spending a move solely defending the already-connected white line at O10–O16. 51 D10 White’s T11 does not threaten the large right-side group, which stays connected through the P-file and has ample eye space, so answering locally would only chase a small stone. The left side is the largest open area, and D10 claims the star point between D16 and C6 while limiting White’s expansion from the upper wall. This is larger than a defensive extension such as C14, since the upper-left corner is not in immediate danger. 52 C10 White’s P10–P15 group has room to live, so I do not need to spend a move answering the nearby right-side fight. C10 approaches Black’s isolated D10 stone while keeping distance for a developing fight; if Black extends toward E10, White can continue to build on the left rather than attach directly and strengthen it. This is more useful globally than another move around P12, which is occupied and not urgently threatened. 53 D11 White’s C10 attachment puts D10 under immediate pressure on the large, still-open left side, so ignoring it lets White take the vital point and leave D10 heavy. D11 extends D10 upward toward the C17–D16 group, keeping one connected shape rather than creating a second weak stone. E10 would run toward the center, but that direction meets White’s existing influence and does less to secure the left; if White answers at E10, Black can continue with E11 or C9. 54 P16 White’s P15–P11 chain is pressed by the black wall to its right, so P16 is a useful extension that connects it to O16 and reduces Black’s room to attack. Black may answer at Q17 to strengthen the wall, but White can then keep the P-column connected and retain an escape route; playing locally at C11 is less urgent. 55 P17 White’s P16 is wedged against the black wall and Q17 has only two liberties, so P17 is a double atari. If White saves Q17 at Q18, Black captures P16 at O16; if White connects with O16, Black captures Q17 at Q18. Either result removes a key white stone and is more urgent than a quiet move elsewhere. 56 O16 The White stone at P16 has only one liberty, O16, so it must be rescued immediately; playing O16 connects it to the strong White column and gives the group room to breathe. Black may press at O15, but that does not capture the connected White group, whereas a tenuki would allow Black to take the last liberty at O16. 57 T12 Captured 1. T11 is White’s isolated cutting stone with only T12 as a liberty, so capturing it is urgent and profitable. T12 also joins T13 to the edge and stops White from escaping upward into Black’s right-side group. Ignoring it to play a big point such as the bottom would let White save the stone and keep the cut. 58 P9 Black T12 does not put the connected White chain at P10–P16 in immediate danger, so I prefer extending at P9 to give it more room and secure a route toward the lower side. A local move at S12 would be too thin, with black stones around it and little support; P9 is a safer multipurpose extension. 59 K12 White's O10–O16 wall and the E16–J16 chain face a huge empty center, while the right-side groups still have enough liberties and edge space to live later. P9 does not put any black group in atari, so a local answer such as Q10 is smaller than erasing that framework. K12 reduces the moyo from open space, with running room toward H10 and the bottom if White attacks it. 60 K13 Black’s K12 stone is isolated, and K13 is a direct, safe move that takes one of its liberties while developing White’s central position. Black can extend to K11 or L12, but either reply leaves it exposed to further pressure; I prefer this active approach to spending a move on the already spacious O-file group. 61 J12 K12 is Black’s foothold in White’s upper-center moyo, and K13 has just capped it. J12 extends that stone toward H10, immediately giving the group several liberties and a route left and downward. If White continues with L12 or L13, Black can still run or reinforce; ignoring the cap to open a bottom corner would let White thicken the larger area. 62 J13 J13 strengthens the White stone at K13 while leaning on Black’s J12–K12 group and reducing its liberties; Black can answer at J11 or K11, but White’s nearby stones provide support for the ensuing fight. I prefer this local, multipurpose move to a distant extension because it improves the safety of K13 while putting pressure on Black’s recent incursion. 63 C3 Black’s J12–K12 stones have several liberties under White’s upper wall, so an immediate local rescue is not urgent and would only make them heavier. The bottom-left corner is still open, and C3 takes it while linking naturally with C6 and Black’s stones up the left side. If White answers at C4 or D3, Black can still settle the corner; ignoring this point would let White claim a larger framework. 64 Q9 Q9 extends the isolated white stone at P9, giving it room to escape while supporting the O-file group; if Black answers at Q10, White can continue toward Q11 or R9 rather than being sealed in. C4 is a possible local response to C3, but Black’s stone there is not yet an urgent threat, so I prefer strengthening the larger upper-right position. 65 Q6 Q6 extends the R6 stone, attacks the isolated Q4 stone, and occupies the column between White’s Q9 wall and the bottom, so White cannot easily link them. If White answers at Q5, Black can continue with R4 or switch to the open lower left; if White ignores it, Q5 next leaves Q4 heavy. This is larger than a small chase such as R17 or a slow connection around C5. 66 Q8 Q8 extends the White stones at P9 toward the lower-side fight while keeping distance from Black’s Q6 stone; if Black approaches at Q7, White can continue to strengthen the group rather than being pinned against the black stones above. I prefer this useful extension to answering Q6 directly, since the move is not an immediate threat to a White group and the upper-right stones remain connected for now. 67 R8 White’s Q8 is an isolated invasion beside my Q6–R6 stones and the right-side group, so it should be sealed before it connects at Q9 or P8. R8 caps it directly; if White links with Q9, R7 completes the wall down to R6, while Q7 by White still leaves my stones connected and the invader cramped. Connecting at Q15 is less urgent because Q13 and Q14 also link the upper groups, and ignoring Q8 lets White thicken a real split of the right side. 68 P8 Black’s R8 presses on the Q8–Q9 stones, but they still have room to run and are not in immediate atari. P8 strengthens them while linking toward the white stones at P9 and gives more support than the more confrontational R9, which Black could answer by connecting through R10. 69 E10 E10 connects the thin D10 and E11 stones while extending toward the open center and denying White the same point to split them. If White answers around C9 or C11 to help C10, Black can continue with F10 or turn to the left side; if White instead cuts with R7, R8 can still run or be treated lightly. Connecting here is larger than R7, which only saves one expendable stone in an already crowded area. 70 F10 F10 cuts between the black stones at E10 and G10 while giving the new stone liberties to the north and south; Black’s strongest reply is to connect on one side, after which White can keep pressure on the other rather than rescue a stone that is not yet in danger. This is more urgent than a distant extension because it limits Black’s ability to consolidate the central stones. 71 G10 White's F10 contacts the thin D10–E10 stones and sits next to the isolated H10. G10 ataris F10 while linking to H10, so White must spend a move to save the stone or allow a connecting capture. A purely defensive E11 would solidify the left group but would not force a reply and would leave H10 cut off. 72 F9 F9 extends the isolated white stone at F10 and gives the pair several liberties, so Black cannot capture it with a single follow-up. Black may press with H9 or play nearby at E9, but White can then extend or connect while retaining room to escape. This is more urgent than taking an open-board point because F10 is currently squeezed between Black stones at E10 and G10. 73 F11 White’s F9 extends the cutting stone at F10, so the urgent point is F11: it caps that stone, blocks a link toward White’s upper wall, and keeps the D10–E10 and G10–H10 groups able to fight together from above. If White runs out at E9 or G9, Black can keep pressing or take a big point elsewhere; ignoring F11 lets White occupy it and harden the cut. 74 F8 F8 extends the F10–F9 group and gives it more room and liberties, addressing Black’s pressure from F11 and the stones at E10 and G10. Black could continue pressing with F12, but the extension keeps the white group connected and able to escape; playing elsewhere would leave it cramped. 75 G9 White’s F8–F10 chain is running out of the cut, and the valuable side is the open center rather than the left edge. G9, backed by G10, takes the turning point and walls White off toward the smaller left side. If White answers at E9 or F7, Black continues the chase against a dragon with no eyes; a purely connecting move such as E11 would let White choose the direction of escape. 76 G8 G8 connects the White stones at F8/F9 and puts pressure on Black’s G9–G10 group without leaving the F-stones isolated. Black can answer H9 to keep liberties, but White’s nearby stones still provide support; playing elsewhere would give Black time to extend from G9 and make the local shape harder to contain. 77 G11 White’s G8 presses G9–G10, while F11 is still cut off from both neighboring black groups. G11 joins F11 to G10–H10–G9, removes that cut, and thickens the stones under attack. If White replies at E11 or E9, the right-hand stones are already connected and Black can follow with H9 or E9; H9 alone would leave the G11 cut open. 78 H9 H9 captures the black stone at G9, whose only liberty is H9; G10 still has liberties at H10 and G9 after the capture, so this is a clean local gain rather than a claim to capture the whole group. I prefer taking this stone now to a quiet move elsewhere, since Black’s G11 extension does not remove the capture. 79 H8 White's H9 is a wedge with only H8 and J9 as liberties, and H8 would connect it to the F8-G8 group while tightening the squeeze on G9. Playing H8 blocks that connection and puts H9 in atari; if White saves with J9 the stone stays cut off, while ignoring it allows J9 to capture. Extending elsewhere, such as J10, leaves the connection and is less urgent. 80 J9 White H9 has only one liberty, J9, so extending there is urgent to prevent its immediate capture and gives the pair several liberties. Black may attack from J8 or J10, but that does not capture the group; unlike a distant move, J9 preserves the threatened stone.
Move 80 · J9 41s 2 attempts
Reasoning
White H9 has only one liberty, J9, so extending there is urgent to prevent its immediate capture and gives the pair several liberties. Black may attack from J8 or J10, but that does not capture the group; unlike a distant move, J9 preserves the threatened stone.
Rejected attempts Attempt 1: H10 was rejected because that point is already occupied.