(
;
SiZe[19]
EVent[1996 London Open]
PlaCe[Highbury Roundhouse, London]
HAndicap[0]
TiMe[90 min + 5 minutes/1 stone + 20 stones/5 min]
KoMi[6½]
ROund[8]
DaTe[1/1/97]
PlayerBlack[Robin Upton]
BlackRank[1 Dan]
PlayerWhite[Eric Couris]
WhiteRank[1 Dan]
REsult[W+23½]
GameComment[Both players had played 5-2 at this point, so whoever won this match was due for a prize.]
;
Black[pd]
;
White[dp]
;
Black[pp]
;
White[ec]
;
Black[pj]
;
White[nq]
;
Black[lq]
;
White[qq]
;
Black[qp]
;
White[pq]
;
Black[op]
;
White[nr]
;
Black[mo]
;
White[nc]
;
Black[kd]
;
White[qf]
;
Black[nd]
;
White[md]
;
Black[oc]
;
White[ne]
;
Black[od]
;
White[me]
;
Black[pf]
;
White[pg]
;
Black[of]
;
White[re]
Comment[Black observed that thinking did not seem to make much difference. It had been a long tournament.]
;
Black[rd]
;
White[qd]
;
Black[qc]
;
White[qe]
;
Black[rc]
;
White[qh]
;
Black[mc]
;
White[lc]
;
Black[nb]
;
White[ld]
;
Black[kc]
;
White[lb]
;
Black[ke]
;
White[mg]
;
Black[og]
;
White[oh]
;
Black[nh]
;
White[oi]
;
Black[oj]
;
White[ni]
;
Black[mh]
;
White[lg]
Comment[Black had used up 30 minutes, white 10 minutes.]
;
Black[ng]
;
White[lh]
;
Black[mi]
;
White[nj]
;
Black[qi]
;
White[nl]
;
Black[pm]
;
White[hc]
;
Black[he]
;
White[jb]
;
Black[gc]
;
White[hb]
(
;
Black[gd]
Comment[White is a shade low here, but his stones have a base, while black's are heavy and floating.]
Nodename[Unimaginative]
;
White[fb]
;
Black[lf]
;
White[mf]
;
Black[ee]
Comment[With this move I felt that I did have a playable position]
;
White[de]
;
Black[dd]
Comment[Looks unreasonable.]
;
White[ed]
(
;
Black[ce]
;
White[df]
Comment[Black had used up 50 minutes, white 16 minutes.]
;
Black[cd]
;
White[cf]
;
Black[db]
;
White[bf]
;
Black[eb]
;
White[fc]
;
Black[be]
;
White[bb]
;
Black[cb]
;
White[bc]
;
Black[ba]
;
White[ae]
;
Black[ad]
;
White[om]
;
Black[fe]
;
White[cj]
;
Black[af]
;
White[if]
;
Black[gh]
;
White[ie]
;
Black[ch]
;
White[bh]
;
Black[bg]
;
White[cg]
;
Black[dg]
;
White[ag]
;
Black[ef]
;
White[ae]
;
Black[gb]
;
White[af]
;
Black[fa]
;
White[pl]
;
Black[ql]
;
White[fq]
;
Black[jg]
;
White[ig]
Comment[Black had used up 80 minutes, white 39.]
;
Black[ji]
;
White[jf]
;
Black[rg]
;
White[rh]
;
Black[ri]
;
White[sh]
;
Black[pk]
;
White[mm]
;
Black[ll]
;
White[mj]
;
Black[lj]
;
White[lm]
;
Black[kl]
;
White[km]
;
Black[ol]
;
White[ml]
;
Black[ko]
;
White[co]
;
Black[rq]
;
White[rr]
;
Black[rp]
;
White[sr]
;
Black[jm]
;
White[jn]
;
Black[im]
;
White[kn]
;
Black[hn]
;
White[jl]
Comment[Black entered buyoyomi at this point.]
;
Black[ho]
;
White[lk]
;
Black[kk]
;
White[kj]
;
Black[jk]
;
White[li]
;
Black[jj]
;
White[fj]
;
Black[dh]
;
White[dl]
;
Black[hq]
;
White[gr]
Comment[The game record ends here.]
)
(
;
Black[df]
Mark[dd]
Comment[Giving up the marked stone for some play on the outside seems more feasible.]
Nodename[Sacrifice?]
)
)
(
;
Black[fc]
Mark[ec]
Nodename[Better?]
Comment[This move looks like an interesting idea.]
(
;
White[fb]
Comment[White does not appear to get a good result by connecting under.]
Nodename[No good.]
;
Black[gb]
;
White[ga]
;
Black[eb]
;
White[fa]
;
Black[ed]
;
White[dc]
;
Black[dd]
(
;
White[cc]
Comment[Playing at C17 is peaceful, and does guarantee points on the top for white.]
Nodename[Solid]
;
Black[cd]
;
White[bc]
Comment[Black's stones have limited white's territory at the top, and are now out of immediate danger, while Black has sente to make something of his influence, maybe by playing around D10.]
)
(
;
White[cd]
Nodename[Unwise?]
Comment[Hane is probably unwise...]
;
Black[cc]
Comment[... since Black is eager to take advantage of the E18 stone.]
;
White[db]
;
Black[cb]
;
White[ea]
;
Black[ca]
;
White[da]
;
Black[ce]
;
White[bd]
;
Black[bc]
Comment[Black's position has defects, but it is on a grander scale than before. I think that white even has a slight weakness at J19. ]
)
)
(
;
White[eb]
Comment[Looks correct; now if black separates, he gets a bad shape.]
;
Black[fe]
;
White[de]
Comment[Although White's corner appears large, it's not yet completely solid, and Black's shape looks relatively flexible to me. The option of cutting at the top may become interesting later.]
)
)
)