#205: The Intrepid vs. topazg: The Pistols

The Intrepid · #1

The Background

This duel was supposed to commence months ago. I issued the challenge to topazg around the same time I challenged EdLee to a game. However, topazg turned out to be a modern-day Pushkin--his list of pending duels so long and so pressing, I had to take a number and wait in a queue!

What is topazg’s offense such that it would cause me to demand a duel? Simple. I was playing a game against uranther (game #177). There was a violent fight raging on the board. A big chunk of uranther’s stones was under severe attack (and the group did die in the end). However, the game was quiet as far as observer-commenting was concerned. Then, all of a sudden, topazg made a post (#47). Immediately thereafter, the post got “liked”--twice!--and a flurry of other comments commenced.

I was irked and befuddled by this. Did I make a mistake? Did I miss something? If you read Ellison’s Invisible Man, you might recall a scene where the main character is told to make white paint but not told how to make it. Not knowing how to complete a task, yet being expected to do it, greatly infuriated the character. topazg’s post created a similar situation. Although I could not read the comment and, thus, did not know what it said, I still felt like my honor had been slighted.

That said, the fact remained that I did not know what the post said. For all I knew, the post might have been entirely polite and replete with helpful diagrams and variations regarding the position. After all, the post did get “liked”--twice! As such, when I issued the challenge, I thought I would justify it by saying that “the insult might be imaginary in reality, but it sure is real in imagination!”

Then, I read the comment.

“The very idea of allowing :b2:

here makes me so upset as White that I’d never give it a second thought .. in fact, it seems so clearly bad straight away that I would never spend the time to think through any further continuations” (emphasis added). Seriously? So, in other words, I was an idiot not because I played a bad move, not because I missed a good move, but because I thought about a move other than the obvious one! Go Seigen would disapprove. I mean, holy excrement! As far as reasons for demanding a duel go, this reason is, like, legit! So, yeah, bring it! :rambo:

Also, I would be remiss not to quote what skydyr said about his latest game against topazg (game #186, post #2, emphasis added):

skydyr wrote:

I should emphasize that this is a grudge match.

Clearly, this proves that topazg is known for having grudges with people left and right. This makes me morally justified to demand bloodshed.

Given the bloodlust, there is only one set of weapons available to choose from: the pistols! All the fancy-shmancy concepts like footwork and finesse that come with a sword duel can take a hike. Guns' lethal efficiency is what's needed here. One bullet, one body. Simple.

It is, of course, possible to inflict a wound that is not immediately fatal, but instead causes a slow and agonizing death from sepsis. It is also possible for the gun to misfire, severing a few of the shooter's fingers. Yet, more often than not, one round of shooting is all it takes ... and if doesn't, keep firing till the deed is done. Such is the plan.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Bc $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Rules for the game: I'll be playing White, taking 6.5 points of komi; Japanese ruleset with free access to books and game databases.

EdLee · #2

topazg · #3

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Bcm1 $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

The Intrepid · #4

The Intrepid · #5

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Wcm2 $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

topazg · #6

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Bcm1 $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . 2 . . 3 . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

The Intrepid · #7

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Wcm4 $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . 1 . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . O . . X . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Edit:

EdLee · #8

GnuGo.

The Intrepid · #9

EdLee wrote:

GnuGo.

I know, right?

GnuGo vs. GnuGo!

Bill Spight · **#10**

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Wcm4 $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . O . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . O . . X . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . 2 . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Obvious continuation. :mrgreen:

Edit: Unhidden.

Edit: Black played at "a". Close, but no cigar! Obviously it is too early to play on the third line.

The Intrepid · **#11**

I just edited the first post to include the game's background. Other matters (such as my strategy for the game, comments regarding moves already played, and so on) are still to come.

Kirby · **#12**

Pretty busy at work, and felt a little stressed.
Decided to check out the action on L19.
Saw this game.
It made my day.

That's it.

skydyr · **#13**

@Bill Spight and observers

The Intrepid · **#14**

Historical Precursors

Late last summer, or thereabout, I was watching Uberdude’s game versus breakfast (Dinershteyn) on OGS (which currently is at the stage of an intense endgame [http://www.online-go.com/games/board.php?boardID=348067]). From there, I decided to check Uberdude’s other active games. That led me to this game:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Bcm1 manhammer vs. Uberdude (b) $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . 3 . . . . . , . . . 7 . 1 . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . 2 . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 . . . | $$ | . . . . 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . 5 . . . . . . . . . 8 . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

In the indicated position, White (manhammer) lost on time! If somebody had told me: "Look! Uberdude’s getting trolled ... hard!" I’d have no reason to doubt that. In fact, with manhammer losing after only nine moves, the trolling theory would be all but verified.

However, the position looked very interesting to me--even if only because I had no idea what White was trying to do or what White could think to play next. My understanding of such fusekis was rather nonexistent back then. That’s how the idea for this Malkovich game came about--I wanted an opportunity to learn about such unusual play styles.

Of course, my understanding of such positions has improved since. In the Strategy section (still to come), I'll explain what it is I’m aiming for.

Uberdude · **#15**

@The Intrepid

The Intrepid · **#16**

@Uberdude

The Intrepid · **#17**

Strategy

Here are links to short videos where Dinershteyn explains, first, the wrong way of using a center stone and, then, a better approach to doing so.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... 23ajhg0Bo#!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... FImtHxZrEw
Additional videos of his (on other subjects) can be found here: http://breakfast.go4go.net/?Free_Go_lectures_on_video

In the second link, Dinershteyn shows a game between Li Fan and Gan Siyang (b). The game begins as follows:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Bcm1 $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . 4 . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . 2 . 5 . . . , . 3 . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

The critical position in the game is reached on move 21:

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Bcm21 $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . B . . . . . . . | $$ | . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . O . X . . . . . . . . . O . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . | $$ | . . . O . X . . . , . X . . X , O . . | $$ | . . O X X . . . . . . . . . . X X O . | $$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

In this position, White is leading on points but his stones are in a state of "every corner for itself." Black stones, on the other hand, are much more of a cohesive force. Thus, rather than play passively, which would enable White to connect his groups, Black invades at :b21:

to break up White's position on the left. This triggered a running fight. The marked Black stone in the center made the running battle appealing for Black.

My intent for this game, before topazg played his moves, was to follow Gan Siyang's strategy:
1). develop quickly;
2). choose outside influence over territory;
3). invade before the opponent has a chance to connect his corner groups;
4). trigger a fight where the stone in the center can come into play.

However, topazg decided to contest my claim to the center which calls for an adjustment to my strategy. I am so far unsure what specific adjustments I will make, but, most likely, I will seek to gain additional strength in the center before proceeding to precipitate a running battle.

Uberdude · **#18**

@The Intrepid,

topazg · **#19**

Click Here To Show Diagram Code: [go]$$Bcm1 $$ --------------------------------------- $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . 4 . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . 2 . . 3 . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . . , . . . | $$ | . . . . 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | $$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

My "story" response:

For those more interested in the Go:

The Intrepid · **#20**

Is the "story" response for everyone or just for the observers?

#205: The Intrepid vs. topazg: The Pistols

Who is online