Coffee break game: Zhou Lanyu - Guo Bailing

[xela]

I wrote this up for the Australian Go Journal a decade ago. Now that AGJ is no longer online, I thought it was worth reposting here. No doubt there are many mistakes in my commentary, but some people might find it entertaining.



See also: Coffee Break games index.

[Applebaps]

Wow this game is pretty cool. It's interesting to see the way these ancient players look at the board, how they just squeeze into tiny spaces. It's actually not far off from the hyper-territorial era we find ourselves in now! The fighting spirit here is incredible. Even a peaceful builder like me has to admire it.

[xela]

Glad you like it! Yes, those old games were a real eye-opener for me, one of the best things about buying GoGoD.

[Bill Spight]

Wow this game is pretty cool. It's interesting to see the way these ancient players look at the board, how they just squeeze into tiny spaces. It's actually not far off from the hyper-territorial era we find ourselves in now! The fighting spirit here is incredible. Even a peaceful builder like me has to admire it.

Yes, the fighting spirit and tactical skill of the top players of yore is wonderful to behold. But their play is a far cry from that of even the most territorial pros of today. Humans have learned that squeezing into tiny spaces is typically inefficient. Still, we can learn a lot from this infighting.