1001 GoGoD games for your Coffee Break #16 (28 January 2013)

[TMark]

Here’s a game that may be the first, in 1989, to feature chosei (“eternal life”) and is another of those delightful void games without a result. Chosei has appeared as a theoretical concept in problems perhaps for centuries before it started appearing in recorded games. I hope that this is a nice, gentle start to the week.

(;SZ[19]FF[3]
PW[Kono Mitsuki]
WR[1k]
PB[Kurotaki Masanori]
BR[1k]
KM[5.5]
RE[Void]
GC[No result because of {first ever?} chosei]
US[GoGoD95]
;B[pd];W[dc];B[pp];W[dq];B[do];W[co];B[dp];W[cp];B[eq];W[cn];B[pj];W[nq]
;B[kp];W[qn];B[pn];W[pm];B[qo];W[on];B[po];W[rn];B[np];W[ql];B[om];W[ol]
;B[nm];W[ph];B[ro];W[qf];B[ml];W[nk];B[mk];W[nj];B[mj];W[ni];B[dr];W[cq]
;B[fp];W[em];B[ip];W[ce];B[re];W[nc];B[rf];W[rg];B[oc];W[nd];B[ic];W[gc]
;B[lc];W[le];B[ie];W[jd];B[jc];W[di];B[gm];W[jq];B[kq];W[gl];B[hl];W[gk]
;B[fm];W[el];B[hk];W[hj];B[ij];W[ii];B[jj];W[id];B[kd];W[je];B[ke];W[jf]
;B[hc];W[hd];B[gb];W[fc];B[fb];W[eb];B[kf];W[pe];B[qg];W[qh];B[hi];W[gj]
;B[ih];W[nb];B[qe];W[pf];B[qb];W[gi];B[ji];W[hg];B[sg];W[rh];B[sn];W[sm]
;B[so];W[rl];B[cr];W[ob];B[dn];W[dm];B[en];W[pb];B[qc];W[br];B[bs];W[bq]
;B[fl];W[fk];B[ig];W[if];B[ek];W[ej];B[gh];W[hh];B[fh];W[dk];B[hf];W[ii]
;B[ed];W[fd];B[hi];W[qa];B[ra];W[ii];B[od];W[oe];B[hi];W[rb];B[pa];W[ii]
;B[ne];W[me];B[hi];W[rc];B[gg];W[rd];B[qd];W[sb];B[sd];W[sf];B[sc];W[se]
;B[sd];W[sf];B[sc]
)

Best wishes.

[macelee]

Nice one. This is exactly the eternal life pattern on textbooks.

Another example with rather unusual shape is at:

http://www.go4go.net/go/games/sgfview/21834

[Dusk Eagle]

Was this game played while both players were insei, hence the 1k rank?

[TMark]

Yes, they were both insei and qualified as pros later.

Best wishes.

[Phoenix]

This happened in a game with a friend of mine when we both started Go.

Funny thing is: we must have talked for over an hour about the status of the groups. We had no idea what we were dealing with! I only knew about sekis and kos, but this wasn't either.

Never happened since, but I remember it clear as day though it was a decade ago.

[Bonobo]

Thank you!

So, does this mean that any game where such a chosei constellation occurs has to be a draw, without regard to the overall scoring?

[Dusk Eagle]

Well, if one side has enough points, then they can choose not to continue the sequence. However, if the ruleset allows for repeated board positions and neither player is willing to back down, then the result will be either a no result or a draw.