I was just transcribing a new game for the GoGoD database this morning and thought this position would make an interesting test for you. White has just played the marked stone, and you are to guess Go Seigen's next move, and then Kitani Minoru's move straight after that.
No trickery. It's not specially hard but it's highly unlikely that you have ever seen this game, so it is not a test of memory. Rather it is a test of your feel for their respective styles. Many of you will have studied the games of Go and/or Kitani, but since this game is from 1944 it will make particular sense to those who have read Kamakura (which is of the same period).
Answer:
The commentary did mention that White 2 was a "shibui" (restrained) move typical of Kitani. It did not comment on Black 1 but FWIW as soon as I saw it I said, "Yi Ch'ang-ho!". And he and Go are often very similar.
I thought Go would cap at L10 (I seem to recall a comment of yours about Go being fond of capping) and thought Kitani would probably answer it at n12 or m12, though if he was feeling like a cheeky tenuki (or black played a gote move, I didn't see e15) s5 was my choice as the Kitani-style territory move. Once you see e15 on the board it does look good as a reverse sente move to make his group thick. Does an attack on the centre white stones come soon? I suppose if you can't kill it's not obvious how much profit you can get from the attack, and with s5 I wonder if Kitani has plans of a counter attack on the black wall below should black try to attack the centre too vigourously.
I got them both. E15 looks huge because making these stones thick weakens White's three stones on the right, makes territory in itself, and promises more in the center. S5 is a double sente territorial move. I thought about playing it as Black but it is clearly smaller than E15. Those were my choices but I can't say I felt confident I was right.
I got E15 but didn't even consider s5. Is it indeed double sente? (Or, did Go treat it as such?) I'm ashamed to say that I thought Kitani might play s18.
I was in the L10 group as well for the first move, but got the second one as I figured Kitani would have a way to make due with the center, and therefore take a big territorial point
Same here, N10 was where my eyes gravitated too. Did not even consider E15. Even after looking at the solution, I have to admit, this move is not something I would have considered... although I can see some logic to it now that my nose has been rubbed in it.
And thus die my aspiration of prodom.
- Bantari
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WARNING: This post might contain Opinions!!
E15 I saw first, but as I have a habit of second-guessing myself and choosing inferior moves, after some thought I would have chosen the L10 cap. But then I had a feeling that was my move and not a Go Seigen move.
I would have assumed Kitani would take a territorial move anyway, but I didn't guess S5 but rather something in the upper right, or perhaps a defense against the cap, although the timing would not be good for something in the upper right. No way would my eyes be looking at S5.
So I learned something from both players' moves. A) I don't have the patience and confidence of a Go Seigen and B) I don't have the single-minded focus of a Kitani.
L10 was my first guess, but then I read a bit and it didn't seem as severe as I'd like. So my guess changed to n12, to harrass the white group more effectively, try to build up the upper side and threaten a cut.
So I seem to be an outlier in my choice. This often happpens in exercises like this. I overplay quite a lot, so it may be a symptom of that.
The move played would never occur to me. I couldn't see anything particularly severe for W in that area.
Very few pros can play at the level of Go Seigen! Doesn't mean they aren't worthy pros.