Hi Folks,
after quite a long break from go (few Month, because if intense work on a project) i start to study again a bit...

just replayed a Sakata Eio vs. Go Seigen game...

Can some of you explain why white might have played 54?

I mean, there was no L&D, no chance to kill white in the corner, or was it?!

And if white is alive there a lot of other moves might be bigger?

I just tell you why my silly little kyu mind does not understand this move, no doubt that actually the move was very good.

I think white played it to use it together with the white marked stone?

Maybe you can share your thoughts, thnx in advance!

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“Play where you want and don’t be afraid. If you’re chasing the dream you must take the risk.” Yasumasa Hane 9p

If W does not play there then that move is sente against the corner. Allowing B to take the side in sente is not pleasant for W. Also, the W stone does act with the marked stone, as you say, and give W the option of future aji on the right. And let's be honest - there isn't really any other compelling move on the board.

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Still officially AGA 5d but I play so irregularly these days that I am probably only 3d or 4d over the board (but hopefully still 5d in terms of knowledge, theory and the ability to contribute).

Thank you for the good (and fast ) answer... that was exactly the kind of information i needed to understand this game better.

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“Play where you want and don’t be afraid. If you’re chasing the dream you must take the risk.” Yasumasa Hane 9p

Black 54 wouldn't be sente.

Think about this for a second. Are things O.K JUST because you can live?

The blind leading the blind? Go's comment was that White 54 was a slack move. White should play the reduction of 56 and 58 in the centre at once. That is, p8 before Black gets a chance to play h13. Perhaps White overestimated the power of the result of the middle-game joseki in the upper left and so underestimated the effect of Black h13.

Sakata was famous for his "razor-sharp" moves on the second line, but maybe in this case he fell into the trap of being a one-trick pony?

But a slack move for a pro can be too subtle for us to appreciate. After all, Go won this game by 2, but there was no komi, so he hardly covered himself in glory.

As the upper-right corner, the full game will show there are boundary-play issues involved as well.

Did Sakata have a comment about it?

Yeah. He said: "I lost."

Thanks for your good explanation... very interesting for me.

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“Play where you want and don’t be afraid. If you’re chasing the dream you must take the risk.” Yasumasa Hane 9p