Toroidal Go - a commentary on a memorable game with a few ups and downs

Here is a correspondence game of toroidal Go (t-Go) I played in 2014. It’s not one of my very best games – some fairly basic mistakes were made by both players – but there are some exciting moments and some interesting shapes. It was a memorable game in which I came back from a difficult position. I’ve found it interesting to review it, four years afterwards. I hope you enjoy having a look.

I took White in this game. I think the fuseki went well for me, but I made a heavy move (move 30) which I think could have cost me the game. In the end Black missed a connection and the game ended with an exciting large-scale capture.

There are hardly any other commentaries of t-Go games available at the moment, and very little literature about t-Go. At some point I hope better players than myself will follow my lead and provide more insightful and inspiring game commentaries.

Updates log
2018-04-18: I’ve revised the commentary. The main change is to add a fairly in-depth look at some variations after move 64.
2018-04-30: 1) A few minor tweaks to parts of the introduction; 2) software update.

(;GM[1]FF[4]CA[UTF-8]AP[go-variants-transformer]ST[1]SZ[11]KM[4.5]HA[0]RE[W+R]DT[2014-01-23~03-09]PB[Erik Jensen]PW[Malcolm Schonfield]EV[go19.in.TOROID.20]SO[http://littlegolem.net/jsp/game/game.jsp?gid=1607858];B[ff];W[gk];B[if];W[fh];B[ih];W[fd];C[Black seems to be a bit over-concentrated. But I can’t say for sure that Black’s play is sub-optimal.]B[ag];W[ae](;C[I don’t like this move.]B[hi];LB[fi:A][fh:Y]MA[ae][fd][gk]C[I think White can be fairly satisfied with this fuseki. Move 10, along with the three X stones, make up quite a nice framework. Still, maybe the Y stone would be better placed at A, so it’s not an ideal setup.]W[ba];C[Seems OK - Black needs to prevent White from making too much territory.]B[fb];C[Playing on the “outside” - this should be OK.]W[ef];C[This move seems a little plain but it’s probably OK.]B[cg];LB[dh:A][ci:B]C[This may well be a bad move. The next moves to consider for Black could be A, B or tenuki.]W[bf];C[I have a feeling this move is sub-optimal. The 3-stone black wall seems a little over-concentrated. It’s not clear to me if the exchange of the last two moves is good, bad or middling. But I have a feeling it’s OK for White.]B[bg];C[Reinforcing this area.]W[ee];C[Moving out.]B[ea](;C[I have misgivings about this move, but it’s hard to tell. It could be that it’s a good move.]W[ek](;C[This move feels a bit heavy to me. But maybe it’s OK.]B[da];LB[fh:A][id:B]C[This makes a nice shape. It’s an efficient shape I think. All White’s stones seem to be working, except perhaps for the stone at A - it now would work better if it were placed at B instead. As for Black’s stones, they don’t seem to be working effectively together but this could be an illusion as on a toroidal board of this size all the stones are fairly close to each other; it’s hard to tell…]W[cj](;C[I would be inclined to play differently here with black.]B[dk](;MA[ek]C[Treating the X stone lightly. This may be a good move or it may be a mistake, it’s hard to tell. White could try something different; see the variation.]W[dj];B[fk];W[gb](;C[I’m not sure this is good.]B[gj];W[hk](;C[Solid, but perhaps a little slow.]B[ej];C[I think White has obtained fairly good compensation for the sacrifice of one stone.]W[id];C[I think the move I played next was a mistake.]B[ak](;C[This seems to be too heavy to me now; the stones in this area do not seem to be “working” well. See the variation.]W[bk](;C[Perhaps a bit too conservative. I propose an alternative.]B[aj];W[aa];B[ka];W[kb];B[ja];W[ib];C[It feels tough for White at this point. I think I remember finding it to be a difficult situation to handle.]B[cc];W[fc];B[bd];MA[ff]C[Trying to attack the X stone. The next few moves are interesting. ]W[hg];B[gg];W[hf];B[gh](;C[This move seems to make sense - see the variation.]W[ac];B[je];W[cf](;C[I think this was a mistake.]B[dd];W[ij];B[ji];W[jj];B[kj];W[kf](;C[Also a mistake, I think.]B[jg];W[kg];B[kh];C[This move feels good.]W[fi];B[gi];W[cb];B[db];W[ec];B[dc];C[It seems to be a close game now.]W[dh];B[ei];W[eh](;C[I think this was the losing move.]B[dg];C[Now it seems White should win, as this move cuts off the black group; it can’t make two eyes. In the rest of the game Black tried (and failed) to find a way out, and ends up resigning. This is the end of my commentary on this game; I hope you enjoyed having a look.]W[fj];B[ad];W[kd];B[df];W[de];B[ga];W[ha];B[gc];W[gd];B[jd];W[ke];B[jc];W[jb];B[bc];W[kc];B[bb];W[ce];B[hb];W[hc];B[gb];W[eb];B[fa];W[ia];B[eg];W[ab];B[ic];W[hd];B[ch];W[di];B[ca];W[jf])(;C[If Black connects, it seems to be a close game. A few options to consider for White’s next move are indicated.]B[fj](;C[This may be OK for White.]W[ce](;C[If Black cuts off two stones …]B[he];W[ie];B[ge];W[jf];B[ig];C[It’s close, but White seems to be ahead here. I played out a yose till the end - see the next moves.]W[hd];B[ad];W[kd];B[jb];W[jc];B[ia];W[ha];B[gd];W[gc];B[bb];W[ca];B[bc];W[ch];B[ab];W[kc];B[bi];W[bh];B[ah];W[bj];B[af];W[ke];B[dg];W[eg];B[fa];W[ga];B[ai];W[fe];MA[hf][je]C[move 99 White stones captured by Black: 1 Black stones captured by White: 0 result: Black: 9 = 6 territory + 3 prisoners White: 10.5 = 5 territory + 1 prisoners + 4.5 komi Result: W+1.5 --(the content above was generated automatically by GoVariantsTransformer)--]B[gf])(;B[kd](;C[Probably is a bad move.]W[jb];B[he];W[gf];B[ge];W[fe];B[ie];W[fg];B[ad];W[ke];MA[ki][ek]C[Black has two eyes (marked) and White has no eyes; White seems to have no way of making two eyes. So it seems to be hopeless for White. ]B[dg])(;C[This seems to be the best move for White. With careful yose it seems White wins - see the next moves.]W[ie];B[ad];W[jf];B[jb];W[ch];B[gf];W[ge];B[ig];W[af];B[kc];W[bi];B[ai];W[dg];B[ah];C[Needed in order to make two eyes.]W[hc];B[ab];W[bb];B[bc];W[ia];B[jk];W[ga];B[de];W[df];B[fg];W[jd];B[ke];W[jc];B[hh];C[move 96 White stones captured by Black: 3 Black stones captured by White: 0 result: Black: 9 = 6 territory + 3 prisoners White: 10.5 = 6 territory + 0 prisoners + 4.5 komi Result: W+1.5 --(the content above was generated automatically by GoVariantsTransformer)--]W[he]))(;B[ad];C[Another possibility - I’ve decided not to explore any further!]W[gf]))(;C[It seems this may not work out well for White.]W[he];B[kd](;C[I proposed this move in a previous version of this commentary but I now think it would be a mistake.]W[ia];MA[kg][kf]C[Threatens to capture two stones.]B[ad];W[ke];LB[di:A]C[Threatens the cut at A.]B[jb];W[ch];LB[df:A][eg:B]C[A and B are miai for Black so it’s hopeless for White.]B[dg])(;C[But this also may not work. See the next moves.]W[ad];B[jb];W[ce];B[kc];W[gf];B[fg];W[fe];B[gd];W[ia];B[ga];W[ha];B[gc];W[fa];B[hc];W[ic];B[ga])(;W[ce];B[jb];W[ch];B[ad];W[ke];B[kc];W[hc];B[ha];W[gd];B[ga];C[White is alive, but Black is ahead. I give one possible sequence of yose plays.]W[ia];B[jk];W[ik];B[ab];W[bb];B[bc];W[bi];B[ai];W[jf];B[ig];W[jd];B[ie];W[jc];B[dg];W[eg];B[di];W[ci];B[gf];W[ge];B[fa];C[move 98 White stones captured by Black: 3 Black stones captured by White: 0 result: Black: 9 = 6 territory + 3 prisoners White: 7.5 = 3 territory + 0 prisoners + 4.5 komi Result: B+1.5 --(the content above was generated automatically by GoVariantsTransformer)--]W[hb]))(;C[This may be the best option for White. It’s still a complex position but I didn’t find anything good for Black. I’ve show a few further variations.]W[gf];B[fg](;W[jf](;B[ad];W[ig];B[jb];W[ch];B[af];W[ke];B[be];W[kd];B[df];C[Seems to be too good for White.]W[jc])(;B[ig];W[ie];B[ge];W[he];B[fe];W[gd];B[ce];C[Also seems to be good for White.]W[df])(;C[This seems to refute the previous move.]B[ie]))(;W[ie];B[jf];W[bc];B[fe];W[ge]))))(;MA[hg][hf]C[This connection puts more pressure on the X stones.]B[ig];W[he];C[Black seems to be ahead here.]B[eh]))(;C[This seems to be better for Black than the game. I think Black is slightly ahead here.]B[ij]))(;C[Say White plays here for example.]W[ig];MA[aa][ba][bk][cj][dj]C[After this cut I can’t see a way to save the X stones.]B[ab];W[dh];B[dg];W[eg];LB[di:A][eh:B]C[A and B are miai for Black. Now the X stones are dead so it’s game over for White.]B[ei]))(;C[This could be better than the move in the game.]B[ka]))(;C[I believe this is a better way to play.]W[aa];B[bk];W[kk];B[bi];W[dh];B[ei](;W[eh];B[di];C[I believe this is good for White.]W[cc])(;C[This would be a mistake - Black can capture these stones!]W[ch];B[dg];W[eh];MA[cj][dj][ch][dh][eh][fh]C[I can’t see any way of saving these stones now.]B[eg])))(;C[something like this may be possible.]B[jb]))(;LB[ib:A][gj:B][gc:C]C[Maybe this, or A, would be better, to reduce White’s potential in this area. Now B and C are miai for Black. It seems White is behind in this variation.]B[jb];W[fj](;C[This would be a mistake.]B[fa];C[Black seems to be in trouble.]W[ga])(;B[ej];W[ei];B[gc];W[gj];B[ga];C[The game could develop like this. This is another position that’s hard to evaluate.]W[ec])))(;C[Maybe this would be a better idea. It feels like a more natural way to play.]W[ej];B[dj];W[di];C[How to play here? See the variation for the next move for what not to do.]B[ei](;W[dh];B[fi];W[gj];B[gi];W[ik];B[hb];C[It’s hard to tell, but this may be playable for White.]W[ji])(;W[eh];B[ci];W[dh];LB[kh:a]MA[cj]C[This seems to be better for Black than the game. The X stone is captured, and also Black is likely to get a little territory around ‘a’.]B[bk])))(;C[This should be OK for Black.]B[hb]))(;C[I think this is also an option.]B[dk];C[I wonder, maybe this is possible - it looks interesting.]W[gb])(;C[This should be OK too.]B[hb]))(;C[This move may be possible but I’m not sure if it’s better than the move that was played. I give a few possible continuations and at the moment it seems to me that it’s worse.]W[dk];B[ek];W[ej](;B[fj];W[fk](;B[gj];W[hk];B[hb];W[jk];B[jb];W[ki])(;B[hb];W[hj];B[gi];W[ia]))(;B[dj];W[fj];B[hb];W[ck];B[dc];W[ci])))(;LB[ae:Y]MA[ih][if][ag]C[This move seems to me to be better than the one played in the game. It’s an extension from the X stones, and it puts pressure on the Y stone.]B[ab]))