Three Stones As Black Against Leela

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Ok, here we go.

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This is not a very good position for black. I was listening to an interesting podcast while playing - speeded up by a factor of 1.5 to 2. That may show in the poor fuseki. But then again, my fuseki is quite poor for an amateur 3 dan anyway. To be perfectly honest, it may not improve drastically from focusing on what I'm doing. LOL

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We're transitioning into the middle game. If this were a tournament game, I would be unlikely to play anything like the marked stone.

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White's groups are not super strong but black's course of action cannot be recommended. Whether black can be successful is heavily dependent on whether he can succeed at a tactical level.

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White chose to strengthen itself at the bottom and attack the corner to build one on the right side. Black's group in the middle isn't doing much. But it isn't too weak, either.

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I think this exchange favored black who got nice large corners while white's top is rather anemic and does little else but take less than 10 points of territory.

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Now white is a little overconcentrated on the right especially considering the weakness at s8. Black has built influence facing the center.

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When white presses at D8, it may become a challenge for black to live. Thanks to the black influence in the upper right, a wedge between the two floating black groups is less dangerous than it would otherwise be. Let's see what happens.

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Black can make one eye in sente by playing at H3. That should be enough to live. Now white has a group in the center floating aimlessly.

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The whole game now hinges on whether black can exploit the cutting points at G11 and L12.

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Black cut at G11. It will not be easy for white to kill black. Black has a lot of liberties and white has a lot of weaknesses.

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Black only has to run long enough to increase the number of his liberties to at least five to win the semeai (=fight to fulfill the opponent's liberties) and the game is finished.

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Both groups have five liberties and it's black's turn. Black wins.

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White resigns.

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H3
H4
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