This is the first match of three in the final of the 17th Samsung Cup, played by Lee Sedol 9p and Gu Li 9p.
Gu Li (9 dan, left) and Lee Sedol (9 dan) review the first game of the 17th Samsung Cup final.
Both Lee Sedol and Gu Li are among the most popular and well known players in the world today.
A much anticipated game
Lee Sedol is ranked #1 in Korea, and even though Gu Li is ranked #10 in China at the moment, most people still regard him as the best, along with Lee Sedol.
Many Go fans were waiting in anticipation for these exciting matches, and I was also one of them. 
Let’s have a look at the game.
About An Younggil 8p
What can I say: only after the commentary I got some idea what this game was about. Mere mortals look in awe, at least I do. Thank you so much. Both players are modern time heroes, what they can see, reading ahead, is unbelievable. You can sense the emotions, they really must like a big fight, they don’t keep it just in reserve for when it is necessary. Wonderful!
Kind regards,
Paul
A great commentary. I think I learned something from your comments at 33 and 88.
Another great lesson for us, amateurs! I like your approach to reviewing games – focusing not on a long, complicated game trees (which amateurs are not able to read anyway) but things such as direction of play, strong and weak groups, wasted stones etc.
amazing games with great commentary….thanks a lot!!! =)
Thanks Mr Younggil for the comments…. Without them it would to most of us almost imposible to apreciate this kind of game. Like often, thanks to you Baduk is more and more wonderful to me.
Thanks, that really nice and in depth! I have a question about the end game. Gu Li seems to spend several gote moves on capturing the group at a12, even though it seems he has plenty of liberties. Would it not make more sense for him to either play a move in sente or block off more territory for himself? (Perhaps at O9 or S19 or something like that?)
Good question!
If black doesn’t play at A12, white can have three ko threats from cut at B7. So, black couldn’t win the half a point ko at the end, so it’s completely the same as in the actual game.
Thanks! I’ve never thought of eliminating Ko threats quite like that. There is just a wealth of stuff to learn from this game.
This an incredible game and an incredible commentary, thank you Mr Younggil.
Thank you for this wonderful commentary!
Dear An Younggil,
You are too fast! I was busy doing a review in preparation of yours at http://senseis.xmp.net/?Samsung2012Game1. I am quite proud though to have identified the two moves that changed the flow of the game: 52 and 157.
Thanks a lot for the review
One question from my own review: wasn’t 187 too timid? What if Black played at 188?
187 was very big, and it’s sente for white as well. Black had to answer at 187.
Great Commentary, thanks
Hi,
Thanks for great comments again! I would like to ask the meaning of move W 264. Why W did not play O6 for example? There don’t seem to be anything urgent in lower left corner and O6 would be worth several points.
I have a little suggestion for comments also. When you mention that another player or leading the game a bit or when another player resings could you mention how much is another player losing/winning? It would be useful for estimating the situation by myself to see if I’m right or wrong
Thanks for your suggestion. That’s a good idea and I’ll try to do that.
For the question about the W264, this move was necessary since black played at M1. If white played elsewhere, B E2, W D1, B K1, and white would lose many points.
Amazing game, thank you for your commentary !
Awesome game, awesome commentary!
Great game, great commentary.
Thank you for the wonderful commentary! I always feel like I improve after reviewing these games.
I am still confused about the joseki at move 28, though. You say E7 is crying at the end of the regular joseki, but I would love white’s position there! guaranteed points and E7 helps cancel out black’s influence in the middle! If it were my game, I would play toward this. Could you tell me why this is wrong?
That’s a good question.
You may think white is not bad, but if you look at the whole board, you can feel that white’s left side territory is small, and white doesn’t have any potential in the future. It was white’s area, so white should fight and try to gain some more points.
Thank you!
Hello, I was review this game after my friend showed me some commented games and was wondering at move 59 for black, why does Gu Li not play j12? is the KO too risky? Or is there a way for white to give up those 3 stones for a wall or cut to gain influence to invade somewhere?
If black plays at J12 instead of 59, white will atari at L10 in sente, and then connect at J9. If black wedges at H11 to make it ko, white can answer at G10, and it’s not even a ko. That’s why black didn’t play at J12 for 59.
Thanks for clearing that up ^^
Hi,
After the brilliant white 174 you show that if black answers locally the white nobi on the right side is a good way to attack the black center group. But it seems to me that this nobi is more than an attack it seems to be a killing move without any need of preparatory sequence in the top right corner. Could you show how black makes life after this nobi if white tries directly to kill it?
White can’t try to kill the center group directly. You can see the sequence how black makes two eyes in the center. Instead, white can get some benefits by threatening black’s center group.
Thx for your answer but can you actually show how black makes two eyes after white nobi Q11?
You can follow the variation from W174, and after B L12(183 in the variation), W K14, B M11, W N9, B N13, W P14, and B N11, and makes two eyes.
Thx a lot for your answer! Just a precision if I may: in this variation white cannot play the bamboo joint at N9 instead of the hane at O9? (178 in the variation) to use a little more P6? (B O10 W N9 B 09 W 07), and then winning the missing tempo to kill?
After W 07, B N8, W O8. Then black follows the same sequence in the variation, and black can make two eyes because H9 is sente for black. Check it please.
Ho yes, there is a problematic damezumari on the white center group!
Thx for all your answers.