How to Beat KataGo at 3 Stones -- W plays a shamari

 






In this example, W plays a shamari.  It seems easier to me to play against this setup by W as the shamari takes 2 moves, so B is able to get around the corners quicker.

The strategy involves 4 elements:

1. Kill 2 of W's corners.

2. Make territory somewhere else besides the 2 corners.

3. Don't allow W a huge territory.

4. Keep the B groups safe.

In this game, I succeeded well with points 1, 3, and 4, but 2 was so-so, but adequate.

The 4 move extension is key to setting up corner situations where W can be killed.

Instead of 24, W usually plays at D10, which I think is more difficult to deal with. 29 seems like an excellent point, and B has a very good opening for the strategy above.


Here it is move 55, and already B has succeeded in killing the 2 W corners.  It looks like B should be able to build an additional territory in either the center left, or right side.  B has no weak groups, and W has no prospects for a huge territory.


All is going well up to this point. B should be well ahead.


This wasn't a good diagram for B.  I estimate I gave up about 10 points of the advantage here.  107 in particular was bad, where 108 would have been better.  Also 109 as well perhaps, as W was able to make a ponuki at 116, but nothing catastrophic happened.




This is the final diagram. W resigned after 147.  I don't recall KataGo ever resigning this early, as usually it resigns on move 153.

W wound up getting a large center territory, which shouldn't have happened, and B's right side territory was whittled down to less than 10 points, but the B center held up ok, and B was able to make an incursion on the bottom enough to keep the victory secure.

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