(;GM[1]FF[4]CA[UTF-8]AP[CGoban:3]ST[2]RU[Japanese]SZ[19]HA[3]KM[0.00]PW[Huang Longshi]PB[Xu Xingyou]SO[http://gogameguru.com/]AN[An Younggil 8p]AB[pd][jj][dp]C[This is a game from ancient China, between Huang Longshi and Xu Xingyou. It was played in the 17th century during the Qing dynasty.Huang Longshi is a famous Chinese Go master from those times and I've heard that Go Seigen said he was on par with Dosaku. They didn't have dan ranks in China at that time, but Huang had the title 'Guoshou', which meant he was one of the strongest players (probably the strongest player) in China in those days.In Korean, the word 'Kuksu' means the same thing as Guoshou, and that's where the name for the modern Kuksu title match comes from.It's said that Huang made significant contributions to Go theory at the time, particularly in terms of using the strategies of over-concentration and amarigatachi (exhaustion of resources) against his opponents, and attacking on a large scale.He was also very strong at reading and fighting, as you'll see in this game.Xu Xingyou was Huang's student. He also became Guoshou later in his life, but at the time of this game he still hadn't reached his full potential, whereas Huang was already nearing the end of his life.Xu is also an important figure in the history of Go because he worked on a number of historical Go books and made sure that game records, commentaries and other important Go knowledge were passed on to future generations. This game record was probably preserved thanks to Xu.One day Huang told Xu that he could give him three stones, and this resulted in a series of famous games that became known as the Games of Blood and Tears.This is one of those games.]RE[W+Resign];W[qf]LB[dd:C][jj:A][pp:B]C[This is such an old game, and the explanations of the moves are from my (An Younggil 8p's) point of view, based on modern Go theory.Though I don't want to underestimate their strength, some of their moves were very difficult for me to understand from a modern perspective.At the time when this game was played, they used the ancient Chinese rules, which required players to pay a 'group tax' of one point for every eye. Because of that the players from this time placed more emphasis on cutting their opponent's stones and connecting their own. This might explain some of the differences in their styles.Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this game, along with the commentary.Xu Xingyou plays black and takes three stones. Placing the third handicap stone at tengen (A) is unusual, but it seemed to be the style at the time. These days A would usually be placed at B (or C), as you no doubt know.];B[qo]LB[nc:B][nd:A][qh:C][pi:D]C[Against white's approach, answering locally is more common these days. A-D would be good moves, for example.];W[pq]C[Black plays at 3-5, but in the handicap games, the star point is easier for black to play with.];B[mq]C[Playing at 3-5 might have been popular at the time, though usually in those days even games in China started with the black and white stones already on the four 4-4 points (in a cross pattern), so the situation in the lower right would have only appeared in handicap games.](;W[po]LB[op:A]C[A is also conceivable, but this attachment is more active. ];B[pn];W[oo];B[qp];W[qq]C[This is a kind of old fashioned joseki.];B[on](;W[mp]C[Good tesuji. This is a kind of leaning strategy. White wants to make miai of attacking black on the right or at the bottom.];B[lp];W[mo];B[nq];W[oq]LB[ql:A][jq:B]C[White makes a solid connection, and A and B are miai next. ];B[qk]LB[qf:C][qi:B][qj:A]C[The direction of this move is right, but it's a bit too tight. It should be at A or B so that it also acts as a pincer on C.];W[jq]LB[jp:A]C[This is a proper attacking move. A is also possible.];B[lo];W[ln];B[jp]C[This is the way for black to move out.];W[ip](;B[jo]C[This move is a bit slack though.];W[kq];B[lq];W[fq]C[Since white was able approach here, the opening up to here is successful for white.];B[cm]C[When I looked at some other games from this period, it looked like this long-knight's enclosure was the most common response to a star point approach move. This move must have been very popular at the time.Yu Changhyeok 9p was also fond of this move in his heyday.];W[io];B[in];W[ck]LB[nc:A][nd:B]C[Approaching a corner enclosure like this also seemed to be very popular at the time. Modern players would pincer (double approach) at A or B instead here.](;B[mc]C[This is a good place to play, and black still maintains the power of the three stone handicap.];W[kc]C[White approaches here again. This move creates more aji for white in the corner and it looks like it must have been considered to be very big, according to the Go theory at the time. Pros usually wouldn't play like this these days.];B[qh]C[This is a nice pincer. The game's still simple and nice for black.];W[of];B[qe]C[It's good for black to make white's stones heavier like this and attack this white group.];W[re];B[rd];W[rf];B[ne]LB[mc:A]C[The flow of the stones has been natural and nice for black since A.];W[nf];B[mf]LB[me:A]C[This hane is questionable. Playing at A seems better.];W[rc]C[This is a probe. If black separates white's stones now, white can aim to live in the corner later.];B[sd];W[mg]C[Since black cut white, white needs to go back to looking after his right side group now.];B[oe]LB[me:A]C[Black doesn't need to push here. Connecting at A should be still better. ];W[rh];B[qi];W[ri];B[rj];W[pj];B[qj];W[nh]LB[dd:B][jj:A]C[White reinforces here, and the result up to here is favorable for white. Black still leads the game, but only by about two stones worth now. In this game, the stone A has lost some of its value and it would be better for black if it were placed at B now.];B[ce]LB[dd:A]C[I don't agree with playing 3-5 here. In general, there're many difficult josekis, such as the Taisha, that start from the 3-5 point. Since this is a handicap game, playing at A would make it easier for black to manage the game and maintain his lead.];W[dc]LB[ce:A]C[Black doesn't have a particularly good move in this area now, which also shows why A was questionable.](;B[ee]C[I don't think it's a good idea to let white develop the top area like he does in the game either.];W[cd];B[be];W[fd]C[White's happy with this knight's move.](;B[fe]C[Pushing the cart from behind like this is questionable in terms of the basic Go principles that we know now. It helps white to make territory at the top.];W[gd];B[eq](;W[er];B[dr];W[fr](;B[hn];W[go];B[ci]C[This extension is big and important.];W[gn];B[em];W[gl](;B[jm]C[Black doesn't need to reinforce here. Black was too worried about his lower side group.];W[kn];B[jn];W[nn]C[White is catching up with black, little by little. ];B[ol];W[nl];B[nk];W[mk];B[ok](;W[pf]LB[ok:A]C[This connection becomes necessary after black plays around A.](;B[lf]C[Black still can't secure the corner territory with this extension, so it's questionable.];W[mj]C[This extension is a very good point. White connects his groups and separates black's groups at the same time.];B[ll];W[ml]C[The game's getting closer as it progresses.](;B[il]C[Black's too cautious with his lower side group again.];W[lg];B[kf];W[jh]C[White plays to induce black to exchange some thank you moves, and black doesn't seem to have the nerve to resist.];B[gk]LB[dj:B][ek:A]C[This attachment helps white. Black should still jump at A or B. ];W[fl]C[White is happy to come out here. ];B[dk]LB[ek:A][gk:B][fl:C]C[This attachment looks a bit clumsy now, so it still would have been better to play at A, instead of exchanging B for C.];W[hk](;B[hl]TR[hk]C[This cut is a big mistake. Black's shape in relation to this cut is already bad because the marked stone isn't very important and white's group below is already alive. Black's group at the bottom is already alive too. That means that cutting here isn't very important and it's almost like playing dame.];W[dj]C[White's trying to make the game complicated, and it seems as if black's helping him.](;B[gj]C[Black was too cautious again. It seems like black wanted to win the game without any serious fighting. But, unfortunately for black, it didn't turn out to be a successful strategy.];W[dl]LB[dk:A]TR[dj][ck]C[When white ataris here the stone at A becomes useless and white's marked stones are revived. All of sudden, the game becomes quite close.](;B[jb]LB[cj:A][gj:B][co:C]C[This is a brilliant invasion, but if black had cut at A instead of playing B, black wouldn't even need to show us this sort of fantastic move to win the game.Actually though, black has to answer at C to secure the corner first, so this move was a bit too early.](;W[cq]C[White starts to punish black's tenuki and bully him.];B[cp]C[Black can't fight here, so he lets white steal the corner.];W[cr];B[dq];W[ds];B[bq];W[br];B[bp]C[Black lives, but ];W[bl];B[bm];W[ek]C[This ponnuki is sente, and it's unbearable for black.];B[ar];W[es];B[fp];W[gp];B[fo]C[Black's barely alive, and he's lost so many points while struggling to live. ];W[qc]LB[jb:A]C[Now white mobilizes his stone in another corner. This is better than responding to A directly, because of the variations I showed at move 97.];B[qd];W[ob];B[nb];W[oc]C[Black can't try to kill the corner, because of his own weaknesses.](;B[id]C[This move was another mistake.];W[md]C[This attachment is sharp. White doesn't miss any of black's mistakes.];B[nd];W[nc](;B[lc]C[Black has to fall back, and black lost several more points here.];W[kb];B[ld];W[mb]C[White's move order is accurate.];B[lb];W[na];B[la]C[Black has to answer here again, but white's corner's already alive.];W[hb]C[It looks like magic when white's able to live in the corner in sente and then come back here. The game becomes nearly even on the board, but since this is three stone handicap game, the game's practically reversed now.];B[bc]C[The result in the top right corner's a typical scene in which white bullies and tricks black in handicap games. And that's something that hasn't changed in hundreds of years.];W[jc]LB[bc:A]C[This move is so big. It was miai with A. ];B[ic];W[ib];B[cb];W[db];B[di];W[ei](;B[hi]LB[cg:A][hi:6][gj:5][gk:3][hl:4][il:2][jm:1]C[This was another questionable move. It leaves a vital point at A for white to exploit later. Black spent so many moves around here in the center.];W[if];B[ka];W[ja];B[kd];W[ge];B[jd];W[jb];B[pc];W[pb];B[rb]C[White's corner has already made life, but this is a sente endgame sequence.];W[qb];B[sc];W[ra];B[sb];W[ma];B[jf]C[It's painful for black to live in gote here with only four points. Black must have felt miserable.];W[bd];B[ad];W[cc];B[ba];W[ab];B[ac];W[cg]C[This invasion is so annoying for black. White's been exploiting all of black's mistakes flawlessly.];B[bg];W[bh];B[ch];W[bf]C[Black can't stop white anymore. ];B[dg];W[ag];B[ae]C[Black connects here to avoid a ko, but];W[df];B[de];W[eg];B[dh];W[bi];B[cf];W[eh]C[This ko is even more painful for black.];B[bg];W[ie];B[fb]C[This placement is a good idea, because it creates some more ko threats, but it's too late for black now anyway.];W[gb];B[je];W[cg]LB[dm:A][qn:B]C[The game's already decided. White has so many ko threats in the vicinity of A and B.];B[ed];W[fc];B[bg];W[dm];B[dn];W[cg];B[ec];W[eb];B[bg];W[en];B[cg]C[Black finds a place to resign.](;W[eo]C[This is the right move, and black dies.](;B[do];W[am]LB[jb:B][id:C][gj:A]C[Black resigned here. I've added a few more moves after this to show why black's lower left group is dead. Those moves weren't played out at the time though.The opening was alright for Xu (black), but black played several slack moves in the middle game. He made a crucial mistake at A, and the game became quite close. B96 (B) was a brilliant move, but black should have secured the lower left corner first. C was the losing move, and Huang dominated the game afterwards.The opening theory at the time must have been very different from modern theory, and it doesn't seem to have been as advanced as it is today.In addition, it was a handicap game and the opening was a bit limited, so I couldn't properly judge their strength from just this game.I couldn't find any bad moves or mistakes by Huang Longshi throughout the whole game, and that's very impressive.Since this was a three stone handicap game, I can't clearly judge how great his reading or fighting was. Xu Xingyou wasn't yet strong enough to push Huang Longshi to his limits, so white didn't have to show us his true strength.So, I may need to study more of his even games in order to feel and appreciate his great insight and profound reading ability.I hope you'll enjoy and understand this game a bit more after seeing this commentary, and that you're able compare and appreciate the difference between the style of old masters and modern pros.Please feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions.Thanks,An Younggil 8phttp://gogameguru.com/](;B[bn];W[co];B[aq];W[ao];B[an];W[bo];B[fn];W[fm];B[ep];W[en]C[There's no way for black to live. You can read the summary of this game at move 195, where black resigned.])(;B[an];W[bo]C[Black can't live. ]))(;B[bn]C[If black plays here, ];W[co];B[do];W[am]C[White can kill black like this.]))(;W[cn]C[White should be careful not to cut here.];B[bn];W[do];B[co];W[ao];B[dn]LB[fn:B][eo:A]C[This is a ko. A and B are miai for black.]))(;B[eh];W[fh];B[eg]C[Black should answer like this and save the left side territory. ]))(;B[mb]C[Black can't connect here now. ];W[ld]LB[lb:A][me:B]C[A and B are miai for white. ]))(;B[pc]C[If black tries to kill the corner now,];W[pb];B[rb];W[qb];B[sc]C[This is the way to stop white from living, but];W[md]C[This is a good tesuji. ](;B[nd]C[Black has to block here. ];W[nc];B[mb];W[ld](;B[me]C[If black connects here, ];W[lb]TR[mb][nb][mc]C[White can attach here and capture black's marked stones. ])(;B[kb]C[If black connects here, ];W[me]TR[rb][pc][sc][nd][pd][qd][rd][sd][ne][oe][qe]C[White can cut, and capture all of the black's marked stones. ])(;B[od]C[So, black has to fill white's liberties to capture the corner, but];W[me]C[This cut is sente, and];B[qa];W[kb]LB[ob:B][qc:A]TR[jb][kf][lf][mf]C[This is what white wants and, up to here, the result is terrible for black. That's why black couldn't try to kill the corner when white played at A and B.]))(;B[nc];W[od]LB[nd:A][pe:B]C[Black's in big trouble. A and B are miai for white. ]))(;B[jc]C[Black should push up here. ](;W[md]C[If white tries to fight here now,];B[nd];W[nc];B[mb];W[ld];B[kd]TR[ld][md]C[This angle wedge is a good response, and white can't save the marked stones.])(;W[ra]C[White would live in the corner, and];B[ed];W[ec];B[gb]C[Black can attack the corner.];W[fb];B[gc];W[fc];B[bc]C[Black's still leading the game by around 10 points if he plays like this.])))(;W[jc]C[If white answers here, ];B[ic]C[This hane is a good followup. ];W[id];B[hc];W[hd];B[kb]C[This is what black wants, and white knows that. ])(;W[kb]C[If white blocks here to fight, ];B[jc];W[jd];B[kd]C[Black can push through and cut.];W[id];B[lc]TR[kb][kc][rc]C[Black would be happy to capture these two stones, because white's aji to live in the top right is removed at the same time.]))(;B[co]C[Black should play here now and, if he'd done so, he would've still been about 10 points ahead.]))(;B[cj]C[Black must cut here and fight now.];W[dl];B[ek];W[el];B[cl](;W[fk];B[bk]C[It's still very hard for white to capture the huge black group at the bottom.](;W[ik];B[jk];W[ii]C[If white keeps going and tries to kill black. ];B[iq];W[ir];B[hq];W[hp];B[hr];W[jr];B[hm];W[lr];B[gj];W[hi];B[gp];W[ho];B[fp];W[gq];B[gm];W[fo];B[fm]C[White's in rather deep trouble now and black's safe.])(;W[gj]C[If white takes the stone here. ];B[ii];W[ih];B[hi];W[gg];B[hh];W[hg];B[fi];W[gi];B[gh];W[fh];B[fg];W[eh];B[ei]C[White can't keep going after this.]))(;W[bk]C[If white descends here, ];B[ej];W[fk];B[ei];W[dm];B[cn]C[It's still very hard for white to kill black's huge group. There's a Go proverb that says 'big groups never die'. It refers to this kind of situation.])))(;B[iq]C[This cut still works. ];W[hq];B[ir];W[hr];B[dj]LB[hj:C][hm:B][kr:A]C[Black has to reinforce here now, and black's still obviously leading the game on territory. The center black group is pretty safe.];W[ii]C[Even if white seals black in, ];B[kr];W[jr];B[ks];W[js];B[ms]LB[hm:B][or:A]C[Black can make an eye, and A and B are miai next. ]))(;B[ek]C[Black should still jump here. Black's center group is still hard to attack. ]))(;B[me]C[Locally this move seems better because it also makes it hard for white to live in the top right corner now.];W[qc]C[For example, if white tries to live now,];B[qd];W[ob];B[nb];W[oc];B[pc];W[pb];B[rb];W[qb];B[sc];W[md];B[ld];W[nd];B[lc];W[le];B[lf];W[ke];B[kd]C[Black can fight like this and it's ok for black.]))(;W[mj]LB[pf:A]C[If white omits A,];B[pf]C[Black will wedge here, and];W[pg];B[pe];W[qg];B[og](;W[ng];B[oh]TR[re][qf][rf][pg][qg][rh][ri]C[White can't save the marked stones. ])(;W[oh];B[ng]C[Letting black capture like this is too bad for white. ])))(;B[iq]C[It's a good time to cut here now. This is an asking move.];W[hq];B[ir];W[hr];B[ek]LB[ck:A]C[Then this jump is very good, and it's hard for white to move the stone at A out.];W[jm]C[If white tries to kill black's group at the bottom now,];B[jn];W[il];B[kn];W[lm];B[kp];W[jr];B[ks];W[is];B[or];W[pr];B[os]LB[hm:C][km:A][mn:B]C[Black can live easily like this. White still has some weaknesses on the outside at A-C.]))(;B[fp]C[Black should keep playing here. This move is quite common today.];W[gp];B[go];W[cq];B[dq];W[fo];B[ep];W[hp];B[gn]C[Black can simplify the game like this, and black's still in the lead.]))(;W[fp]LB[cn:D][co:C][cp:B][cq:A]C[This extension should be better. White can invade at A to D later.]))(;B[ci]LB[hc:A][gd:2][hd:B][fe:1]C[It would be better for black to just play here, without exchanging 1 for 2. Later on black can invade at A or B instead of pushing.]))(;B[ed]C[Black should at least press here.](;W[ec];B[fd];W[gc];B[ci]C[The game could be expected to develop like this, and it's better than the result in the actual game.])(;W[dd];B[de];W[ee]C[Black might have been worried that white would push and cut now but,];B[fd]TR[kc][ck]C[Just extending is ok and black can fight now. White's marked stones are quite far away so black shouldn't be worried about playing like this.])))(;B[qe]C[This is more common today.];W[pf];B[nd];W[qi];B[dd]C[This is how a modern opening might proceed from here.]))(;B[kn]C[Black should make this exchange instead and,];W[mn];B[kq]C[This should be a better idea.];W[jo];B[jr];W[kp];B[ko]C[This is a rather active and appropriate way for black to play here.];W[kr]C[White can't fight this ko. ];B[jp]C[Because there usually aren't any big enough ko threats for white during the opening, as is the case in this game.]))(;W[mo]C[If white just jumps here, ];B[jq]LB[pp:A]TR[on][pn][qo][qp]C[Black can extend here, and it's too easy for black. Because of the weakness at A, white can't easily attack black's marked stones now.]))(;W[op];B[pm];W[qp];B[po];W[rp];B[qi]C[Black would be satisfied if play proceeded like this.]))