Li League Match 3 - Wakagoi vs Fukuoka

 

Match 3 of Round 2 should occur on Friday 13th February at 5pm Japanese time (so 8am UK), it is an important match because both of these teams lost their previous game and are unlikely to want to get in the hole of losing two in a row especially since neither has faced Senko and the Japanese number 1 yet. Fukuoka probably have a slight moral advantage as they lost to the previous years winners and Japanese number 2 but both teams should be up for it.

Pairings are up

Board	Wakagoi	Fukuoka	Result	Winner
Board 1	Ueno Risa	Hoshiai Shiho	B+3.5	Hoshiai Shiho
Board 3	Kobayashi Izumi	Kibe Natsuki	W+R	Kobayashi Izumi
Board 2	Suzuki Ayumi	Yanagihara Saki	B+5.5	Suzuki Ayumi

Link to official youtube stream

Board 1 Ueno Risa  3179 (W) vs Hoshia Shiho 3001  (B)

Another challenging match for Shiho but she beat the number 2 lady in Japan can she repeat for the number 4? Both these players won their first games plus Risa just lost a championship game to her sister which might impact confidence but probably not. Both teams placed their Captain on the top board showing confidence in the team leads.

Summary

A tense, territorial game where both players avoided large-scale fights and instead leaned into efficiency and endgame precision.

• Early on, White took the initiative with a clean lower‑side framework.

• Black’s midgame sabaki on the right side was the turning point — she reduced cleanly without giving White forcing moves.

• The endgame was razor‑tight, but Black’s sente sequence around the top left sealed the margin.

Overall: A mature, disciplined win from Hoshiai, who now has two upsets in a row this season.

Game - Black opened duel 44 same side, white 34 facing. Black approached low night and white ignored tom take a long extension other side Black then pressed the top a bit until switching to try to undercut the other corner, white ignored and turned the upper corner leading to a big fight low left. Shiho getting under a lot if time pressure here. The levels of 'I'm going to ignore this' from white was extreme.

Below is the board just after the interesting corner play. White has secured the bottom left and got an out at the top but Black was able to use this to make points on the right and center right.

The game continued with Black using the influence gained (notably from a live small center bottom white invasion that Black sealed in and Black also sealing in the top) to eke out more points. According to the AI Risa made a mistake here

I think it regarded getting out into the center a more important than potentially living small with a second group Risa was likely wanting security before starting a localised fight though and considering she almost fought back to parity in the next section of the game may have been right. She relost her gains by not pushing the central group (by B above) to wipe out Blacks corner as so

Instead playing a Hane of M9 instead. But her target was actually the block around J11 in the center and she almost got it before threatening a capture up top here

   So yes perhaps the thought was Black would connect to save 8 stones or more likely a useful KO threat for the KO about to open in the center. Both players ignored though. 

The last major chance for White occurred in the central left where Black played D7 giving white the opportunity to trap the (now 2) stones at C14 and C15 but Risa went for possibly center/capture more of the left group?

Board 3 Kobaysahi Izumi 2924  (W) vs Kibe Natsuki 2774 (B)

Both teams swapped out their third player for the fourth possibly so all players get play experience. Neither player has played in the league yet

Summary

The most dramatic game of the match

Kibe came out swinging, playing aggressively and fearlessly against a much higher‑ranked opponent.

• The early fight on the left side was sharp and complicated; Kibe actually led briefly after a brilliant sabaki sequence.

• But Kobayashi’s reading in the central fight was flawless. She found the one line that both saved her group and attacked Black’s shape simultaneously.

• Once Black’s central stones collapsed, the game was effectively over.

Overall: A heartbreaking loss for a fan favourite, but also a sign that Kibe is punching far above her nominal rank this season.

Game - Opening Natsuki with Black took a 44 and 33 facing whilst Izumi with white took dual 44. Black then 33'd the lower left corner and a funky extending along the 2nd line sequence/capture race ensured. Black survived but it left her with little influence and white happily extended. White then moved into the right side and black the bottom. Lots of fighting then ensued with both players under time pressure. At 1hr 48' a very fast back and forward ensued in an important time pressured ko fight which white eventually won for the win with a resignation close though as the game swung back and forth several times.

Opening with the repeated running along the side

Natsuki wasn't at all bothered by that huge wall and launched an attack that took the lead back. A slight defensive mistake below meant the bottom stones could be killed and switching impetus

The game then hinged on the life or death of the M7 group which stated snaking out though also somewhat surprisingly on the equal life/death of the huge wall and this whites adjacent center stones... the key move was here where Black did not connect at N9 thus lost the 8 stones 

Board 2 Suzuki Ayumi 3038 (B) vs Yanagihara Saki 2922 (W)

In the opposite situation to Board 1 we have the Fukuoka Co-Captain vs the Wakagoi Co-Captain, both players lost their first games. Ayumi lost to a lower ranked player and Yanagihara fell to the previous Fukuoka Co-Captain so both will have something to prove.

Summary

This was the most professional of the three games — clean, methodical, and almost textbook in shape.

• White opened with a flexible, modern style, but Black’s experience showed in the way she handled every local fight with minimal overplay.

• The big fight on the right side resolved in Black’s favour after a clever forcing sequence that left White slightly heavy.

• From there, Black kept the lead without taking risks.

Overall: A confident, controlled win by Suzuki, exactly the kind of performance you expect from a 7‑dan anchoring the middle board.

The game started at about the 1hr 40 mark, Opening - Wakagoi finally get Black with Ayumi who opened 34 and 34 same side facing away, White duel 44s. Black then approached the top right low knight white drew back and Black replicated bottom left as well and white drew back. Black then took a 1 space high extension on her upper 34. White then dived into mid right splitting the two Black positions. Ayumi historically favours points over influence so this seemed to match her skill set well a rather audacious invasion of the left side lived small but at the same time soaked up white points and made an attempted white central moyo rather pointless. Saki looked a bit disheartened at this point with Black on about 60 points versus whites 30 or so plus making White's win condition becoming needing the center.

Here is the position near the end of the opening where you can see how Black is saying it wants the Bottom and top

A little later you can see the players aims more clearly

Note the line of one space white jumps perhaps indicating White might want to use that to both trap the central right black group and maybe make a moyo to the left, Black equally has gone for secure territory. Now all is alive this invasion was the game turner.