Li League Match 5 - Nagoya Vs Senko
Match 6 — Nagoya vs Senkyo
Next match will be here on Saturday. Nagoya and Senko face off so only one undefeated team will remain.
Board 2 has the 3rd player in Nagoya's team Takao Mari #2895 also with white versus the Senko Captain Ueno Asami #3290. Board 3 has the Nagoya Co Captain Nyu Eiko #3023 versus the 3rd player in Senko Tsuji Hana #2815..
Pairings:
| Board | Nagoya | Senko | Result | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Board 1 | Kato Chie | Chiaki Mukai | B+1.5 | Chiaki Mukai |
| Board 2 | Takao Mari | Ueno Asami | W+R | Ueno Asami |
| Board 3 | Nyu Eiko | Tsuji Hana | B+R | Nyu Eiko |
Board 1 — Kato Chie (White) vs Chiaki Mukai (Black)
Opening
Black opened 34 facing alternates, white 44 and 34 facing own. Black 1 space enclosed the bottom right then white knight approached the top right,. Black played Shosaku's diagonal and white made a 2 space base. This gave Black sente to knight approach the bottom left where white also Shosaku'd as did Black's next. White then large knighted their star point giving Black Sente to pincer white's bottom left and gain an extension. White ran out and the next few moves involved both sides pressurising each others groups. Finally Black grabbed the final side and the opening was practically over.
Middle Game
White then proceeded to invade deep in Blacks territory, in much the same way as she had in her match against Ueno Risa. Here though her Sabaki was looser. Black knight approached the star point large knight at F17 and when white defended with a pillar extended 3 - which seemed make the first stone a sacrifice allowing her to generate a loose wall at the top. Some sente forcing moves in the corner then secured that side as well.
Here are the before and afters.
Endgame
I think the AI might have been a little to confident in it's ability to kill those central white stones. White built a lead here but Blacks end game was strong and Chiaki snipped away at it including a nice Seki in the bottom left. Which meant white was only 1 point ahead. Then this move came and even though it was only a 1.9 drop that was enough to switch to Blacks advantage. and Chiaki Mukai won by 1.6 points.
This was a key game as it would likely (and did) swing the match towards Senko.
Game Summary
This first‑board match unfolded as a tense, strategic duel between two players known for their calm precision. Mukai, taking Black, steered the opening toward a balanced, territorial game, building steady frameworks on the right while keeping the centre flexible. Kato responded with her trademark solidity on the left side, aiming to anchor the board early and deny Black any easy development.
The middle game became a web of small, overlapping fights rather than a single explosive battle. Each cut and counter‑cut created new points of tension, but neither player overplayed; instead, they probed, reinforced, and quietly extracted value. Mukai’s right‑side stones worked together efficiently, while Kato’s groups on the lower side showed impressive resilience under pressure. The game’s character was defined by this constant, delicate negotiation — neither player giving an inch, both reading deeply to avoid a decisive collapse.
As the board entered the late middle game, Mukai began to edge ahead through a series of well‑timed forcing moves that tightened her territorial claims without creating new weaknesses. Kato fought back with sharp endgame reductions, turning every ko threat and every sente exchange into a chance to close the gap. The tension rose as the score remained impossibly close, each move carrying real weight.
In the final counting, Mukai’s earlier positional gains proved just enough to withstand Kato’s late‑stage pressure. The margin — a mere 1.5 points — reflected the nature of the entire contest: disciplined, balanced, and fought with remarkable accuracy on both sides. Mukai claimed the win by the slimmest of edges, a victory built not on a single dramatic fight but on steady judgement and impeccable endgame control.
Board 2 — Takao Mari (White) vs Ueno Asami (Black)
Opening
Black took 44 and 34 facing own with white 44 and 34 facing black - and that stone black promptly knight approached, white ignored and knight approached blacks remaining 34 and Black pincered wide, white leaned on the 34 stone and a joseki played out before white 33 invaded the 44. Black blocked facing her stones and used the modern AI sente response with white jumping on the 3rd and not knighting. Neither player saw fit to take the left and instead positions were made and secured at the top and right
Middle Game
Up to this point (move 67) things were even but Black now started dominating. It was interesting watching the players. Ueno Asami's stance is very relaxed with an upright spine whereas Takao Mari tends to slouch more (age thing) but you could see the nerves.
Mari made a slow move at 74 in what looks like an attempt to seal off the top and potentially generate a large left/central moyo but this is Ueno Asami and the left side was still untouched so she jumped straight in.
By this point is was practically over. Asami was 20 or so points ahead and never lost that lead and indeed increased it to 31.
Mari resigned at move 165
Game Summary
This encounter brought together two sharply contrasting styles: Ueno’s expansive, influence‑driven vision against Takao’s steady, territorial precision. From the opening, Ueno steered the game toward a wide‑board struggle, building outward frameworks on the right while inviting complications across the centre. Takao responded with firm, grounded play on the left, aiming to anchor the board before the fighting began in earnest.
The middle game erupted when Ueno launched a series of cuts that split White’s stones into multiple running groups. Takao tried to turn her central thickness into counter‑pressure, but Ueno’s timing was relentless — each forcing move tightened the noose while simultaneously strengthening Black’s outer position. As the battles spilled across the right side and into the heart of the board, Takao found herself juggling too many weak points at once.
Once Ueno consolidated the central influence she had built through the fighting, the balance tipped decisively. White’s groups strained for life while Black’s surrounding strength only grew. Takao resisted with admirable tenacity, probing for complications and last‑ditch chances, but Ueno’s reading never wavered. With the central fight resolved in Black’s favour and no path back into the game, Takao resigned — a commanding win for Ueno, built on sharp cuts, superior shape control, and unwavering pressure from start to finish.
Board 3 — Nyu Eiko (Black) vs Tsuji Hana (White)
Opening
Interesting start with Nyu taking a 44 and Hana promptly offering a split corner game with a 34 also at the top, Nyu accepted taking a further 44 and then Hana 34'd the other corner. Black approached both and White knight defended both. A white 33 invasion then ensued with Black taking the 2 stone and knight AI approach, white used the Sente to repeat this the other side and almost the same end position occurred with the sente provided used by Black to approach whites top left with what looked like 2 large potential territory areas.
Middle Game
Black the repeatedly attacked the left top white group and that fight slowly spilt across the board. Black never really lost its 5 point advantage at this point and it was noticeable that Hana was already only on 16-17 seconds a move whereas Eiko has 4-5 minutes. Now about move 166 when the commenting team switched to the visitors Hana almost swung things around by almost killing a black group here
Now it all appeared to be based around threatening to kill either the K5 or the F3 group with AI suggesting the K5 group would live (bigger)
Hana didn't see it though and played 174 to poke an eye
Unusually at 191 Hana's clock run out and she wasn't able to complete. Though black was 2.1 ahead it looks like White had a slightly better end game potential but would still likely have lost by 1 point.
Game Summary
This match unfolded as a fast, tactical fight from the opening moves, with Nyu pushing the pace as Black and Tsuji responding with sharp, flexible play. Black’s early development on the right side set the tone: outward‑facing, influence‑driven, and designed to provoke running battles. White countered with light, mobile shapes, aiming to keep the board unsettled and prevent Black from consolidating too much thickness too early.
The middle game became a continuous flow of skirmishes. Every cut led naturally into the next, and both players showed impressive reading as groups raced across the board. Nyu’s stones coordinated with remarkable clarity — each forcing move strengthened her outer position while narrowing White’s options. Tsuji fought back with inventive sabaki, especially around the lower side, but Black’s attacks consistently arrived with better timing and cleaner shape.
As the centre clarified, the balance tipped decisively toward Black. Nyu secured the key influence she had been building throughout the fight, while White’s groups remained thin and overextended. Tsuji tried to complicate matters with last‑ditch invasions and reductions, but the strain of defending multiple weak points at once began to show. The board position was already difficult, and the clock added a final layer of pressure.
In the closing phase, with Black firmly in control and the remaining fights offering little hope of reversal, Tsuji’s time expired. The official result recorded a resignation‑by‑time, but the flow of the game made the direction clear: Nyu’s victory was built on superior coordination, relentless fighting spirit, and the ability to turn every tactical exchange into lasting advantage.
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