AlphaGo vs AlphaGo

Game 2: Slaying the Dragon

Commentary by Fan Hui

Go expert analysis by Gu Li and Zhou Ruiyang

Translated by Lucas Baker, Teddy Collins,

and Thore Graepel
 Game2:SlayingtheDragon

Moves149

Likethefirstgame,thisisablitzwithfivesecondspermove.Thefirst48movesareidentical
tothepreviousgame,butBlackdeviatesat49withahaneoverthefourWhitestones.
AlphaGomayhavebeendissatisfiedwiththeresultoftheextensionatAingame1.


Moves4952

Blackchoosesthedoublehane,perhapsexpectingdiagram1.Intherealgame,thingsdo
notproceedsosmoothly,asWhitedisruptsBlacksrhythmwiththesharpplacementat52.

Diagram1

BlackexpectsWhitetodefendwiththetiger'smouthimmediately.NowBlackcangetout
with5and9,relyingontheforcingmovesat11and13tosecuretheisolatedgroup.
Afterwards,Whitelaunchesadeepinvasionwith30,andtheoutcomeonthetopsidewill
decidethegame.


Diagram2

AlthoughBlackwouldliketoconnectat1,White'spushandcutleavesBlackatalossto
respond.Through8,Blackcollapses.


Moves5268

Theexchangeof52for53leavesBlackhardpressedtofixupalltheweaknessesonthetop
side.Instead,Blackdecidestohangtoughwiththeconnectionat61,harassingWhiteonthe
rightwhilelookingforanopportunemomenttoreinforcethetop.

Boldthoughitmaybe,Black'swayofplayingisextremelydangerous.Through68,thereis
stillagapthroughwhichBlackcanbreakintotheopen,butthegamehasalreadygrown
painfullydifficult.

Diagram3showsWhite'santicipatedcontinuation.


Diagram3

WhitebelievesBlackmustescapewiththekosumiat1.Afterexchanging2for3,White
invadesthetop,exploitingBlack'sajiandlivingeasily.Naturally,thisresultwouldfavor
White.

Moves6874

BlackprobesWhite'sintentionswiththepeepat69.WhenWhitepushesfromtheoutside,
Blackchoosestoriskitallbyconnectingat71!Nowthetopismuchstronger,butcanBlack
livewiththedragonontheright?

WhitesealsBlack'sfatewiththelethalcombinationof72and74.AlphaGoiscapableof
killing!

Diagram4

WhenBlackpushesthroughat2,Whitemustnottrytoconnectunderat3.Blackseizesthe
opportunitytoforcewith4,thensecuresaneyeinsentethrough16.AfterBlackjumpsat18,
Whitehasnowaytocapture.

Moves7496

Thefollowingmovesareaonewaystreet,andBlackisquicklyrunningoutofspacetolive.
Although85and87createsomeeyeshape,carvingouttwoeyeswillbeaverydifficulttask.

Aftertheattachmentat91,Blackbrieflyentertainsthenotionthateverythingwillbefine.
However,White'smercilessblowat96laysbaretheharshreality!Seediagram5.

Wellthen,isBlackdoomed?Actually,Blackdoesstillhaveachancetolive,buttheresulting
kowouldbeaPyrrhicvictory.Seediagram6.


Diagram5

Atfirst,Blackthinksthereisnowaytokill,andWhitewillhavetobecontentwithcapturing
thesacrificestonesontheoutside.Through16,thebottombecomesaflowerviewingkofor
Black,whoreservestherighttomakeasecondeyeaboveatanytime.IfBlacklives,the
territoryatthetopwillprovedecisive.Ofcourse,Blackisdaydreaming.

Diagram6

Infact,BlackcanexploitWhitesajitogainakoforlife,butWhitecancreatekothreatsby
targetingtheweakpointsonthetop.White'speepat2isadifficulttesujiforBlacktohandle.
AfterWhitecrawlsat14,Blackcannolongercontainthesituation.

Moves96132

Althoughthispositionlookscomplicated,thefactisthatBlackhaslostthechancetolive.
Whitestechniquemayappearsuboptimal,butfromAlphaGo'sperspective,thisisthe
simplestandclearestline.Throughmove132,theresultistechnicallyko,butthiskoexists
innameonly,asBlackhasnoreasonablemeansofstartingit.Seediagram7.

Diagram7

IfBlackdirectlyinitiatestheko,theonlyplausiblethreatiscapturingthetwostonesonthe
righttomakelife.Whitefinishesthekoat4,reapingahugeprofitatthebottom.NextWhite
attachesat6,andaslongasthetopleftgroupdoesnotdie,Blackwillhavenowaytomake
upthedeficit.

Moves132172

Thefollowingmovesarenotcritical,butthereareafewdetailsworthnoting.WhenWhite
connectsat144,Blackcannotfighttheko.Seediagram8.

OnceWhitereinforcesat146,Blackisunconditionallydead.Thefollowingmovesmaybe
regardedasBlacksdyingbreath.Blackresignsatmove172.

Variation8

8=2

ThisisBlackslastchancetoplaytheko.AlthoughBlackhasonelocalkothreat,Whitehas
oneinreturnat6.WhenWhiteretakesat8,Blackisoutofthreats.

Moves1172

AlphaGosunparalleledpositionaljudgmentandoutstandingabilitytocontroltheflowofthe
gamearewellknown.However,somehavewonderedaboutwhetheritcanhandlelifeand
deathsituations,evenquestionedwhethersuchpositionsmightdriveAlphaGoberserk.This
gameshouldprovetoeveryonethat,indeed,AlphaGocankill.