I played 7 online games of Go with Vox last evening, in which I continued to give him 2 stones handicap (I took 6.5 points komi). I had a successful session, winning 5 of 7 games, but that score is not indicative of the competitiveness of the games. Vox’s wins were both decisive. As well, I won 3 games by a total of only 6 points, while my other 2 wins were significant. In other words, 3 of the games were really up for grabs, decided by tiny margins. Certainly, being able to find that little edge in a very close game is a part of the game. Sometimes every point counts. Still, it’s fair to say that Vox played stronger last night than he has in recent sessions. I found it more difficult to destabilize his groups and to attack effectively. We had a couple very interesting ko battles, one that I won outright and the other one Vox won, but not before giving up some stones as compensation.

Here’s a look at game 5. This one was tough throughout and I squeaked out a half point victory.