World
Game
Of
Sprouts
Association

Khorkov Wins Service Against AuntBeast

Roman Khorkov has broken AuntBeast to take a commanding lead in their championship match. If he holds his next game, Game 3 of the match, he will retain his title, no matter what the outcome of the concurrent Peltier-AuntBeast match. (This potentially decisive game has begun, and AuntBeast has served 10-.)

26- (AuntBeast - Khorkov*) 1(27)1[2-15] 1(28)27[2-5] 16(29)17 16(30)16[17,18] 30(31)19 19(32)31 19(33)20 17(34)17 20(35)21 20(36)33[21,35] 36(37)22 32(38)37[22] 2(39)28 2(40)2[3,4] 22(41)38 39(42)40 22(43)41 6(44)6[7-10] 6(45@11)44 11(46)11[12-15] II

Khorkov’s serve is arguably the most challenging at his disposal given the parameters of the tournament. AuntBeast makes the surprising decision to play Left. (Conventional wisdom has it that 26 spots, analogously with 8 spots, wins for Right in both normal and misere play.) AuntBeast’s first move does not seem problematical, and Khorkov’s reply seems to secure the even number of survivors he will need for victory. Hair-raising, but evidently normal, complications ensuing in the 11 spot biosphere do not prevent Roman from consolidating his advantage.

This game seems to be an opening miscue by AuntBeast efficiently exploited by Roman Khorkov’s sophisticated technique.

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