The Magic of Kifu

(;GM[1]AP[GOWrite:3.0.15]CA[UTF-8]SZ[19]FF[4]ST[2]PB[Stanisław Frejlak]RE[?]KM[7.5]HA[0]TM[+ Error\: time control missing]SO[https\://www.eurogofed.org]PW[Lucas Neirynck]BR[1p]GN[EGPF 2022 - Finale]WR[6d]PC[https\:/online-go.com/review/1012626]FG[259:]RU[Chinese]PM[2]C[This year in the European Grand Prix Finale, I played my first game in the group stage against Lucas Neirynck, 6 dan. Lucas played the game very well, and at one point the position went completely out of my control. I resigned after dying with a big dragon. I met Lucas again in the final match. I thought that I must approach this game with confidence and no fear. In the first joseki, my opponent gave me a big influence. I decided that a moyo game is not a bad idea. I will put pressure on my opponent's groups and let him suffer. In the actual game, this plan worked out pretty well. I think that in general, Lucas is a player who sometimes plays a bit too defensive moves. In this game, he didn't make any big mistakes but his play was a little bit slow, so I managed to defend a big box of territory and got an advantage. Afterwards, my opponent tried to complicate the game by exploiting aji in my territories but it was already too late. All in all, the game went rather smoothly. For most of the time, I just followed the flow of the stones without reading too many variations, and I ended up with a comfortable advantage.]OT[Error\: time control missing] ;B[pd];W[dp];B[pq];W[dd];B[lp];W[qc];B[qd];W[pc];B[od];W[nc];B[nd];W[mc];B[oc];W[ob];B[nb];W[pb];B[lc];W[mb];B[md];W[lb];B[pk];W[kc];B[fq];W[cn];B[fo] ( ;W[ph];B[mh];W[oj];B[ok];W[nj];B[nk];W[mj];B[pj];W[nh];B[mg];W[kj];B[jh];W[ll] ;B[mm]C[A COMMENT TO INCLUDE JUST AS A TEXT, WITHOUT ANY DIAGRAM\: When you play for moyo, you know that your opponent will come in, sooner or later. It's important to put pressure on the opponent's stone but not try to kill it. The goal is to find the direction of play which will bring profit. After White's invasion, the cap at 27 looked appealing to me. I have such a tall wall so I have a right to fly high above my opponent's stone. However, with the sequence up to 38, White managed to build a healthy group. In retrospect, I thought that a low cap might have been more tight than 27. On the other hand, I still got a nice box in the bottom right so I wasn't disappointed with the result.] ;W[qq];B[qp];W[eq];B[fr];W[jq];B[jo];W[lq];B[mq];W[mr] ( ;B[lr];W[kq];FG[259:]PM[2];B[nr];W[mp];B[nq];W[ko];B[kn];W[jn];B[in];W[jm] ( ;B[io];W[lo];B[ln];W[mn];B[nn];W[mo];B[lm];W[kr] ( ;B[ij];W[ml];B[nm];W[pi];B[qg];W[ri];B[rk];W[pg];B[qf];W[ng];B[mi];W[mf];B[lf];W[nf];B[ld] ( ;W[le];B[ke];W[lg];B[kf];W[ji];B[kh];W[ii];B[ms];W[hr] ( ;B[jk];W[kk];B[hi];W[ih];B[gj];W[jl];B[il];W[hh];B[gh];W[gg];FG[259:]PM[2];B[fh];W[hk];B[hj];W[hp];B[im];W[dr];B[cf];W[fc];B[cl];W[dl];B[dk];W[dm] ( ;B[iq] ( ;W[ir];B[do];W[co];B[ep] ( ;W[dq];B[ip];W[gr];B[cd];W[cc];B[bc];W[ce];B[bd];W[de];B[be];W[df];B[cg];W[id];B[jc];W[jd];B[kd];W[kb];B[fg];W[gf];B[ff];W[ge];B[ck];W[cb];B[hq];W[dg];B[dh];W[pp] ( ;B[op];W[nl];B[ol];W[rp];B[po];W[qo];FG[259:]PM[2];B[qr];W[pp];B[rq] ( ;W[pn];B[oo];W[eh];B[di];W[ch];B[bb];W[bh];B[bg];W[fl];B[ca];W[kl];B[rj];W[gn];B[bm];W[gq];B[ho] ( ;W[ej];B[ei];W[ek];B[bn];W[dj];B[cj];W[fi];B[eg];W[fj];B[gi];W[gp];B[go];W[gk];B[ik];W[fp];B[bo];W[bp];B[eb];W[dc];B[da];W[fb];B[fa];W[ga];B[ea];W[gb];B[fe];W[fd];B[rh];W[si];B[ap];W[aq];FG[259:]PM[2];B[ao];W[bq];B[if];W[ig];B[ie];W[jg];B[kg];W[he];B[hd];W[hc];B[rd];W[sc];B[rc];W[rb];B[sd];W[sb];B[eo];W[pf];B[ci];W[pe];B[qe];W[sh];B[sg];W[qh];B[rg];W[fn];B[ki];W[jj];B[lj];W[mk];B[qj];W[qi];B[no];W[sj];B[sk];W[hl];B[en];W[em];B[hm];W[gm];B[ni];W[oi];B[oe];W[me];B[of];W[og];B[hf];W[hg];B[np];W[kp];FG[259:]PM[2];B[ec];W[ed];B[ks];W[js];B[ls];W[lk];B[li];W[db];B[ba];W[jf];B[je];W[ic];B[ef];W[ee];B[cm];W[dn];B[hn];W[jp];B[eh];W[ne] ) ( ;MA[bh][ch]W[gp] ;B[go] ;W[fp]C[Afterwards, White still tried to complicate the game by putting two marked stones inside my territory on the left. I didn't want to answer passively so I spent my time to read out possible variations, and I answered by grabbing even more territory with hane at 163 and kosumi at 167. It gave White a chance to connect at 1 and cut off my two stones at 3 but I calculated that the value of these two stones is not necessarily higher than what I gain with my kosumi at 167. The game continued until the last neutral points, but in the end Lucas said that he sees that he has less points. He proposed to count the game with the Japanese scoring (even though the tournament was played with the Chinese rules). We counted and the difference was indeed quite significant.] ) ) ( ;FG[259:]VW[jk:ss]PM[2]MN[1] ;W[oo];B[pn] ;W[no]C[When I played the atari at 153, Lucas took a lot of time to think. It seemed obvious that White should connect at A as it was sente. But in fact, it might have lost some aji. Instead, White could cut at 1. With the connection at A not being exchanged, it would be not possible for Black to consider a counter-atari at 3, as White would certainly find a way to live in ko within Black's area. Instead, Black would need to extend at 2, and give away a few points of territory. In the game, White decided that this variation would not be enough to win the game and chose the other atari at 154. However, I read that this way White won't have enough space to build two eyes, and I confidently connected with 155.]LB[qp:A][rr:B] ) ) ( ;FG[259:]VW[jm:ss]PM[2]MN[1] ;B[qo];W[oq];B[pr];W[np];B[or] ;W[op]C[The game was entering the endgame stage. White's knight's move at 130 not only grabbed territory on the top side, but also made sure that White's central group won't come under attack ever again. Between the left side and the top left corner, I chose the former, and connected at 139. White took the corner, and I got rid of the aji on the bottom side with 141. It seemed that the game will finish soon, and I knew that Black has an advantage. However, at that moment White played an unexpected cross-cut at 144. It threatened that White's stone in the corner gets revived and the territory balance on the board changes significantly. The most simple way to answer White's move was to extend at 1 and let White connect the stone with moves up to 6. However, this would also be a big loss for Black. The game would become very close. I think that Lucas didn't even need to read any variations in the bottom right corner before playing the cross-cut. It was certain that with calm play White cannot win the game. On the other hand, the cross-cut was clearly the key point in the bottom right corner. Now the whole pressure was on me. I needed to choose between a compromise and a risky way of trying to kill White. It would feel very bad to give away the territory in this area after investing so many stones in building this box. Therefore, I spent a lot of time reading variations and in the end, I went for a kill.] ) ) ( ;W[bd] ;FG[259:]VW[am:hs]PM[2]MN[1] ;B[cp];W[dq];B[cq];W[cr];B[br];W[bs];B[ar];W[bp];B[bq];W[ao];B[er];W[aq];B[ap]LB[bo:A] ) ) ( ;TR[fq][fr][fo]SQ[iq]FG[259:]VW[al:ss]PM[2]MN[1] ;W[ip];B[jp];W[kp] ) ) ( ;FG[259:]PM[2]MN[1] ;B[bd];W[gp];B[fp] ;W[gn]C[When I managed to put two stones on the left side with moves 107 and 109, I figured that Black is leading on points. White continued with an attachment at 110, and it felt natural for Black to continue the game by entering White's corner with 1. However, I realized that White might have a special plan behind playing the attachment at 110. If White peeps at 2 and I connect, White will split Black with a jump at 4. It's hard to predict if Black will manage to save his stones. Perhaps, it's smarter to not connect and let White cut off two stones. But what if White starts directly with the knight's move at 4? I figured that I might fix my shape actively, by using an aji in White's shape. After Black's attachment at 113. White might cut off Black's stone but it will give Black sente moves around the area. In the game, White chose to create a stronger shape with a move at 114 but it was no better. Black already gained a few points by reducing White's territory, and anyway White needed a peep at 2 to make the split with 4 work. Afterwards, I reduced White's corner territory by sente exchanges from 115 to 118. After all these exchanges, even if Black will be forced to give away the two stones on the bottom, the loss won't feel particularly painful.] ) ) ( ;FG[259:]VW[al:ss]PM[2]MN[1] ;B[iq];W[ir];B[ks];W[js] ;B[hs]C[When Black captures at 89 and White adds a move at 90, White's bottom group is not 100% alive yet. Black could play a sequence from 1 to 5 which sets up a ko for the group's second eye. This idea looks absolutely crazy since Black's shape on the left side becomes very thin, and White is going to have plenty of ko threats for escaping with the group. It's likely that Black's position will completely collapse. This being said, I noticed that I can continue an attack on White's group in the center in a way which would give me additional stones close to this hypothetical battlefield on the bottom. I was a bit doubtful if this plan can ever succeed but I continued with moves up to 97 which anyway seemed like the correct direction of play. I was a bit surprised when in the actual game White reinforced his shape with a jump at 104. After the game, Lucas told me that he saw the variation leading to a ko and he was worried about his group. I think that his move was a bit too defensive.]LB[ls:A] ;W[gr];B[gs];W[hp];B[ip];W[gp];B[fp];W[hn] ) ) ( ;FG[259:]VW[aa:sk]PM[2]MN[1] ;W[lg];B[kf] ;W[ji]C[Black's move at 71 takes away White's base, and Black's bump at 77 destroys White's eye shape. As Black didn't answer White's push at 76, it's natural for White to continue with hane at 78, trying to split Black's groups. White came up with a witty combination from 82 until 86. Black needs to choose between enclosing White and saving three stones with move 87. In the actual game, I chose the latter option and White ran out. I thought that it's acceptable for Black since White group is not completely alive yet. I believe that White's combination was a little inaccurate. White could skip the A-B exchange and cut directly at 1. I don't think that I would be brave enough to capture the cutting stone, and let White atari at A and enclose my group on the right side.]LB[le:A][ke:B][kg:C] ) ) ( ;B[tt]C[With the sequence up to 66, White settled the group and Black got sente to attack the group in the center. It might feel natural to answer White's atari at 66 by capturing White's stone at A and let White make an eye with B. However, in the future Black might need a move around B themself so it's better to keep both options open.]LB[ms:A][hr:B] ) ) ( ;FG[259:]VW[ai:ss]PM[2]MN[1] ;B[jp];W[kp];B[ln];W[hp];B[ho];W[gp];B[fp];W[go];B[gn] ;W[fn]C[White's cross-cut at 56 is a powerful way to manage the fight on the bottom. I was very tempted to bump at 1 and try to kill White's group. However, it would lead to a very risky fight. Instead of a move at 3, Black could also consider a push at A. Instead of atari at 2, White could also consider atari at B.]LB[km:A] ) ) ( ;FG[259:]PM[2]MN[1] ;B[kq];W[lr];B[kp] ;W[nq]C[White's invasion at 44 is a bit risky since White has another not settled group in the center. I decided that it is important to split the group immediately and not leave my marked group alone. White's attachment at 46 and hane at 48 is a well known technique to settle a group. I considered atari at 1 but I was worried that White won't simply link the stones with A but rather play atari at 4. On the other hand, my sequence up to 53 from the actual game seems to let White run away. However, in this case my stone marked with a triangle will be very useful.] ;B[mp]LB[kr:A][pr:B] ) ) ( ;W[tt]C[I started the game with a not-often seen corner enclosure at A. The goal of this move is to invite the opponent to approach the corner from the other side, and then to pincer and attack them. Lucas invaded my other corner at 3-3, and chose a joseki which gives Black a strong wall. It pushed me towards playing a moyo game. It felt natural to continue with a fourth-line move at 21. Then, White gave me a chance to expand my framework on the bottom side, and I emphasized my influence with a jump to the fifth line at 25.] ;CR[fo]LB[lp:A]FG[259:]PM[2] ) )